When you have a representative to help you find jobs, the last thing they want to do is receive your criticism, whether it’s helpful or not. Remember, your agent/manager/representative is working many hours each day and what you do not see is so much behind the scenes work before you are presented with an audition or potential project to work.
Your representative is a human. They make mistakes just like you do, just like your parents do, just like your teachers have and just like anyone else in the world does. Unless a representative mistake is a huge blunder that could stop all traffic on the road, please think about whether your really need to point out the obvious when said representative may already be aware of the issue.
Examples of things not to contact your agent about:
- The agent put the wrong month for the due date of an audition. That’s ok. If the agent put September and it’s October, know it is due in October. The agent would not send out a job that has already been filled.
- The agent contacted you as part of the whole roster email and sent some helpful and potentially critical info for those who it applied to. If the information applies to you, adjust your ways. If the information doesn’t apply to you, ignore it and be happy your agent cares. Do not contact the agent/manager/representative to critique how they sent their message out because their wording bothered you. Your job is to look out for yourself so you receive more opportunities, not to pretend to be a Psychotherapist or English Major to correct the agent because a few of the talent who received the message were puzzed. If the message went out, then it was big enough to be addressed.
- The representative forgot to attach the script. Before you worry, give it 5 minutes after you received the job to see if the script comes in a separate email. If not, then respond requesting the script.
Examples of things to contact your agent about:
- You would like your agent to send their suggestions for new head shots.
- You wanted to clarify some information about a booking that you are shooting soon.
- You are stuck in traffic for a booking and need the agent to communicate this with the client.
- You are in an automobile accident on your way to a shoot.
Remember, your representative is balance multiple projects with multiple talent and multiple clients all of the time. Their goal is to find everyone on their roster opportunities. Be considerate, be patient, and in the end if you follow the suggestions your representative provided to you when you first signed with them, you should be booking jobs.
Think about this: Do you continue to get head shots to the requirements your agent shared with you?
Do you continue to coach and work to better your craft?
Are you accepting most of the auditons sent to you and being a go getter?
If you can answer yes to all of the above then you are an ideal talent.