VO-BB - 20 YEARS OLD!

Rob Ellis · M&M Joined: 01 Aug 2006 Posts: 2385 Location: Detroit

...to contact producers, production houses, etc. directly when you have an agent?
I have an agent and she says no problem but I get the impression somehow that is unusual for VO talent to drop off demos in person and call producers to follow-up. Not pest-like, not at all. My prospecting plan is basically to make contact once a quarter (by phone or maybe in person if appropriate) and send a postcard maybe quarterly as well.

Coming from a sales background, I have a hard time just sitting around waiting for something to happen. At the same time, I don't want to break some unspoken rule in the VO business that says it is bad form for the talent to make direct contact the way I am doing it.

Also any thoughts on how to best bring the agent in the mix when a prospect I have been making direct contact with expresses a possible interest? My ethic is to send everything through my agent, even if I generate the lead. But I sometimes wonder if at the point of decision I am losing business by bringing the agent into the discussion and potentially complicating things in the prospect's eyes.

bobsouer · Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2007 11:51 am Post subject:

Rob,

Much of the answer to your question depends on the specifics in your contract with your agent.

For example, the agents I've had for a long time are based in Pittsburgh and Cleveland. Now and then, someone from one of those cities (or the surrounding suburbs) will contact me about work. For all of those jobs, I either ask the client to work through my agent or (if I don't know where they're located until after the job is completed) I send my agents a check for the appropriate commission.

Work that comes from somewhere else in the world doesn't go through them because my contract with them stipulates only the cities of Pittsburgh and Cleveland and surrounding communities.

I hope this is at least somewhat helpful.
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Gp · Guest

I think if one depends soley on work obtained through agents....one would STARVE!
I think you have to search out your own work too. Unless, like Bob said you have some inclusion in the contract that forbids it. But I wouldn't think that would be the case. If your agent wants an exclusivity contract they had better be able to keep you busy. Otherwise, I'd say ABSOLUTELY you must look for work outside of your agent.
Gp

asnively · Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2007 1:02 pm Post subject:

The agents get 10%. We get 90%. I've always thought that meant that I should be doing 90% of the work. And so I do.
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mcm · Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2007 2:21 pm Post subject:

Unless your agent is bringing you enough work to make your living, then you need to be pounding the pavement daily.

Rob Ellis · M&M Joined: 01 Aug 2006 Posts: 2385 Location: Detroit

I appreciate the input from everybody...I know it may have seemed like kind of an inane question, but my agent seemed genuinely surprised that I was doing it, so I wasn't sure what the norm was.

I guess maybe in this market most VOs don't pursue the business quite as proactively. Or it could be that a lot don't do it full-time. I happen to have the luxury of pursuing VO business full-time.

I have to say that my prospecting efforts are yielding more auditions, though not a lot of paying gigs yet. (yet being the operative word)

Drew · Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2007 3:49 pm Post subject:

TC · Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2007 4:40 pm Post subject:

This was one of the first questions I asked my first agent, and he seemed pleased that I would consider making the effort -- almost as if it were an unusual idea. That seemed strange to me. I have little sales background to speak of. In fact, I'm a lousy salesman. But I can't imagine being in this business and not making that kind of direct contact with the people who are in position to hire me.

When I promote myself, I include my own contact information, but I also make it clear that if they want to hire me, they can go directly to my agent.

ConnieTerwilliger · Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2007 6:14 pm Post subject:

Nearly 30 years ago - OK - now that I am counting it up it is just one year shy of 30 years ago, my very first agent had a "go see" list. We were expected to make calls, drop off demos, generally do the kind of networking that she couldn't do because she was at her office taking calls from Producers.

She has a house demo that goes out every year - and she has stacks of demos and headshots and videos to send out when someone is doing a casting, but make calls on your behalf? That's what a Manager does.

Now, that "go see" list has kind of evaporated. I have had to maintain and cultivate my own list. But I still do it. It's part of the job. And she is actually surprised when every couple of years I ask her if she has a new "go see" list. It would be a lot easier to put one together these days with our electronic databases.
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Sound Advice · Guest

It's TOTALLY fine to contact commercial producers directly, whether you have an agent or not. It's not your agent's job to promote you--it's yours! Now if you like, you can give the commercial producers your agent's contact info so they'll call the agent to book you. After all, the agent will probably be able to negotiate a higher fee for you--THAT's their job.