IN PRAISE OF MY AGENT

Good morning.

No, really, it actually was a very good morning. I auditioned for a voice gig on Monday, got it, and performed it today. So yeah, it was one of those mornings.

I was skipping happily along afterwards, all bunny-hop-hop perky (the Caramel Macchiato sure helped) and I thought: "GEEZ, I've got a good agent."

It was one of those thanksgiving moments-- the ones where you realize that there are certain elements, or in this case people, in your life that help you to get where you are and/or help you to ease your passage down your chosen road.

In this case, my agent, Sue.

Sue is responsible for a lot of people. As a talent agent, she's on the phone constantly, lining up the gigs and the auditions, faxing like a madwoman, and dealing with any issues that might arise during the before, during, and after process of the work.

And let me dispel a myth about agents, Agents: Your agent does part of the work, finding out about auditions and stuff you might not hear about. This does not give the talent license to sit on their asses and wait for her to "get them work." It's a meet-me-halfway thing: Get OUT there. Be SEEN. Surf the WEB on occasion and do what it takes to keep yourself In The Groove.

Sitting at home doesn't do anyone any favors.

Secondly, realize that your agent doesn't just represent you, but a whole agency of other talent. And who do you think she's going to spend more time on? Well, the people that are out there. And that's not to say the people who are getting cast are better than you; it's just saying that if you're WORKING on getting work, you're more marketable and your agent will push that much harder to get you into auditions and interviews.

Ever been to a bar during a busy time? A dozen people jammed up against the bar all want drinks. The bartender is going to serve the people with the cash in their hands first-- because they're easier to deal with. They know what they want, their money's out, serve them and boom, they're on their way.

It's a lot like that in the acting world. If you want your agent to feel confident in you, and vice-versa, you need to belly right up to the "bar"-- in this case, get to know the casting directors and other industry players in town. Have your money out-- meaning, invest in yourself. Keep your head shot updated. Buy some nice clothes that best showcase the product-- you.

Once you've done that, good. You're doing YOUR part. Now your agent can do theirs.

Sue is fantastic that way; she's a fighter AND a diplomat. She knows when to push and when to back off. And being patient and asking questions really helps me to understand where she's coming from.

I hear horror stories about talent screaming in her ear because, for whatever reason, they aren't millionaires yet. And yes, as you can read on this blog, I myself have been frustrated at times. But Sue has seen this before, and knows how to deal with it. She can soothe an actor's fragile ego (if she thinks that's warranted) or give tough love.

Myself, I'd really rather have the tough love. Spell it out for me. Tell me what I'm doing wrong, and what I'm doing right. Let me know.

And she does! Sue has given me confidence by teling me just how the playing field works. I don't waste time trying to change the playing field; I just redouble my efforts to make sure I'm in the game and not warming the bench, to continue the metaphor.

I got into the voice thing on my own, but took Sue's advice on when to get my professional demo done. I then took a class (invested in myself), and made sure Sue had lots of copies of my demo to send out. She sent them out and I hit the pavement; we were working in tandem.

Now, I have a relationship with voice studios in town. Sue and I worked together to make that happen. I introduced myself and she beefed it up by making the calls and keeping those lines open.

This week I will be telephonically beating down the door to our local animation studio. I want to be a cartoon, dammit. And if I can just get my foot in the door, I know Sue will be there to back me up.

Another thing: I never have to get ugly with a client. SUE does. In voice, I'm discovering there's a great deal of "Oh, can you just come in and do this for an undisclosed rate? We'll tell you how much you made later, it's just we need your voice NOW." And that's crap, but complain too much and they will just find another talent, y'know?

Being too hard-assed can negatively impact me as a talent, even if I'm totally in the right. Enter Sue: She can negotiate, and even tell the client they're full of crap, and that's actually OKAY. Because, as an agent, they expect Sue to do that. And so, magically, the hard-assed rep doesn't come back to me- I'm still happy Golden Boy, even though my agent may just have gone up one side and down the other of the people I'm working for.

And you can't put a price on the ease, and peace of mind, that brings. I don't have an accountant, marketer or lawyer: Sue does all that for me-- and thank God.

Sue is a busy woman. Sue is a knowledgeable woman. Sue knows what she's doing and works WITH me. Sue makes me feel good about what I'm doing and reassures me when, against all better judgement, I allow doubt to creep in.

Sue works. I know-- I've been working with her for almost ten years. And I want to stop and take a moment to acknowledge the very positive influence she's had in my professional life.

Thank you, Sue. Here's to ten more years.

Now convince Disney and Warner Brothers that I'm the next hot voice in cartoons today. Oh, wait-- that's MY job. :)

Posted by Agent M at December 17, 2003 12:37 PM