What should I do now?

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	Topic: What should I do now?
Posted : 16/02/10 / Views : 1260 / Replies : 8 /
Emily.Sinclair1 14 posts last on: 07/02/12 send private reply	A couple of weeks ago I wrote to about a dozen agents to ask about representation. One of them represents someone I've just filmed a TV show with - he got back to me almost immediately and has now offered to represent me. Hurrah! But... I haven't heard back from anyone else and I don't want to sign up with this guy while I've still got all these other applications floating around out there (although I'm sure most of them will just say they've got their fill of twentysomething girl-next-door types!). I explained the situation to the agent and he said he understood completely. But I don't want to leave it for too long and I know if I wait for the agents to contact me I could be waiting a veeeeeery long time! So... should I phone the others, tell them I've had an offer from another agent and ask if they've had a chance to review my application yet? Or will that just annoy them? If I do phone them, how long should I leave it? It's barely been two weeks since I sent the letters out. Any advice would be extremely welcome! Thank you.

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	Reply #1
Posted : 16/02/10
BlakeJ 1437 posts last on: 3 hours send private reply	I would see if you can make an appointment to meet this agent and have a chat to see how specifically he can work for you, while doing that, follow up the others but dont tell them you have had an offer of representation. I will say its pretty hard to get an agent at the mo, so the fact that you have interest is great, but if you havent met them and had a chat I would see if thats possible. Its also a good way of sussing out how genuine they are and whether they will work for you. Trust your instincts.

Reply #1

Posted : 16/02/10

BlakeJ
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I would see if you can make an appointment to meet this agent and have a chat to see how specifically he can work for you, while doing that, follow up the others but dont tell them you have had an offer of representation.

I will say its pretty hard to get an agent at the mo, so the fact that you have interest is great, but if you havent met them and had a chat I would see if thats possible. Its also a good way of sussing out how genuine they are and whether they will work for you. Trust your instincts.

	Reply #2
Posted : 16/02/10
anonymous	A bird in the hand as the saying goes. Grab the agent that wants you. The agent thinks you will make them money. Which means you will get work.

	Reply #3
Posted : 16/02/10
Jenna.Sharpe 209 posts last on: 31 min send private reply	Umm no don't phone everyone you wrote to to tell them you have an agent. It is a waste of their time and yours. You also need to meet this agent and I am a little surprised any agent would offer to represent someone without meeting them first. It doesn't matter how great your resume is or whether you came highly recommended... nothing can really beat a face to face meeting/audition. Theoretically if you sign with someone and then a "better" agent offers you representation then there is nothing stopping you from changing agents anyway.

Reply #3

Posted : 16/02/10

Jenna.Sharpe
209 posts
last on: 31 min
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Umm no don't phone everyone you wrote to to tell them you have an agent. It is a waste of their time and yours. You also need to meet this agent and I am a little surprised any agent would offer to represent someone without meeting them first. It doesn't matter how great your resume is or whether you came highly recommended... nothing can really beat a face to face meeting/audition.

Theoretically if you sign with someone and then a "better" agent offers you representation then there is nothing stopping you from changing agents anyway.

	Reply #4
Posted : 16/02/10
BlakeJ 1437 posts last on: 3 hours send private reply	If you sign a contract there is something stopping you.

	Reply #5
Posted : 16/02/10
Nigel.Peever 345 posts last on: 2 hours send private reply	Personally I wouldn't put on an open forum "I don't want to sign up with this guy in case any of the other people might want me". I'd feel a bit offended if I were him.

	Reply #6
Posted : 16/02/10
Emily.Sinclair1 14 posts last on: 07/02/12 send private reply	Thanks for the advice everyone, and to those who PMed me as well. And Nigel - cripes, did my original post really sound that mercenary? I want to give myself the best chance, yes, but I wouldn't have written to this guy in the first place if I didn't want to be represented by him! And I've spoken to the girl I worked with who's with him and she said very nice things about him. I'm probably over-thinking things and worrying unnecessarily but I wasn't expecting to get interest so soon and I don't know what the appropriate etiquette is in this situation!

Reply #6

Posted : 16/02/10

Emily.Sinclair1
14 posts
last on: 07/02/12
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Thanks for the advice everyone, and to those who PMed me as well.

And Nigel - cripes, did my original post really sound that mercenary? I want to give myself the best chance, yes, but I wouldn't have written to this guy in the first place if I didn't want to be represented by him! And I've spoken to the girl I worked with who's with him and she said very nice things about him.

I'm probably over-thinking things and worrying unnecessarily but I wasn't expecting to get interest so soon and I don't know what the appropriate etiquette is in this situation!

