Agents?

Jackie Linn · Posted: Tue Oct 31, 2006, 17:14 (GMT) Post subject: Sal Foos

Well, my only work with an agent, was Sal Foos back in the 90's.
I think he's in prison now, or he was. I got ripped off big time.
If they ask you for money, don't use em. (I was young, what can I say.)

Jay Richardson · Posted: Tue Oct 31, 2006, 17:21 (GMT) Post subject:

Thanks guys. Some good advice here.

Maya Kuper · **Voice Seeker** Joined: 04 Oct 2006 Posts: 97

Representation by agent(s) is key because they have access to the work! Voice marketplaces like like Voice123 or TOS are a great idea, but talent agencies aren't outdated just yet. This is what the pros use to find pro talent. Talent buyers (clients) that have had success in the past going through a talent agency have no reason to stop using that talent agency.

As for how to GET an agent, it's pretty much a matter of persistence. First you need an excellent demo, and then you need to promote this demo by sending it out multiple times, and also promoting your website to the talent agents! This whole process (and it is a PROCESS!) is described in detail in Kate McClanaghan's book, "The Encyclopedia of voice-over and the Business of Being a Working Talent." Long title, I know . . . but this book is a LIFE-SAVER when it comes to the industry. The terminology section alone is worth the price of admission! Check it out.

Your timing is perfect . . . December is actually the BEST time to promote yourself to potential VO talent agents, because this is one of the few times that their jobs AREN'T dreadfully busy (the holiday ads wrapped up casting a few weeks ago and the agents are coasting for a bit).

Stacey Byrne · Posted: Tue Dec 12, 2006, 02:26 (GMT) Post subject: Good info Todd and others :)

Todd - Good luck on your History Channel audition - we'll all be rooting for you for sure - that is one of my favorite channels (or at least my husband's). I think it would be really helpful for you to share your tactics of "self promotion" and what it takes exactly. I have lately been doing auditions sometimes hours per day really just to add to my portfolio and awaiting the regular gig - Any information you could share regarding how you have marketed yourself might fare well with those on the site that want to add to their work. I know that in any business - there is never just one magic bullet - it is always a "law of the harvest" planting of seeds in many genres (internet , networking, ads etc...).

BYRNE OUT!

Nikki Saco · Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2006, 20:33 (GMT) Post subject:

If you're not really looking for the national spot(light), is there a reason to get an agent? I'm doing pretty well with V123. I just completed a Spanish TV spot and two days ago got a radio gig; but mostly I seek and get IVR and web audio work. My big concern is whether any agent would even have me, since I'm homebound. I'd feel obligated to leave the house for auditions and I really can't. Do agents even look at homebound talent? Anyway, I'm in South Florida, not one of the major markets.

Stacey, I love your sign off on your post.

Jennie Brick · Posted: Fri Dec 29, 2006, 19:09 (GMT) Post subject:

Hello All,
I am located in the San Francisco area and have one of the top agents in the Bay Area. I am somewhat consistently brought in for auditions a few times a month. Once I asked to audition from home and they let me but they didn't want to make a practice of it. I have gotten 2 really good gigs from my agent (Yahoo! and Seagate) but it certainly isn't consistent work. The only money they get is the 10% of what I get paid. I do, however, send them 10% of ALL the gigs I get whether they get them for me or not- keeps me on their radar and lets them know I get work. For the bigger local gigs and union gigs (I am currently non-union but get called in for union jobs) my agent is key. But having an agent is just one aspect of marketing yourself, at least that is my experience.

I got my agent through taking classes that she was teaching at a voiceover school. If you go to www.voicebank.net you will see a list of agencies across the country and get an idea of who they represent. You can also listen to alot of celeb demos which is cool if you are called upon to impersonate one of them!
Jennie

Nikki Saco · Posted: Fri Dec 29, 2006, 20:24 (GMT) Post subject:

Jennie, isn't there a more cost-effective way to stay within your agent's radar (candy, flowers) than to give her commission she didn't earn? It just seems a little weird to me to pay her 10% on all your jobs, not just agent-referred. I don't see why she'd have any incentive to pedal referrals if she has a stable of talent willing to do that.

