Ending the relationship

Location > Networking > Forum > Ending the relationship

	Topic: Ending the relationship
Posted : 12/08/10 / Views : 3162 / Replies : 13 /
Stephen.Gosnell 30 posts last on: 07/02/12 send private reply	Finally worked up the courage to fire my agent. For 3 months he hd failed to secure me a single audition. Every so often i wood recieve an email from him showing the mail he had sent to casting directors. such as Steve Gosnell Please contact me i belive this actor is well suited for the role. then directly underneath another actors name please contact me i belive this actor is well suited for the role. I think he just copied and pasted. This is te straw that broke the camels back here is an email i recieved this morning. The (his agency name)talk show will start shooting in November. My People are in talks with two multi-national media companies for funding. I have hired the serices of a media and marketing expert who is doing great work for this project. Some weeks ago I asked you guys for some assistance and I must say I am very disappointed with the lack of interest shown. I was looking for some of my clients to give me one hour a week to research organisations and people that would deserve some exposure for the good work they do. Not one of you guys came back to me to offer any help. Obviously none of you know the value of such experience within the whole industry. When the show is commissioned and it will be commissioned those who gave assistance as requested would have been taken on fulltime and added to the payroll. I have had to get some assistance from people outside the agency. ( terrible ) I was also looking for people to do on the spot reporting via skype and nobody got back to me about that. I am very disappointed with that. 10 years of giving my services to my clients and this is what I get. Those pro-active clients are doing well. Many have been given roles in two feature fillms the casting information for those were given out in a previous email. Please dont expect me to help you when you dont even help yourself Nuff said i think what a joke rant over

[add comments | all topics]

1 2 Next

	Reply #1
Posted : 03/08/10
Sam.Smith1 50 posts last on: 07/02/12 send private reply	Mind me asking what agency it was?

	Reply #2
Posted : 03/08/10
Nigel.Peever 344 posts last on: 07/02/12 send private reply	Did he really write I beLIVE this actor is well suited etc? Not very specific to any application but the spelling is not very encouraging either.

	Reply #3
Posted : 03/08/10
Stephen.Gosnell 30 posts last on: 07/02/12 send private reply	Sorry my keyboard freezes occasionally,he can spell.

	Reply #4
Posted : 03/08/10
Tricia.Stewart 84 posts last on: 05/02/12 send private reply	I stayed with one agency for about 3 months after leaving drama school before sending a very polite email updating him on my current jobs (all of which I had got myself) and asking if it would be possible to have a chat about what he had been putting me up for. I got a very rude and abusive email back (not to mention with appalling lazy typos) which made me really question how they had been attempting to represent me. I was just glad it had only been 3 months until I'd had enough! Thankfully not all agents are like that. Most in fact are superb, especially my agent now. They keep in touch regularly to discuss how things are going and I know they are doing their best for me. After finally getting the openness I'd been looking for I don't think I would settle for anything less again. Basic message is - there is definitely great agents out there who really WANT to make money of out you. If you're not happy with your current agent, get looking for a new one now so you can be ready to move on when you decide it's time. Best of luck to all!

Reply #4

Posted : 03/08/10

Tricia.Stewart
84 posts
last on: 05/02/12
send private reply

I stayed with one agency for about 3 months after leaving drama school before sending a very polite email updating him on my current jobs (all of which I had got myself) and asking if it would be possible to have a chat about what he had been putting me up for. I got a very rude and abusive email back (not to mention with appalling lazy typos) which made me really question how they had been attempting to represent me. I was just glad it had only been 3 months until I'd had enough!

Thankfully not all agents are like that. Most in fact are superb, especially my agent now. They keep in touch regularly to discuss how things are going and I know they are doing their best for me.

After finally getting the openness I'd been looking for I don't think I would settle for anything less again.

Basic message is - there is definitely great agents out there who really WANT to make money of out you. If you're not happy with your current agent, get looking for a new one now so you can be ready to move on when you decide it's time.

Best of luck to all!

	Reply #5
Posted : 03/08/10
Tracy.Forsythe 4 posts last on: 07/02/12 send private reply	You could also maybe contact Equity about this agent and/or Agents' Association? Best of luck with finding a new one! Tracy

	Reply #6
Posted : 03/08/10
Sam.Smith1 50 posts last on: 07/02/12 send private reply	As I thought - I was with this agent too. I won't go off on one... but you're quite right. He can't spell for squat. With spell checkers and whatever else - beyond looking as if you aren't arsed putting effort into representing your clients - sending off anything on my behalf looking as if it was written by a bemused 10 year old makes ME look bad. Rant off.

