HI! We're new to the site and the industry. My DD has recently been taken on with a very good but small agency. She's 8 and is so excited to be part of an agency.... she can't wait to get some auditions! She is a very confident child who loves to act and sing. Her agency has children cast in the West End, Film, adverts as well as modeling etc. I imagine this is similar to most others. If you have a child in a good agency, how often do you find they have auditions? So far, we've been to one West End show audition. She did very well, made it through to the final 10 but didn't get the part. That's all she's been to. We might just be a bit impatient so I'm hoping some of you here could shed some light on what to expect.
I also asked her agent if they thought it would be good for me to sign her up for StarNow so she could get some more experience. They weren't too keen on the idea and basically said it's risky to look for work on those sites, that's what you have an agent for.
I would agree with your agent (though some people's experiences may be different) that there's not much point in applying for paid work through a site like Starnow. If it's properly paid work, your agent is likely to know about it, can submit you for it and can ensure that you get properly paid if you are successful. Some "opportunities" on sites like Starnow are aimed at people who don't have agents to look out for them and they severely undercut industry rates - or offer unpaid opportunities that really should be paid. If it isn't properly paid work, your agent may not think that it's something you should be pursuing (although ultimately this decision should be up to you, it would be a bit daft not to listen to your agent's reasons for not pursuing it). You could ask your agent how they feel about you applying for unpaid experience like student films - and there may be cheaper ways to find out information than Starnow. It's definitely worth working in partnership with your agent. If you spot something that your agent hasn't, they can submit you for it - and a submission from an agent is often taken more seriously than one from an individual.
If you spot what looks like an ideal opportunity on Starnow it's worth contacting your agent and asking them about it. They may have already submitted you for something much better that would clash with it, so it's always worth checking with your agent before applying for something independently. I do think it IS worth looking for work independently from your agent (paid work or unpaid experience), but you should always keep your agent informed and (in my opinion) if you have an agent you should never take on a performance commitment without discussing its value with an agent first.
As to the question of "how many auditions?", there will be as many answers as there are actors and agents. It really isn't possible to put a number on it, because not every child has an equal chance of being called in for an audition. It obviously depends on a child's suitability for the role (there might be four roles your child is suitable for one week and then none for 3 months) and it also depends very much on the relationship the agent has with the director or casting director (and the same agent will have different relationships with different casting directors). Your agent has probably been submitting your child for jobs, but for one reason or another she has not been selected for audition.
so I'm hoping some of you here could shed some light on what to expect.