Reply to: Grrrr mistakes dealing with agents. What mistakes have you made?

[tim123]

A bit like the scottish bloke in the great escape who got exposed as a british person by saying "yes thanks" to a german's "good luck".

I've never understood that scene. Anyone who's fluent enough in a language not to be 'caught' because they used a word in the wrong context (and there are lots of possibilities in English to German translations) is going to be so immersed in speaking the foreign language, that they aren't going to make this mistake.

tim

[KentPhilip]

I heard a good idea the other day: If they want references, give them the contact details of the agency who dealt with your previous gig.

That'll stop them in their tracks.

[TheFaQQer]

why the hell do you need references?

Surely you are a business, dealing with a business?

Soon as anyone starts talking about references I say. Excuse me, I am not applying for a job, references are not required.

if you don't opt out of the agency regulations, then they legally need to undertake more checks on you than if you do opt out.

[Denny]

Usually they are not meaning business references though.

I have reference sites if they want to visit my clients, but they way agences usually say it. They mean it in the same sense that you would provide references for a permie job.


Guess it depends if they want references for YOU, or your company

I have a brochure that has testimonial quotations from former clients on it. This is usually enough to satisfy some enquirers.

[Jason]

Usually they are not meaning business references though.

I have reference sites if they want to visit my clients, but they way agences usually say it. They mean it in the same sense that you would provide references for a permie job.


Guess it depends if they want references for YOU, or your company

[Denny]

why the hell do you need references?

Surely you are a business, dealing with a business?

Soon as anyone starts talking about references I say. Excuse me, I am not applying for a job, references are not required.

Business references are not that unusual. It's not a permie thing at all.

[Jason]

why the hell do you need references?

Surely you are a business, dealing with a business?

Soon as anyone starts talking about references I say. Excuse me, I am not applying for a job, references are not required.

[trsisko]

damn agent calls me saying possible job interview tommarrow need to act quick send me ur CV, then calls and asks for references and i oblige thinking its a certain interview, i have not heard since from them, grrr

ironically had the same issue with this other agent he has given me an interview and i declined to give my references lol

[NotAllThere]

I dont like peeving off agents that have forwarded my CV and got me an interview.

Most of them are pretty thick skinned and can handle it. It's only when they start sobbing down the phone that I actually start laughing.

[tay]

a) You must NEVER get presented twice - your CV will go in the bin.

This is not true. My CV has gone forward twice at least 3 times and I got the role every time, only hassle being I had to give written notice of which agent wanted to deal with.. and in the process peeve off the other one. I dont like peeving off agents that have forwarded my CV and got me an interview.

[BrowneIssue]

As newbie i dread i will make these sorts of mistakes i constantly have loads of different agents calling me with prospective roles.....
as a general rule should you just stick with one agent toavod being put forward to the same role by different people?

a) You must NEVER get presented twice - your CV will go in the bin.

b) agents say they will put you forward, then don't. ALWAYS make sure you get presented more than once.

Annoying, isn't it?

HTH.

[Joe1978]

As newbie i dread i will make these sorts of mistakes i constantly have loads of different agents calling me with prospective roles.....
as a general rule should you just stick with one agent toavod being put forward to the same role by different people?

[TheFaQQer]

Are you sure you are not just thick?

Irony is wasted on you, clearly!

sarcasm

[NotAllThere]

When I first went for a contract, I had an agent call me, asking who I'd been talking to. Being rather naive to the business practices, I foolishly gave him the full list, with phone numbers and contact names.

Progressive
Spring
Computer people
Square one
MSB
Modis
Parity...

Funny thing, he never called me back...

[DodgyAgent]

That's what my agent does. I pay him/her to find me work and what do they do? They end up ringing up the show producers or the producers ring my agent specifically asking for my artistic services or modelling availability, after seeing my portfolio or footage of my previous roles, and the bastard agent just ends up putting in another actor or model instead of me.

Bastard agents.

What do you model for? motorway accidents?