When To Dump Your Agent
The following questionnaire
Is designed to help those who might be wanting a better agent:
Question One
Is my work good enough?
If NO
Then begin up-skilling
A class, a coach, a goal, some readers, some material
Make meaningful progress in the beautiful journey of getting better
Listen to your body in terms of which style of acting you feel most inspired to pursue
Then find the people and environments which are going to best help you make progress in that arena
If you believe your work is good enough?
Move on to question two
Question Two
Do you have an energising self tape process?
If a tape was to come through tomorrow
Would you be able to enjoy the effort required to give great work?
If NO
Begin building it
Make it addictive
Have your list of studios or readers ready to go (environments and people your body enjoys being around)
And clarify what you need to do in order to do it well
Remember: do less, better
For example
Reply to email clarifying if you’ll do it or not
Book the time, place and reader
Ask yourself - what does this one need?
Learn lines
Clarify 3 technical questions
Morning of - Do something physical to get out of your head and into your body.
Play
Etc etc
If you do have an energising self tape process?
Move on to question three
Question Three
Do you have healthy relationships with casting directors?
Tens of thousands of actors
Two to three hundred agents
Eighty casting directors
But only about TEN casting agencies cast 95%+ of professional screen work in Australia
“Yes, but my agent can’t get me in those rooms - that’s why I want to dump them!”
Well
Seven out of those ten casting agencies offer workshops
In those workshops
You can begin building a healthy relationship
And then
You can ask them
The casting directors themselves
“Hey… just curious about your thoughts on my agent”
You will know within ten seconds if you need to find a new one.
Yes
It’s a long process
But if you are giving great work
If you have a self tape process which allows for flow rather than resistance
And if you have healthy relationships with some the top ten casting agencies
It will matter very, very little
Who your agent is
Hope this helps
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