VO-BB - 20 YEARS OLD!

[Dave_Onefourone]

How would feel if one of your agents (who you recently signed with but hasn't got you any work), sends out an email saying their new policy is everyone's demos have to be up on their website. BTW... it'll cost you $60/year.

To me, it reeks of CASH GRAB. I have reps in other ends of the country who have never asked for a cent other than commissions.

Isn't 'providing access to your demo' part of the service and agent should provide?

Anyhow... I've told him he can link to the audio on my website or he can go piss in the wind.

"Isn't that a shame?"

[Dave]

[Deirdre]

[Andy]

Generally, a state of impecuniousness leads to parsimonious behavior.
Or, is it just avarice?

[Frank F]

It all filled with floccisonosinnihillapillfication (meaning: nothing, empty, zero, etc.)... it's what I have always said about the brains of many agents...

The word is a real word... it's the longest word in the English language. I learned it while doing a gig for a company which was producing an "audio dictionary of the English language".

Guess I would send my agent a book of stamps and a $1.00 store box of self addressed envelopes... and then ask if they want me to stuff it too... or, I could tell them to "stuff it". Or, give them my PayPal account and tell them to pay the freight...

Frank F

[steeleman]

That agent must not be one of the BIG ones. I've never heard of one that wouldn't mail you the check. The pay for demo thing is kinda nuts too.
They already take a percentage. I have a friend who is repped thru
William Morris and he told me they send him a check once a month
and take 10%. They handle all the billing for clients. All 178 of them!
WMA must love him and I'm sure he loves the nice check and NOT having to do all the billing..!

[Philip Banks]

My rule where agents are concerned was stolen from Groucho Marx

"I would never join a club that would have me as a member".

[Dave_Onefourone]

[audio'connell]

I guess I'll join WMA then. They sound like an up-and-comer. [/quote]

Um, yeah see the William Morris Agency is less like an up and comer and more like an entertainment industry behemoth in the agency world.
_________________
- Peter
audioconnell Voice Over Talent
Your friendly, neighborhood voice over talent

[kgenus]

hmm... I thought William Morris WAS the industry.
_________________
Genus

[billelder]

...and then there's my agent, "Vinny Boom Bah"!

[Andy]

...and then there's my agent, whose name truly escapes me at the moment. Really. I gotta look her up in my files.

[lisaloo]

FWIW . . .

SAG and AFTRA allow members to pay agents no more than $100 per year for marketing purposes -- the agent can use that in any way, for websites, reels, headshot books, advertising, etc. In my opinion, the agents we EMPLOY (remember, they work for us) need some coin to compete with. In some ways, it's like an employer wanting their wares promoted in the marketplace but expecting their employees to pay for the advertising out of their own pockets. I think this is entirely fair, provided it does not exceed $100 per person per year. If an agent has 100 people on the roster, ten grand is a healthy but not outrageous marketing budget for a year. And hey, $100 for me to get on the CD and on the website (and Voicebank, etc.) is quite affordable.

As to mailing checks, my Chicago agent (whom I have been with for more than ten years and adore) also asks for the SASE. Truth be told, postage can get fairly steep as expenses go for agents. And at least in the union commercial agency world, most agents are not getting rich off 10% session commissions. Subsidizing the postage thing doesn't bother me much at all -- it's a stamp every other week or so and anything I can do to get the money in my account faster I am totally in favor of.

Conversely, my NY agent has check authorization (very common in NY and LA) -- meaning that the checks go to them in my name, they cash them and back out their commission and cut me checks for the remainder. They mail them to me (and never hand them out in person in the office) every two weeks, ala a traditional payroll system. Works fine, too.

I think the difference for the agents, however, is this: in the first scenario, agents don't get paid until the commission check from the actor is in their account. I canot tell you how many actors leave checks sitting for WEEKS in an agent's drawer. As the money collects dust, the agent waits to be paid.

In the check authorization scenario (and under the terms of the legal agreement that is signed), the agent gets paid right away and the actor gets their money within days of receipt.

Both systems are fine, but the latter certainly gives an agent more cash on hand to pay bills with. Etc.

Lisa

[Dave_Onefourone]

Sometimes my humour gets lost. :oops: I know who William Morris is. I should have used this :wink: I guess. Wink wink... nudge nudge. Up-and-comers.

I'll stick to VO.

[Dave_Onefourone]