	Reply #7
Posted : 03/08/10
Loxone 7 posts last on: 07/02/12 send private reply	I'd really be interested to know who this agent is. It sounds just like my ex agent. He was very good to me! He dumped me just before Christmas, claiming that as I no longer lived in London he would be unable to represent me. I think that this is a reasonable excuse... He just forgot to tell me! I found out I'd been got rid off, because I'd started recieving Spotlight Link! He claims he sent me a letter. Where did he send the letter? You guessed it! To my old London address... Which I might add, I had not lived in for about 4 months!

Reply #7

Posted : 03/08/10

Loxone
7 posts
last on: 07/02/12
send private reply

I'd really be interested to know who this agent is. It sounds just like my ex agent. He was very good to me! He dumped me just before Christmas, claiming that as I no longer lived in London he would be unable to represent me. I think that this is a reasonable excuse... He just forgot to tell me! I found out I'd been got rid off, because I'd started recieving Spotlight Link! He claims he sent me a letter. Where did he send the letter? You guessed it! To my old London address... Which I might add, I had not lived in for about 4 months!

	Reply #8
Posted : 03/08/10
markkempner 1113 posts last on: 07/02/12 send private reply	Sadly we are in a business where anyone can wake up one morning and announce to the world: I am an actor, ....an agent, ....a casting director. Luckily, in most cases, the ones with a seasoned track record will get the proper attention. This agent sounds like a complete toss pott to me...and not even worth worrying about. Move on squire!!

	Reply #9
Posted : 03/08/10
leeravitz 1543 posts last on: 5 hours send private reply	Well, aside from the questions of a) whether he can actually spell accurately in an initial response to a breakdown b) whether he makes any distinction at all between variant members of his client base when applying for specific breakdowns, or simply risks casting directors' ire by sending in the details of everyone on his books for any given part and c) whether, armed with the 'hard sell' of 'Here is a client. He'd be suitable. Contact Me.', it it any surprise that he is not generating a great deal of work for his clients - aside, as I say, from all that, I would just like to revisit the terms of his final letter to you, and see if people agree that it says what I actually think it says. Let me quote salient parts: The (his agency name)talk show will start shooting in November. [So, he has created a talk show format, ready to begin shooting, that is serving as a personal vanity project of some description?] My People are in talks with two multi-national media companies for funding. [i.e. there is no commission behind it as yet - does this mean that the project will actually ever come to fruition? How realistic a prospect is it, even speculatively?] I have hired the serices of a media and marketing expert who is doing great work for this project. [Wait a minute: that sounds like it translates to I have spent money - probably money my clients have earned - on employing a consultant to help me pursue this project. Whilst I can't deny that an agency once it has made its money should be entitled to spend it on whatever it wishes, is this really a sensible way of 'putting money back' into the agency? But let that pass for the moment...] Some weeks ago I asked you guys for some assistance and I must say I am very disappointed with the lack of interest shown. [O...kay] I was looking for some of my clients to give me one hour a week to research organisations and people that would deserve some exposure for the good work they do. [Wait a minute - an hour a week - to do some in-house researching - for how many weeks, exactly? - and aren't these clients supposed to be busy with, oh, either their acting or their day jobs. But I suppose it's not unheard of for an agent to ask if clients will help them to organise events and so forth. Yet, there's no suggestion of any payment being offered for the client's time here. No agent should imagine that they 'employ' their clients, anyway - it's a reciprocal agreement. I don't wonder there was a 'lack of response' to the offer] Not one of you guys came back to me to offer any help. Obviously none of you know the value of such experience within the whole industry. [What does this actually translate to? What IS the value of such experience to a jobbing actor, when what they are being asked to do is phone research? I can see what the value is to the agent - and here's a clue: cheap labour] When the show is commissioned and it will be commissioned those who gave assistance as requested would have been taken on fulltime and added to the payroll. [Ah, I see. When the show is commissioned and it will be commissioned, then the actors who offered to work as researchers for nothing at this point would have been taken on as paid researchers at the point at which there's a bit more money to throw around. This appears to be regardless of the fact that they are hoping to actually become known within the industry as ACTORS, could have probably found office jobs for themselves if they had gone to a temping agency, etc. etc.] I have had to get some assistance from people outside the agency. ( terrible ) [It certainly must be - because it surely costs. What must all these outside researchers be thinking about the reputation of the agency given that its own clients refused to work for free in the agency offices - probably that it leaves them quids in]. Please dont expect me to help you when you dont even help yourself [Beautiful. What a magnificent sentiment!] At my most generous, I would allow that this agent (who clearly is either a self-promoter of epic proportions or really and truly has fallen upon hard times) genuinely believes that, with good work so scare to come by, he is generating benefit for his clients by setting up a TV show with his own backing, employing all his clients as researchers and winning back money that way. Perhaps its not quite so Machiavellian and selfish a scheme as it at first looks. But, even arguing that, there is so much wrong with the scheme that I don't know where this guy gets off. For a start, he has no right to blacklist his own clients for not wanting to do everything he says - agents and actors work in reciprocal relationships!! Then, there is the little question about trying to generate the type of work for his clients that they ACTUALLY pay him a cut for - namely, acting work! And there does also seem to be the issue that money that might be otherwise put to better in-house uses is being thrown into this (so far speculative) project. Sounds like it was absolutely the right time to jump ship, in my opinion!

