Hiring an Agent

Hey I was just wondering what are people's thoughts on Agents Are they worth hiring or should i just search endlessly for the Auditions myself. What is the best way of going about finding an agent? Do people have any suggestions? I would love to here from both sides people with agents and those without yours sincerly William Hebblewhite

Really depends mate, are you new to acting? How many years have you been in the industry? Do you have Professional Training? If you had acting training then your school should be able to find you one and set you up. But if you are just starting out then, go out there and volunteer and find experience, with a community theatre and work up your CV and get some headshots and then go out and find an agent...(im sure you will be able to find some open auditions out ther)ther are alot of small youth theatres out ther that are looking for new fresh faces to contribute ther talents. That’s what I did; I made sure I did my time in theatre, (not to say its a bad thing but rather a good and postive way to start) i love stage performance and so i made sure I was confident enough to go for the big time auditions by gaining stage experience. Everyone starts somewhere from the bottom to the top. It’s never made for you unless your born into the environment, then that’s a different story. Really depends on how ready you are and how much you are willing to pay. Some agents may only really want you for your money and ask for a yearly joining fee but i would say personally if they really want you they will go out of their way and find you the jobs and then they will get a 10% cut. From what I know in my personal experience is that performing on stage (theatre) has given me the training I need in film. I know many friends who have loads of film acting experience and then go out in to the theatre stage and find it hard to be big and bold. That’s because they are so use to making their acting on film so small. Anyways bla bla bla… In my opinion it’s good to start in theatre (stage acting) and then go into films and television etc. But then it’s really up to the individual. You can get an agent if you want but, I’m not sure if they will be willing to grab you the big time roles, unless they believe in you and you have a particular look they want. Its a hard industry, based on image, if you are good looking and can fit a certain role then it’s possible they will sign you up. But then again if you have the talent and the valuable experience and training then there is more of a chance of finding an agent that would be willing to go the full treatment for you. Meaning they would spend more of their time promoting you eg. mentioning your name in famous VIPdinner parties, (to put it lightly and honestly). Anyways, yeah I hope that helps… Nelio Henriques Sam Actor-Sydney neone_creations@yahoo.com.au

Look, I'm sure most people will be aware of this, but agents aren't the shit they're cracked up to be. If you have an agent, then great. If you don't then you will know that the world hasn't/won't collapse. Yes, they give you access to work you may not have found out about, and yes, some casting folk won't give you a guernsey without one, but there is the other side to the coin where they are just more trouble than they are worth. My advice, if you know where you want to be and can't get there by yourself, then give an agent - any agent that doesn't charge you - a try. If that doesn't work, try something else. Remember, you know where you want to be. I give the same advice about theatre training. As in schools; NIDA, VCA, etc.

If you wantan agent, visit www.alliance.org.au to see the list of registered agents. Get a great headshot, get your CV and showreel ready, then send it off to all of them, asking for an appointment to meet up. If any try to charge you an upfront fee, RUN!!! Good luck :) I don't have an agent but search endlessly for auditions, promote myself like a business and make and keep great contacts. I am, however, looking for an agent that I can trust and get along with - and the more work I can pick up in the meantime the better to build up a great showreel - to secure a great agent. Rae Johnston Actress/Voice Artist www.raejohnston.com

Heya Rae, Thanks so much, you totally saved my bum! Thankyou so much.