I have to say too that I'm not crazy about the idea of any agent telling me what I can and can't make a practice of. Eliminating travel allows me to do more paid gigs and auditions in a day. Frankly, it just makes sense to do it from home, and we all know you can be directed from anywhere. I did a local radio spot earlier this week with the director/producer patched in. He was on his cell and driving (hopefully pulled over) while directing the spot. I was recording here at home. (For those of you keeping tabs: this was a private lead from V123 and paid $250 for 4 lines raw recording in Spanish; he was handling editing and timing - total patch time under 20 minutes.)

Anyway, I guess if that's how things are done now (10% paid to agents for all work, not just agent-referred), I don't think I'll be shopping for an agent anytime soon. But in the 80's when I did some stage work, a lot of my friends had agents and I could frankly see the reason for getting one then. If I hadn't gone into legal work, I'd have definitely sought representation. But we didn't have Internet then, nor the ability to market ourselves globally at the click of a mouse.

I think it would be great if V123 were able to arrange a webinar with a talent agent who could explain the benefits of representation given today's diverse voice over market and current technology. Please don't think I'm saying agents are obsolete. No way. Some are very well connected and absolutely fantastic. But I expect people to earn their pay. That's fair, right?

Jennie Brick · Posted: Fri Dec 29, 2006, 23:52 (GMT) Post subject:

Hi Nikki,
I understand your comments and concerns and I agree. It doesn't seem fair to pay an agent a commission on a job they did not get for you. It really depends on your agent. There are those who if they find out you did not give them a commission on a job- even one they didn't get you- would get a bee in their bonnet and be a little less inclined to bring you in for auditions. It isn't right, it isn't fair, but this business does not always attract the most altruistic personalities. I think the agent would say that it costs them so much more than the 10% they get from your job to get you that job that it is only fair they get commission on all your work, especially if it is an agency that adds some cache on your resume.

Regarding auditioning from home, again it depends on the agent. There are plenty of agencies who would prefer that you audition from home and maybe that is where you should begin your search if you decide to pursue representation. The problem is that the ones who are really connected have been around forever and may not be very techno-savvy and might be insecure about the entire internet process, which I think was brought up in a previous post.

So there you have it. As long as you know what you want and can establish your needs right up front I think you will do very well. I don't think having an agent can hurt a VO career but only help it, but that's me and I'm in a pretty competitive market in the Bay Area and need all the help I can get!

I hope this helps a little.
Happy New Year!
Jennie[/b]

Mike Kuhlman · Posted: Sat Dec 30, 2006, 00:12 (GMT) Post subject: Representation by an agent

I have two agents, and they sent me out for on-camera acting auditions, but the general consensus is that voice-over work doesn't come along that often through their agencies. I've auditioned 50 times for my agents and have yet to land any paying work.

And, as other posters said, agents shouldn't charge you ANY MONEY UP FRONT for joining their agencies. If they do, they're for real you. They should only get paid their percentage (10-20%) when YOU get paid through them.

I'm new to Voice123, but I see this as being a way greater resource for voice talents, just in the SHEER NUMBER of auditions we get to "go on", from home, every day! My God, I get 50 or more leads from this site, whereas my agent only sends me out on a "cattle-call" once every two months or so.

Just in SHEER NUMBERS, if we audition 50 or more times per week, all of us should be doing 3-4 paid jobs every week I would think!