Reply #9

Posted : 03/08/10

leeravitz
1543 posts
last on: 5 hours
send private reply

Well, aside from the questions of a) whether he can actually spell accurately in an initial response to a breakdown b) whether he makes any distinction at all between variant members of his client base when applying for specific breakdowns, or simply risks casting directors' ire by sending in the details of everyone on his books for any given part and c) whether, armed with the 'hard sell' of 'Here is a client. He'd be suitable. Contact Me.', it it any surprise that he is not generating a great deal of work for his clients - aside, as I say, from all that, I would just like to revisit the terms of his final letter to you, and see if people agree that it says what I actually think it says.

Let me quote salient parts:

The (his agency name)talk show will start shooting in November.

[So, he has created a talk show format, ready to begin shooting, that is serving as a personal vanity project of some description?]

My People are in talks with two multi-national media companies for funding.

[i.e. there is no commission behind it as yet - does this mean that the project will actually ever come to fruition? How realistic a prospect is it, even speculatively?]

I have hired the serices of a media and marketing expert who is doing great work for this project.

[Wait a minute: that sounds like it translates to I have spent money - probably money my clients have earned - on employing a consultant to help me pursue this project. Whilst I can't deny that an agency once it has made its money should be entitled to spend it on whatever it wishes, is this really a sensible way of 'putting money back' into the agency? But let that pass for the moment...]

Some weeks ago I asked you guys for some assistance and I must say I am very disappointed with the lack of interest shown.

[O...kay]

I was looking for some of my clients to give me one hour a week to research organisations and people that would deserve some exposure for the good work they do.

[Wait a minute - an hour a *week* - to do some in-house researching - for how many weeks, exactly? - and aren't these clients supposed to be busy with, oh, either their acting or their day jobs. But I suppose it's not unheard of for an agent to ask if clients will help them to organise events and so forth. Yet, there's no suggestion of any payment being offered for the client's time here. No agent should imagine that they 'employ' their clients, anyway - it's a reciprocal agreement. I don't wonder there was a 'lack of response' to the offer]

Not one of you guys came back to me to offer any help. Obviously none of you know the value of such experience within the whole industry.

[What does this actually translate to? What IS the value of such experience to a jobbing actor, when what they are being asked to do is phone research? I can see what the value is to the agent - and here's a clue: cheap labour]

When the show is commissioned and it will be commissioned those who gave assistance as requested would have been taken on fulltime and added to the payroll.

[Ah, I see. When the show is commissioned and it *will* be commissioned, then the actors who offered to work as researchers for nothing at this point would have been taken on as paid researchers at the point at which there's a bit more money to throw around. This appears to be regardless of the fact that they are hoping to actually become known within the industry as ACTORS, could have probably found office jobs for themselves if they had gone to a temping agency, etc. etc.]

I have had to get some assistance from people outside the agency. ( terrible )

[It certainly must be - because it surely costs. What must all these outside researchers be thinking about the reputation of the agency given that its own clients refused to work for free in the agency offices - probably that it leaves them quids in].

Please dont expect me to help you when you dont even help yourself

[Beautiful. What a magnificent sentiment!]

At my most generous, I would allow that this agent (who clearly is either a self-promoter of epic proportions or really and truly has fallen upon hard times) *genuinely* believes that, with good work so scare to come by, he is generating benefit for his clients by setting up a TV show with his own backing, employing all his clients as researchers and winning back money that way. Perhaps its not quite so Machiavellian and selfish a scheme as it at first looks. But, even arguing that, there is so much wrong with the scheme that I don't know where this guy gets off. For a start, he has no right to blacklist his own clients for not wanting to do everything he says - agents and actors work in reciprocal relationships!! Then, there is the little question about trying to generate the type of work for his clients that they ACTUALLY pay him a cut for - namely, acting work! And there does also seem to be the issue that money that might be otherwise put to better in-house uses is being thrown into this (so far speculative) project.

Sounds like it was absolutely the right time to jump ship, in my opinion!

	Reply #10
Posted : 04/08/10
Stephen.Gosnell 30 posts last on: 07/02/12 send private reply	may i just say on spotlight you have to email them to cancel your agent sheesh. CCP YOUR THE BEST,AND EASY TO USE.

[add comments | all topics]

1 2 Next

Please note: Messages written in the forum do not represent the views of Casting Call Pro, nor have they been vetted by Casting Call Pro staff. If you read something which you believe to be offensive or defamatory, please contact us and we will take the appropriate action.