Choosing the right agent, help

[PoppyLily]

Hi Everyone, just wanted to say a huge thank you to all of you that helped me on my search for an agent for my two dd's. I first joined back in April as I was completely new to the industry and I have found the site to be an amazing wealth of help and information. After many auditions and meetings and lots of great offers I now have one dd with Bonnie & Betty and the other with Mad Fish. They are both brilliant, efficient, professional and have a lovely team of staff dedicated to helping my dd's further their quest to perform. I can't speak highly enough of both agents and would highly recommend them both. I hope to post here regularly in the future as I am sure lots of exciting opportunities will be forthcoming. Have a lovely Summer p.s I have noticed many of your dc's are with Starnow or similar, is this something I should consider?

[tizzy]

Did anyone consider Norrie Carr Agency? http://www.norriecarr.com/

[revolting]

Hello Everyone

I am new to the site so please don't bite
My DS joined the agency after beingg with a top London agency only a few months ago. I must say the small boutique style is amazing. They work har for the few kids on their books and do all sorts of meet ups with the kids. They offer opportunities where kids are inviteed to TV shows and the closeness of the children is really touching.

Having been in a HUGE agency for years and my DS being involved in many productions, I realise that bigger isnt always better.
I would say smaller agencies are great as you do not have the internal competition, both myself and DS are very happy with the change.
Hope my twopence helps.

Belinda

[revolting]

Sorry the agency I am talking bout is Organic Kidz

[CatKat_0]

This is a conversation that crops up all the time. I'm not sure one agency is necessarily any better than another, and it depends on the agency, and the childs age as well as talent. Some agencies suit one child over another and just because one parent says they get lots of castings or roles through one agent doesn't guarantee it for all.

[pg]

Revolting - welcome to NAPM!

I hope you find the site useful. It's a great source of information and support. How old is your DS?

I completely agree with CatKat's comment.

It's always helpful to hear others' experiences, but in the end you have to do your own research and make up your own mind. As you have found, what suits one doesn't always suit another - and an agent might suit an actor for a while and then a change might be needed.

I agree that bigger is not always better in terms of numbers: lots of clients can be a bad thing from an actors' point of view if it means the agent to client ratio is unrealistic (in terms of the agent "knowing" each client). It's an important consideration - but "big" in the industry often refers to influence and experience rather than the numbers on the books. Some of the very big, prestigious and successful (adult) agencies have large numbers on the books but several agents to look after the clients.

I'm always interested to see what prompts someone to make their first post. It's surprising how often it is to recommend an agency!

[revolting]

My DS is now 14 and has been in this game since age 4. The prompt for writing this post is due to my excitement. The truth of the matter is, if your child is talented and they are being put forward for work then they will do well. In terms of the agency, well that is up to the parent and the type of service you are looking for. Having come from one of the largest and most popular childrens agency in the country I believe I am experienced in the topic. There have even been situations where we were not told about castings due to someone being too busy and forgot to send the message and even worse a friend whose son was supposed to travel abroad for a job was again forgotten.

This site is a wealth of knowledge for all and they should use it wisely. Agencies do well due to their eye for talent and persistence and understanding of their clients.

My DS has been extremely active in this game having been in several west end shows, feature films , voice overs etc. In conclusion, if your child is fortunate to be represented by an agency that doesn't charge and you as the parent like the dynamics of the people who run the agency, the service and the extras then I would say go with your heart.

Would I recommend the previous large agency to others? Yes I would as they worked for my DS when he was there. When his voice broke we hardly heard anything again. Die to having over 1000on their books. We have been with our new agency for two months and lets just say things are just very different.

People can be skeptical about why people post and to be honest you should be, but my post is merely to offer help and support on topic I am knowledgeable about. On this site there are several agencies recommended and I am sure they all have the same access to jobs like the rest. So when you meet with the agents go with your heart, ask questions and speak to people who have experience of that agency as they can give you an account first hand.

Good luck

[PoppyLily]

Since opening this thread back in April, there have been some very informative and interesting comments. More recently on the topic of big/small agencies, I really do think it does depend on the age/look/talents of the dc. I am still very new to this industry and going back to when I was searching for an agent for my two dd's, it really was about listening to advice, thoroughly researching what's on offer, looking at the various threads on here and generally doing your homework. My dd's went on many many auditions for agency representaion and eventually I made the decision to go with a different agent for each dd. They both have very different looks and talents and even though they both could have gone together at either agent, my gut feeling said otherwise. One dd is with a very high profile established agency the other with a smaller, though fastly up and coming one. Castings have been plentiful for one dd, not so many for the other, BUT it's early days and I know I did make the right decision based on having two very different girls. It is such a minefield but I think you have to go with who you, as a parent feel comfortable with, a team that communicate well, who take the time to get to know your dc and above all have their best interests at heart

P.s Huge congratulations to my eldest Dd, after a gruelling round of auditions, she is to star in the panto Robin Hood at The Cambridge Arts Theatre 5th Dec to 12th Jan. Better get started on the Xmas shopping!!!