talkmagic.co.uk

Just wondered how many of you work for Agents.
I dont mean the "Pay your money - Get gigs from us" (Never Get any)
I mean the We get you gigs and We get commision Kind!

I Deal with Entertainment Agencies on a day to day basis with my Day Job, and as i have been on a bit of time Off, am thinking maybe go back with an Agency until i get back up to speed and get some Contacts!

Your Views Ladies & Gentlemen Please

I deal with a couple of them. My view is that they are getting me shows I otherwise wouldn't have. I'm also not loosing any money, because I'm gaining money from the gigs they get me.

most of my disco work comes from recomendations but like you I'm getting back into magic after a layoff, the last agent i had many moons ago kept getting me gigs in central london at poor prices, basicly the stuff no one else wanted to do, so I'm a bit shy of agents.
i'd certainly be interested in any recomendations you have, i did ask this question before on the boards but most did not apear to use agents, at least thats the impression i got.

Well the agents i have dealt with are ok, but thats not for bookings for me,
But when i go into work i shall pick up my folder and i can pass on all the info.

I'd love to have an agent who actually did what they said they would - ie get me gigs. Sadly it seems such an animal may be a thing of the past. Most agents these days seem to be a flashy website which is backed up by a guy waiting for the phone to ring.

I'm on the books of several agents, but 95% of my work comes from my own sourcing and from contacts I have developed myself.

I am the same as Wand, some agency work but most of mine is repeat work, word of mouth, and my own advertising.

I'm reviving this thread to ask about what's best to look for in an agent. The only thing I know right now is that they should be paid on commission and it's best if they have very few clients or at least very few magicians for clients.

Your agent should be as desperate to get money as you are it's no good having an agent who doesn't really need you as a client.

Also and this is advice I got from a friend who's an agent for actors, it's a good idea to agree to a three month trial period first.

Any other tips or advice? I'm seeing a potential agent tomorrow and I need to know what questions I should ask.

themagicwand wrote:I'd love to have an agent who actually did what they said they would - ie get me gigs. Sadly it seems such an animal may be a thing of the past. Most agents these days seem to be a flashy website which is backed up by a guy waiting for the phone to ring.

I'm on the books of several agents, but 95% of my work comes from my own sourcing and from contacts I have developed myself.

Maybe the best way to use an agent is the way it works in music. An act has a manager who books the gigs, handles the legals, takes a cut and deals with all the non-good stuff with a baseball bat (q.v. Spinal Tap). His income is directly dependent on the band's success.

I have maybe ten agents who give me gigs semi-regularly. During the first year of the recession, after I moved city and lost my word-of-mouth business, they amounted to a nice percentage of my income. Now I have built up my business they are less important, but they do help keep me busy.

So it's acceptible to get multiple agents? Do they know about eachother, or at least are aware that you have other agents?

those that are unsure about the reliability of agents could become one, and represent me.. That way we both get what we want out if life, and everybodys happy.

I'm on the books of several agents who work (in their own words) as a "demand-led" business. This means they have a nice website and wait for the phone to ring. Having said that, some of them have been getting me good well paid gigs alately.

It is certainly worth the initial effort of getting yourself on their websites. Easiest way to find them is to put "hire magician" or similar into Google and see which agencies turn up.

Obviously never pay any money to be listed!

Dustin White wrote:I deal with a couple of them. My view is that they are getting me shows I otherwise wouldn't have. I'm also not loosing any money, because I'm gaining money from the gigs they get me.

Agree totally

Are agents expected to manage anything else other than getting you work?

Jean Eugene Roberts wrote:Are agents expected to manage anything else other than getting you work?

They should organise you getting paid promptly, that the venue is reputable and you aren't walking into a lions' den (as it were), and that things like PA's etc are supplied should you have requested them (but that's mainly for stage work). They also act as the middle man between you and the booker and organise the contracts.