Honestly Approaching Agents

I have spent the last few weeks with the third year graduates at NIDA

And of course

The questions around agents are starting to bubble up as the drama school journey comes to an end

Fears around not finding a match and being left alone on a branch whilst everyone else flies off into their careers with their agents by there side

What if

What if

What if

Now

Questions around agents are something I get in my inbox at least every week

I’m actually putting together an online course atm specifically on that one area of the industry

How to find, change & maintain sustainable relationships with agents

But for today

I just want to discuss getting on the front foot

STEP ONE

Get curious about the kind of art that makes your body feel alive

Then scribble down the people who are making that art

I don’t like to treat Australia as a stepping stone

And really, there is no need to as this country produces so many incredible artists

So gather a handful of Aussies who really inspire you

Write down as many as you can

I’m more curious about who is on that list after the obvious choices have been made

Who is the 4th, 7th, 13th, 23rd artist you’re writing down?

STEP TWO

Look at who represents those artists

Come up with a list of agencies that take care of those people who inspire you most

STEP THREE

Dive into those agencies’ books

Look for the patterns

Who do they tend to rep?

How do they tend to rep?

How long have they taken care of these artists?

How sustainable has the work been for their clients?

STEP FOUR

Come up with a list

Three to five agencies that make your body feel at home

STEP FIVE

Find their email address (not their receptions email address)

Hundreds of actors send through emails every week to generic office email addresses

They will most likely be given a copy-and-paste response by an assistant who won’t read them

So finding the agents’ specific email address is essential

What’s the problem here?

Well… they can be damn hard to get a hold of

You either need a trusted and respected mutual contact

Subscriptions to the top industry databases

Or simply the willingness to do some deep research

Some actors might say: “That’s too hard”

Well

If an actor is going to give up on building arguably one of the most important professional relationships of their career because its “too hard to find an email address”…

Yeah

I don’t think I need to write out the obvious.

STEP SIX

Referral from an actor on their books

We are Homo sapiens

Connection is an essential part of our survival

It is deeply embedded in our biology

So if someone I love and respect says to me

“Hey Sheasby, I think it’s really worth having a cup of tea with Jess about xyz, I think you guys will gel well”

That cuts out a lot of wondering about that persons character & work ethic on my end

Makes sense

Therefore

Digging through the agencies books

To find a trusted colleague & asking for a referral

Can do wonders for dispelling any doubt on the agents end

And drastically increase the chances as to whether your email will actually be read any further than the opening few lines

STEP SEVEN

Genuine letter

A great agent once said to me

“When I open up the email and see a four page essay

I just think…

Oh, fuck off”

Yup

Agents are busy bees

And as all humans

They want to invest their time and energy

Into things which will create an energising return on their inputs on this earth

Four pages simply to ask to have a chat in person?

No thanks

Do the work

Writing an honest but clear & sincere paragraph

Tells the agent you have actually done the work

You’ve thought about this approach

Remember

A glass of water can be bloody delicious

Simplicity demonstrates consideration and respect

STEP EIGHT

Link to your showreel

Let them see your best work in under 3 minutes

“Let me see your best work in under three minutes”

In this day and age - There is no excuse for not having solid footage of yourself

STEP NINE

Link to your IMDB (or equivalent site)

Social proof

Makes sense

If you’re a fresh graduate with no credits - then state that!

If you’ve demonstrated you can show up every day at drama school for three years

That discipline

As well as the drama schools’ selection process

Will hopefully give a solid idea of your potential

STEP TEN

Highlight credits only

List those few highlight jobs only

Highlight awards

Highlight training

and

Share what’s about to come

What are you currently working on or what’s going to be released in the coming months

Why?

It demonstrates momentum

The proof that you are still pushing that stone

The proof that you are continuing to release generous work out into the world

That you’re not sitting at home

Surrounded by cobwebs

Waiting for others to do the work for you

Even if you don’t have work right now or coming up anytime soon

No one is stopping you from being in class

Or meeting casting directors at their workshops

The days of relying on the agent to get you passed the gatekeepers are dead

STEP ELEVEN

Put that email all together

Then send it to a trusted colleague, mentor or coach to get a gauge on it

Is it messy? Rambly? Entitled? Apologetic? Clear? Honest?

Ask someone you trust to help you zoom out

To help you read it from the agents’ perspective.

STEP TWELVE

After several days

If you haven’t heard back

Give the office (or agent themselves) a call to check in.

STEP THIRTEEN

Keep going until you find a match

Easier said than done

Last month

A brilliant artist in this country found their match

A wonderful match

After getting rejected eleven times

That’s a bloody vulnerable thing to do

To keep going despite the hurt

That’s what artists are great at.

Continuing to move forward

Kind & slow

Hope this helps

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