talkmagic.co.uk

the amasing jason having been sick and tired of doing charity gigs and favour parties for old clients is seeking agents recomended by fellow magicians and entertainers.

perhapse a list of reputable agents could end up as a sticky.

any help apreciated thanxs.

I wrote an essay a few years ago entitled "Why agents book some acts and not others"?

I am a Director of The Entertainment Company based in Scotland. We receive publicity from performers every week and you would not believe how bad some of this stuff is.

If anyone would like a copy email me at: maxgordon@magicalsolutions.demon.co.uk

Charity gigs get you lots of...you guessed it, charity gigs.

you would not believe how bad some of this stuff is.

so how do i rate then.

iv'e done some gigs in scotland, on the whole there a better group partying wise than the brits.

magicdiscoman wrote:

you would not believe how bad some of this stuff is.

so how do i rate then.

I haven't seen your publicity so can't comment!

I don't know about the UK but in the US an "Agent" is something rarely used and oft time avoided in that you can generally demand higher premiums and book more dates on your own, without sharing with the greedy fools.

Talent Management is something that only comes along once YOU HAVE EARNED THE POSITION and have proven yourself a six-digit a year vehicle. At that point in time you rarely need to seek such creatures out, they tend to come out of the woodwork as do most cockroaches and bottom feeders when they smell a gravy train...

Needless to say I have a very low point of view of such entities in that my experience with them has been less than profitable in most circumstances, with them forgetting that it is they that work for me vs. the other way around.

I have had a few Specialty Agents that I've worked with and still do accept dates from in that they have a sound reputation in their field. Most would think me nuts for accepting a deal with them because they take a 40 to as much as 65% cut on fees, the catch is, their charged fees are greater than my norm and ALWAYS leave me with more than I'd normally charged for the date in my pocket. These few resources however, tend to specializing in public speakers, now variety acts.

i have enough disco work to tick over and charity / favour work at cost.
but I'm looking into more magic work now I'm stable enough to do it hense the request for agents ,uk ones.
iv'e not used an agent for magic and the ones i have are exclusivly music oriented, the magic being a bolt on.

since the consenurs apears to be that most people don't use agents i'll go back to wearing out the shoe leather amd landline out.

magicdiscoman wrote:i have enough disco work to tick over and charity / favour work at cost.
but I'm looking into more magic work now I'm stable enough to do it hense the request for agents ,uk ones.
iv'e not used an agent for magic and the ones i have are exclusivly music oriented, the magic being a bolt on.

since the consenurs apears to be that most people don't use agents i'll go back to wearing out the shoe leather amd landline out.

I don't agree with the majority of the over-priced marketing manuals that are out there, but I would recommend the Michale Ammar tapes and books that deal with such... my mind is a blur at present but I'll track down some of the other more "generic" resources as well and list them as I can... What's important in this case is knowing exactly what it is you are offering... what are you as a product?

You're not just a "Magician" you can't be... such creatures are a dime a dozen e.g. you must be more and you must have a specific "theme" as it were that fits in describing who and what you are. For me just saying I'm a "Mentalist" doesn't work in that what I do goes a bit outside those parameters... though, in proper light, that is exactly what I am -- a Mentalist.

Firstly, the main thing I offer as a Service are full-evening Mystery Dinner Amusements be it the telling of interactive ghost stories, or enactments of yesteryear Parlor experiments/demonstrations ala Bert Reese or doing a Seance. Even this idea must be refined in that many of my shows cater to groups of 3-6 couples; a very intimate and tailored sort of musing.

In all, you should be able to see how what I do is much more than what most of us classify as being "Mentalism"... even when I do night club dates or situations in which I'm speaking to a corporate audience, my offerings go far beyond mere show-biz and trickery; I strive to delivery insights, logic and perspectives that help empower those participating... but then, that is what the client is paying for -- incentive and empowerment! If they wanted a magic show that mimics psychic prowess they could readily have one for a tenth of my price now days. But they come to me because I am an "Expert" within a given area of psychological and even parapsychological study e.g. a perceived value comes into play which compels the buying to cough up more than the pittance most of our fellows seem more than content to receive as pay.

The bottom line is a simple one and one common to all of Business Lore; you must have the right packaging to go with the goods in order to generate the voluntary commitment on price without quibble. Secondly, you need to look at "location" -- the very same shows I do in Pubs for a couple of C-Notes is what I do in the Board Room for a couple of thousand... so think it through and know how to package it all and how to price it, based on location and audience type.

Long ago I learned a valuable lesson when it came to pricing; I was working for the PR company that handled promotions for Ford Motor Company as well as the Lincoln-Mercury Division. They pointed out how my perception of $100,000.00 was considerably different from that of the client who, in this case, just dropped over $3.5million for a one night product introduction party. In other words when you understand the language of your market group demanding $1,000.00 per gig on salaries is not that far out of step though, from the course of your own life's setting, such may seem astronomical... it's just perspective.

Anywho...hope my ramblings helped

I think a couple of points need clarification here. In the UK an "agent" is someone who represents an act or performer exclusively. Their job is to find work for the acts in their "stable" for that they take a fee which is agreed with performer at hte time of signing. "Agents" are few and far between and only "named" acts would be taken up by an agent.

My business is event management which is totally different. My clients ask me to source acts and entertainment to meet their specific needs. I then ask suitable acts to nam their fee which if booked by the client is what they receive. I make my money by charging the client a fee for organising the event based on how much work is involved. This bears no relationship to the performers fee in any way.

Getting "in" with events organisers is the best way to get good paying quality work (at least here in the UK it is). Once you convince them of your skill and value, they will actively offer you into events you would never have heard of. Why, becuase they only want to offer acts to that they know will deliver the goods.

You have nothing to lose. You name your fee and that is what you get. No deductions are made.

Getting "in" with events organisers is the best way to get good paying quality work (at least here in the UK it is).

so would i be any use to you.

so would i be any use to you.

How would I know Discomagicman, I haven't seen your publicity, your act or know anything about you. Which is exactly what I was getting at in the first place.

Ever so slightly off topic, but nice to see you touting for business again, Jason. It's good to know you're feeling better.

@max yes quite right.
@zack baby steps.

I think an over haul of your website would work as well. Couple of vids of you performing to a packed room or photos of you doing it. I know you got some vids and pics on there but they are "static" shots. If I was on the look out to book a local mage and was looking through the websites I would remember yours for all the wrong reasons.

Just my 2p.

Just my 2p.

2p well spent, will take it on board, been busy with maters pertaining to my other job.
magic performance wise its a bit chicken and egg at the moment.
that and not being able to use my normal web editor, one of the joys of microsofts free web space.

Good luck with it Jason.