Robert Jadah · Posted: Sat Dec 30, 2006, 01:17 (GMT) Post subject: Hey Jay

Jay:
Let me put it this way: an agent's like a strip bar; if you want to get close to the big ones, you might want to go to one.
While crudely put, what I mean is that agents DO NOT handle the $100 jobs that are posted on V123; those are for you to grapple with.
But if you want the big-time jobs (national ad tags etc), you will need to have a agent to get you through the door and into the studio. These people go through the unionized channels to get the (supposedly) most professional auditions.
You pay 10 to 15% commission on JOBS LANDED - and NOTHING ELSE.
I agree with Chip...find the small-profile agent with very few voices in their stable. Mine specializes in models, which makes my field lucrative to her and exclusive to me. (I also REALLY enjoy our Christmas parties.)
Unless you are a rare combo of talent and salesmanship, working alone will only ever bring you enough small jobs to feel good, keep it going, pay the rent, and build you confidence.
Which is wonderful.
Voice On!
Robert Jadah

Robert Jadah · Posted: Sat Dec 30, 2006, 01:28 (GMT) Post subject: MikeMath

Mike:
I've wrestled with that sort of math elsewhere at this forum...but then I got only a 52% in Miss Birch's algebra class in 1979.
If we all answer 50 leads and one train leaves the station at 6:00 pm, how many jobs should we get if we're travelling at 30 MPH?
Your answer was 3 or 4 per week.
Mike, Mike, Mike - as Miss Birch would patiently explain - there are THOUSANDS of us.
Each lead is answered by 100-plus talents. Many are 75% more professional than others.
There are five leads per day.
By my calculations, we should each get point 2 jobs per week, which multiplies out to 10.2777 per year.
Either my math is inadequate; or my talent is.....
I won't accept Miss Birch's judgement on that,
Robert Jadah

Nikki Saco · Posted: Sat Dec 30, 2006, 02:32 (GMT) Post subject:

Happy New Year to you too, Jennie. Really, if you're reaping a benefit and you're comfortable with it, by all means make any arrangement you like with your agent. But certainly I'd take an agent who demands 10% on non-referred jobs to task and not just accept it as a business practice. Business practices change all the time. It just takes a little consensus. On the other hand, maybe a talent agent could make a good argument for getting 10% commission on a job they didn't refer out. I'm a bit skeptical.

Honestly, I wouldn't sign any contract that required that. And you know, you don't have to sign something you don't like. I've changed and initialed major and minor contract provisions I didn't like and they were always accepted, much to my surprise. But there you have it. Contracts aren't set in stone. And if some agents don't require commissions on jobs they didn't refer, those are the agents I'd pursue. Think about what happens to agents no one will sign on with. They go away or change the way they do business.

I think certainly there should be some accommodation to an agent if you're doing non-referred gigs and consistently aren't available to audition for their referrals (but then why do you need an agent?). Anyway, in a situation like that, I might include a provision for the benefit of the agent that requires me to audition for a specific percentage of referred jobs, or that I provide a smaller commission percentage if I'm on one particular unreferred job and not available to do an agent-referred audition. That protects the agent, but preserves the incentive for them to pedal referrals. Or here's a better alternative; you can provide 10% on non-referred jobs equal to the amount of referred jobs you get (land and are paid for, not just audition for).

Anyway, I'm just throwing all this out there because people are reading these posts and considering representation, and signing contracts right and left. Certainly no one should feel compelled to sign their livelihood away for no reciprocal services.

Todd Ellis · Posted: Sat Dec 30, 2006, 02:50 (GMT) Post subject:

Nikki --- Will you marry me? I couldn't have said it better myself. Right now I have my attorney going over a contract for a years worth of MOH for a corporate job (150 locations) - I wouldn't THINK of blindly accepting their terms/offer. Sure it costs me a little to have the contract looked over - but it cost me a lot more if I don't.

Nikki Saco · Posted: Sat Dec 30, 2006, 03:42 (GMT) Post subject:

Todd, I don't think there could be a more flattering offer! And since you put it in writing...

gesperrt

Good luck with the new business deal.

Jennie Brick · Posted: Sat Dec 30, 2006, 03:45 (GMT) Post subject:

Thanks Nikki. To be clear, I did not sign a contract requiring or even mentioning that I pay any commission on jobs not obtained through the agency. My motivation behind responding to the question of agents was to share my experience and similar experiences of my collegues. I had no intention of suggesting you do the same but wanted to tell you what has and continues to work for me. Best of luck to you.