Anti-agents

[MrMark]

I may be sadly mistaken, but surely agents in other industries don't act in your worst interest?

Can you imagine an agent calling Jimmy Carr (or whichever smal-town comedian you choose) and start saying

"hey, I see you didn't have many gigs 2009 March - August. Can you explain why you didn't work at that time? Also I see you have very little exposure to ITV work lately - i'm afraid it's going to be very hard to put you forward for xxxxx latest project... But in the meantime, can you give me the producer's name of the last gig you did - I'm sure a positive reference will help me find you a role..." and then they never phone back...

How do people here determine that an agent is telling the truth? I jump to the conclusion they're lying when they start on their list "What type of role are you looking for ideally? (answer: one that pays, dumbkpof - i'm a contractor!) and follows up with last contract, preferred rate etc etc)"

Are there any real agents left? Or are they all intelligence spies?

[SueEllen]

A minority of them give you that tulip because they are seeing if you can market yourself if they get you an interview with a client they actually have.

The majority are just tulip and don't have a role at all.

[MrMark]

A minority of them give you that tulip because they are seeing if you can market yourself if they get you an interview with a client they actually have.

The majority are just tulip and don't have a role at all.

Good points. But it raises the question. If a contractor is able to market themself well, what need is there of an agent? I admit, that my marketing/sales abilities have been low, and that's why I needed an agent to find work. But, it seems that agents now no longer even carry out this part of the bargain.

[jmo21]

An IT guy who is as well known in his industry as Jimmy Carr is in his will not suffer this problem, so your analogy doesn't really work.

In fact, the less someone is on TV the more likely they are to not get a gig as they are deemed "not popular" anymore.

So in fact it may be actually worse for someone in TV than it is for us jobbing contractors.

[MrMark]

An IT guy who is as well known in his industry as Jimmy Carr is in his will not suffer this problem, so your analogy doesn't really work.

Ok substitute a name no-one has heard of then. The point is, (and I accept I may be wrong, but I'm hoping for some evidence) that the agent would do their best to sell "unknown comedian" rather than the reverse. Of course, if the agent felt UC was not up to work, the agent would just stop representing UC surely? Instead of sending countless unsolicited emails, phoning up to fish etc?

[jmo21]

Ok substitute a name no-one has heard of then. The point is, (and I accept I may be wrong, but I'm hoping for some evidence) that the agent would do their best to sell "unknown comedian" rather than the reverse. Of course, if the agent felt UC was not up to work, the agent would just stop representing UC surely? Instead of sending countless unsolicited emails, phoning up to fish etc?

My point is an unknown comedian would suffer exactly the same as a random contractor would.

The difference between agents they use and the one's we use is vastly different. Their agents work for them. Ours do not. Ours are looking for 1 person for 1 contract, it does not have to be you.

[SueEllen]

An IT guy who is as well known in his industry as Jimmy Carr is in his will not suffer this problem, so your analogy doesn't really work.

In fact, the less someone is on TV the more likely they are to not get a gig as they are deemed "not popular" anymore.

You forget that a comedian may spend 6 months doing a sell-out tour of their comedy in the UK or English speaking parts of the world i.e. US. And launch a DVD for the best parts for Xmas which sells well and has bits shown on TV.

Or they may be doing acting on stage in a sell-out theatre production which has run for 6 months.

Or they may be writing a TV series which goes into production and is popular but they themselves are not in it.

There are lots of reasons why comedians may not be on TV for a while.

However with a comedian this sort of work is expected there as with contractors bad agents expect contractors to work 100% of the time in a contracting role.

They forget that people have other interests which may or may not be IT based.

[jmo21]

Forget the comedians.

replace "tv work" or "gig" with simply "work".

[zharrt]

I may be sadly mistaken, but surely agents in other industries don't act in your worst interest?

Can you imagine an agent calling Jimmy Carr (or whichever smal-town comedian you choose) and start saying

"hey, I see you didn't have many gigs 2009 March - August. Can you explain why you didn't work at that time? Also I see you have very little exposure to ITV work lately - i'm afraid it's going to be very hard to put you forward for xxxxx latest project... But in the meantime, can you give me the producer's name of the last gig you did - I'm sure a positive reference will help me find you a role..." and then they never phone back...

How do people here determine that an agent is telling the truth? I jump to the conclusion they're lying when they start on their list "What type of role are you looking for ideally? (answer: one that pays, dumbkpof - i'm a contractor!) and follows up with last contract, preferred rate etc etc)"

Are there any real agents left? Or are they all intelligence spies?

I think the example you give is not valid, as I don't know many agents that represent contractors in the same way an agent would represent an act.

[Scrag Meister]

You forget that a comedian may spend 6 months doing a sell-out tour of their comedy in the UK or English speaking parts of the world i.e. US. And launch a DVD for the best parts for Xmas which sells well and has bits shown on TV.

Great Plan B idea, Christmas Coding with Scrag Meister on Bluray