	Reply #7
Posted : 16/02/10
leeravitz 1543 posts last on: 19 hours send private reply	Two things struck me that might be of practical worth: 1. With all due respect to my friend and associate Mr. Peever :), I think his opinion on the matter of discussing these issues was a little bit alarmist. In point of fact, most agents (or, I should say, most decent agents as opposed to 'cowboys', of the sort you should always be avoiding) are perfectly accepting of the fact that you may wish to consider options about who you sign with before you join their agency. One thing they actually like to recognise is that their choice of an 'acting talent' is accurate, and it can sometimes be gratifying for them to actually know you are in demand because it indicates that other people also see the potential in you; in fact, secretly, I think, most agents assume that anyone they are prepared to take onto the books is in demand as a default, and this makes them all the more eager to be the one that wins you over. I remember distinctly how enthusiastic my first agent was at interview about whether or not there were other offers I wanted to pursue at the time; it was not an issue over which 'jealousy' was felt. Also, because the working relationship between an actor and agent has to 'gel', agents want to think you have made an intelligent choice in agreeing to work with them, because there is no-one they want on the books less than a talent who doesn't really see the agency 'style' as fitting them. A good agent will allow you leeway to pursue other offers, and will not hold it against you in any way. But you are right, I think, Emily, to say that the longer you stave off an agreement the less interested an agent will become in you, because they need to get on with the business of making a living. It doesn't mean they'll forget you, of course, if they liked what you offered in the first instance - but you may find they, for instance, get another actor of your type into the 'available' slot in the three and a half months you are debating whether or not to sign with them, and cannot then use you anymore, so bear it in mind! 2. Although I see your difficulty with wondering whether or not any of the other agencies will get back to you (and some, it's true, take months to process your application), I think there are some other issues to bear in mind here. First is that, while I don't actually think there is harm in calling the agencies to ask after an application (they must hear 100 actors doing it every day!), you will only ever receive a non-comittal answer that doesn't aid you one or the other. They will either say 'No, we haven't seen it; we will look for it,' or 'yes, we saw it, thanks for sending it.' Not really helpful information either way (also, in a decently sized agency, it will often be the secretary, not the agent themself, who fields this kind of enquiry - and their job is to make sure you receive a soothing answer and no feathers get ruffled, so it will not exactly be incisive). The other point that struck me was that you say that the agency who have offered you work are the agency that an associate of yours works for. This is, in itself, a suggestive sign: there is no better way, in my opinion, to get 'in' with an agent than to bring a recommendation with you, because the agent who already trusts the person doing the recommending learns to trust you that much more by default also. In this sense, it may actually be likely that it was the influence of your friend (whether intentional or accidental) that got you seen for this agency over and above 20 other similar actors. The corollary of that is that many other agencies with whom you have no particular 'link' may well dismiss you in favour of others who have been recommended to them in some way or other. So, you may need to take this into account when making a decision whether to sign or not as well.

Reply #7

Posted : 16/02/10

leeravitz
1543 posts
last on: 19 hours
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Two things struck me that might be of practical worth:

1. With all due respect to my friend and associate Mr. Peever :), I think his opinion on the matter of discussing these issues was a little bit alarmist. In point of fact, most agents (or, I should say, most decent agents as opposed to 'cowboys', of the sort you should always be avoiding) are perfectly accepting of the fact that you may wish to consider options about who you sign with before you join their agency. One thing they actually like to recognise is that their choice of an 'acting talent' is accurate, and it can sometimes be gratifying for them to actually know you are in demand because it indicates that other people also see the potential in you; in fact, secretly, I think, most agents assume that anyone they are prepared to take onto the books is in demand as a default, and this makes them all the more eager to be the one that wins you over. I remember distinctly how enthusiastic my first agent was at interview about whether or not there were other offers I wanted to pursue at the time; it was not an issue over which 'jealousy' was felt. Also, because the working relationship between an actor and agent has to 'gel', agents want to think you have made an intelligent choice in agreeing to work with them, because there is no-one they want on the books *less* than a talent who doesn't really see the agency 'style' as fitting them. A good agent will allow you leeway to pursue other offers, and will not hold it against you in any way. But you are right, I think, Emily, to say that the longer you stave off an agreement the less interested an agent will become in you, because they need to get on with the business of making a living. It doesn't mean they'll forget you, of course, if they liked what you offered in the first instance - but you may find they, for instance, get another actor of your type into the 'available' slot in the three and a half months you are debating whether or not to sign with them, and cannot then use you anymore, so bear it in mind!

2. Although I see your difficulty with wondering whether or not any of the other agencies will get back to you (and some, it's true, take months to process your application), I think there are some other issues to bear in mind here. First is that, while I don't actually think there is harm in calling the agencies to ask after an application (they must hear 100 actors doing it every day!), you will only ever receive a non-comittal answer that doesn't aid you one or the other. They will either say 'No, we haven't seen it; we will look for it,' or 'yes, we saw it, thanks for sending it.' Not really helpful information either way (also, in a decently sized agency, it will often be the secretary, not the agent themself, who fields this kind of enquiry - and their job is to make sure you receive a soothing answer and no feathers get ruffled, so it will not exactly be incisive). The other point that struck me was that you say that the agency who have offered you work are the agency that an associate of yours works for. This is, in itself, a suggestive sign: there is no better way, in my opinion, to get 'in' with an agent than to bring a recommendation with you, because the agent who already trusts the person doing the recommending learns to trust you that much more by default also. In this sense, it may actually be likely that it was the influence of your friend (whether intentional or accidental) that got you seen for this agency over and above 20 other similar actors. The corollary of that is that many other agencies with whom you have no particular 'link' may well dismiss you in favour of others who have been recommended to them in some way or other. So, you may need to take this into account when making a decision whether to sign or not as well.

	Reply #8
Posted : 16/02/10
Nigel.Peever 345 posts last on: 2 hours send private reply	It's just that people often change their minds, one agent told me last year that they would take me on if I renewed my spotlight membership which I did, I let them know that and suddenly my status on here was changed to "not interested" but no courtesy of a reply. Still because of that I got my series of three German commercials via the spotlight job info last august and had no commission to pay! So don't forget "opportunity is not a lengthy visitor"

Reply #8

Posted : 16/02/10

Nigel.Peever
345 posts
last on: 2 hours
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It's just that people often change their minds, one agent told me last year that they would take me on if I renewed my spotlight membership which I did, I let them know that and suddenly my status on here was changed to "not interested" but no courtesy of a reply.
Still because of that I got my series of three German commercials via the spotlight job info last august and had no commission to pay!
So don't forget "opportunity is not a lengthy visitor"

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