How to leave an agent – with Rachel Cole

Performers complain about their agents as often as they complain about feeling fat. #thestruggleisreal. When you hear your friends talking about castings or auditions that you haven’t heard about or you haven’t had an email in months, it’s easy to question your representation. It’s in these moments you need to trust that your agent has your best interests at heart and knows your abilities well.

Rachel Cole joins the AussieTheatre team
Rachel Cole – AussieTheatre’s Stage Door Shrink

The fact is, agents work much harder for you than you may be aware of. For every email/casting you receive from them, they’ve probably sent 5 unsuccessful ones on your behalf. (If in doubt, generate the Showcast submission report for what you’ve been submitted for- sneaky!)

We had a wonderful acting coach at Ed5 who taught us 2 important ideas about agents:
1. Your agent works for you: you pay them for their services.
2. It is a business relationship, even though it can feel personal.

Making a decision to leave an agent feels like breaking up with someone who you know isn’t right for you, but who comes from serious coin and is more ripped than the tabernacle curtain. You’re scared you’ll never meet someone else, or the future wont be what you’ve dreamed of, or you might miss out on someone better- who inspires you more, listens more, gets you TVCs and replies to emails faster.

With agents, (like romantic relationships) you need to be upfront. Be clear about what work you are looking for (a Bachelor’s degree and property), where you want to be in 5 years (not pregnant), and communicate if things aren’t going as well as you had imagined (he has cold sores and is weirdly close with his mum). If that agent can’t take you there, than it may be time to look elsewhere.
This week I’m not interviewing anyone on the topic, but taking general principles of relationship counseling and professional development from Psychology and applying them to this situation. When you go, maybe don’t do a ghostie, like at parties, but consider the following advice.

The word according to Rachel is:

Identify the problem

Are the issues with your agent professional or personal? I.e. is it that you’re not being seen for auditions, or is your agent rude, or refuses to return emails? Identify if there are communication problems, respect problems, laziness etc. Write down each issue as you see it and examples of when it occurred to make sure you’re being fair and not dramatic.

Be solution focused

Have you raised your concerns with your agent and given them a chance to respond and improve? If not, you are being that girl at work who constantly whines about her boyfriend but never does anything about it. Perhaps your agent doesn’t put you up for TV work because they aren’t aware that it’s the direction in which you want to move. If you have done this and there has been no change, then consider a move.

See your own fault

Have you been hitting your email refresh every 3 seconds waiting for audition briefs? Or have you been getting out there training, getting new skills, making a better showreel, doing independent theatre, making connections and doing all you can to help yourself. Your agent can’t make cakes if you don’t give them gluten free flour, dates and coconut oil.

Secure your future

Make sure you have secured future representation before leaving an agent. Generally speaking, having an agent you are unhappy with is better than having no agent.

Consider your legal position

If you are working on a contract that your current agent negotiated for you, then legally you owe them that commission. That doesn’t mean you can’t leave them now, you will just have to keep paying them commission until the conclusion of that contract, yet audition under your new representation. Likewise, make sure you have been paid all outstanding monies owed before you leave. Once you leave, you are not a priority.

Reputation is everything – Don’t burn bridges

Apart from being an unkind and unprofessional thing to do, telling your agent where to go and why you’ve hated them for years, will damage your professional future. Agents talk to casting people, directors and notable others, and it is just not worth damaging your reputation.

Its business, not personal

Worry more about your future if you don’t go than their potential response if you do. You pay your agent to provide you with opportunities and services. They work for you. Don’t frame the event like a break up (like I just have). Consider others you pay for a service: accountant, hairdresser, property manager, dentist etc. If you asked your hairdresser for subtle blonde highlights and came out looking like Anna Nicole Smith you would have no problem leaving.

Choose your medium

I would suggest telling them you’re going in the same medium that you most often communicate. If you only met them once, and have since emailed, then email is fine. If you regularly catch up for coffee, than an email would seem ungrateful and impolite. Don’t be that person who breaks up via text. Yes, it is confronting to tell an agent in person – but be brave; they will respect you for it.

Be profession and succinct

When leaving, it is wise to give reasons that pertain to you rather than them. I.e. “I see my career moving in a different direction’ vs. ‘you never book me auditions you lazy sack of poo.’ Even if your agent is a sack of poo, this is not the time to tell them. Don’t get emotional or be dramatic, be factual and decisive.

Learn from your mistakes

Once you have identified why you are unhappy, be very careful that you don’t make the same mistakes again. Humans are creatures of habit, and unless we are intentional, its easy to end up in the same cycle of disappointment, whine, repeat. Ask your prospective new agent how they would address said concerns and make sure it’ll be different next time.

Check out our #StageDoorShrink session from last week on how to approach an agent! 

Rachel Cole

Rachel has a degree in Psychology from The University of Sydney but is currently masquerading as understudy for Miss Honey and Mrs Wormwood in the Australian production of Matilda the Musical. She likes to think about what makes people tick. She also likes: Podcasts, politics, pepperoni pizza, property, puns, puppies and cheap things. If you know of a political podcast full of puns we can listen over a cheap pepperoni pizza while we walk a cheap dog looking at cheap property, we might just be fast friends. Follow Rachel on Instagram at: @rachelacole.

Rachel Cole

One thought on “How to leave an agent – with Rachel Cole

  • hey! how do you generate a submission report from showcast???

    Reply

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