Agents/Getting Work/Etc

Yes, this is one of those terribly boring threads where I pick your digital brains. Sorry.

Usual pointless background: I'm 18, I was involved in Storm the Stage last year and was one of the grand finalists and since then (well, after my failed attempt at getting in to WAAPA, you know) i've pretty much been sitting on my bum on the couch watching movies and thinking 'sigh, if only'.

As you can imagine, this is starting to get moderately frustrating. I've been combing the 'auditions' section of TheatreAustralia for awhile looking for shows but somehow I always manage to fall just shy of the desired age bracket. Bother.

Anyway, my query is this: Does -anyone- know of any reputable agencies in Perth? I've been through all the casting australia, blah blah blah modelling agency bs a few years ago and it seems to me they are all very keen to take your money and very unkeen to actually do anything useful. Usually it's a case of "If you pay us three hundred bucks we'll let your kid run around playing space jump for a few months and then see if she's good enough to put on our books". Perhaps I should have just held out for ONE MORE round of space jump, but frankly, it all became somewhat wearisome and even a thirteen year old knows when it's been had.

So tell me - good agencies in Perth? How do I contact them? What do I say? How do I get noticed? Cliched and boring questions, I realise, but i'm just so tired of doing nothing. Especially after StS gave me the confidence and the...erm...ego to think I was perhaps actually good at performing, after all ;)

Cheers,

Kia Groom

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hi, im a young actor also, i may have an agency u may want to join...i have been with them for one week....was only$150ish to join wich is tax deductable....AND i have had 2 ppl wanting me to audition for theatre n films and i got accepted to be part of the feature film heavy metal which is soon to b finished shooted.....contact me on mr_funky_face@hotmail.com or tysonbraidwood@bigpond.com and i may be able tp help u out!

I'm curious as to know which agency you're with Tyson because as far as I know, agencys are not meant to charge joining fees....



Kia - try:

Actors Management - http://www.actorsmanagement.net/

Actors Now - http://www.actorsnow.com.au/

Frog Management

They're the main agencies to go through in Perth.



Crispy.

Thankyou very much to both of you :) Tyson, i'm also curious as to which agency you're with - joining fees always make me a little bit skeptical.

Crispian, i've looked in to Frog Management before but i've always been wary because frankly I don't want to call up and say "Hey. I'm young and enthusiastic. Give me work." - as I think one can see from a little time perusing the 'classifieds' board, there's way too many young kids saying that sort of thing...I want to be taken seriously, as opposed to disregarded because of my age and the approach I might be taking.

Any advice?

Thanks,
~Kia

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The best way is to be honest and prepared when you go in.

I'm not an agent myself so I can't tell you what they're thinking exactly but I can imagine that they want people who are passionate about their work and that they will work hard for it.

Theres sometimes a misconceived notion that once you get an Agent, you can just sit back and wait for the work to come in. Wrong.

If you want an agent to take you seriously, you have to work as hard as them. They want experience and talent (I'm sure the Storm the Stage gig is good proof) and they want to see on your CV that you are continously seeking to develop your craft. Get a motorbike license. Get a voice coach. Join a youth theatre group (BSX!!). Study Drama at Uni (Curtin!). Learn accents. Watch lots of films. Read books on Drama.

At the same time, when u are sitting in front of the agent for your interview when you are applying, tell them what YOU WANT and what you EXPECT FROM THEM. It shows that you are a focused artist who has a clear goal. Think about how you word it though. To say you want to be 'famous' kinda narrows it. Sure, I'm sure many of us would love the high profile - but theres other ways of saying it. Tell them you want to a successful career....a sustainable career - whatever!

Anyways...hope that helps...


Crispy.

Thankyou very much for your help :)

Skulking around these boards for awhile, I got the impression that a lot of people here were quick to jump down peoples throats and not so quick to give people a hand. But you've been very fourthcoming - thanks :D

Off I go to the photographer for updated head-shots, I think...

Ta!
~Kia

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Kia wrote:
>
> Crispian, i've looked in to Frog Management before but i've
> always been wary because frankly I don't want to call up and
> say "Hey. I'm young and enthusiastic. Give me work." - as I
> think one can see from a little time perusing the
> 'classifieds' board, there's way too many young kids saying
> that sort of thing...I want to be taken seriously, as opposed
> to disregarded because of my age and the approach I might be
> taking.


The approach to take is: "Hey. I'm young and enthusiatic. Here's what I can do FOR YOU." If an agent can see that you're willing to work, and you have a talent or skill that they can market and promote to the ad agencies, theatre companies, film, radio etc..which will benefit THEM, they'll be interested. Only after that do you get to the 'give me work' bit.
The agencies tend to be wary as well, so it's a mutual 'audition'. But don't be put off approaching them and asking lots of questions. The stuff Crispy has said is all good advice.
Just judging from your posts here and the fact you did so well at the Storm The Stage competition, it sounds like you have strong grounds to pursue this direction. Be confident and show them what you're capable of.

All the best
Craig

> The approach to take is: "Hey. I'm young and enthusiatic.
> Here's what I can do FOR YOU." If an agent can see that
> you're willing to work, and you have a talent or skill that
> they can market and promote to the ad agencies, theatre
> companies, film, radio etc..which will benefit THEM, they'll
> be interested. Only after that do you get to the 'give me
> work' bit.

That's very true, thankyou for that - you're right. Looking at it from that perspective makes the whole thing seem more achieveable, somehow. Not sure why. Perhaps because it is 3.42am...hehe

But yes, thankyou very much for your response and your words of encouragement :)

On a sidenote, did I see in another post that you were in the 2002 production of Stories from Suburban Road? Which role were you playing? I saw it, I believe (year 11 drama - we went on a lot of 'theater trips' - was good!)

Thanks again
~Kia

[%sig%]

Kia wrote:

> But yes, thankyou very much for your response and your words
> of encouragement :)
>
> On a sidenote, did I see in another post that you were in the
> 2002 production of Stories from Suburban Road? Which role
> were you playing? I saw it, I believe (year 11 drama - we
> went on a lot of 'theater trips' - was good!)



I was in the original group that director Alan Becher employed to devise the play from the book of short stories, in 1990. I played all the youngest male roles...Tom in 'King Bantam' and 'Down Como', and was the lizard in 'The New Kid and the Racehorse Goanna'. We had a short season at the Old Mill while we continued tinkering with the script (originally we included the story 'The Day it All Ended', and not 'Of Biddy and My Dad'.). Then we had a hugely successful season at Swy Theatre for the Festival of Perth 1991.
The show was brought back again in 1992 and we did an extensive regional tour. There was another WA tour in 1993 but I'd left the cast to be in another show.
Ten years later, Alan revived it in Sydney with a new cast, and then it was scheduled to do a national tour. Not all of the Sydney cast were available to tour, so I joined the cast again, this time playing the middle male roles...Tom in "Mr Gallager & Mr Shean", and playing the New Kid who beat up the lizard. We revised the script even more, and toured all over VIC, NSW, NT and WA, finishing in a Perth season at the Playhouse...which earned me an Equity award nomination.

Keep an eye out around 2010, when I'm hoping to be in yet another revival and play all the oldest male roles!



All the best approaching those agents

Cheers
Craig