Dealing with actors agents

[welsh_gambit]

Hi guys, I’m curious to find out your experiences with dealing with actors agents. How do you approach the situation, speak to them etc.

I’m interested in trying to get a few B-list actors for cameos in a TV series I’m filming over the summer and the problem I have is that It’s a micro budget and being filmed on a Nokia N8 (For cost as well as possible publicity). Now chances are most will either laugh at me or simply tell me no but I’ve been brought up on the belief that if you don’t ask, you don’t receive.

I’ve worked out that I could probably film the scenes they are in, in around a day for each actor (not including any problems). So what would be your suggestions in regards to speaking to agents? Be polite, professional and come across as having a lot of backing or simply lay my cards on the table and tell the agent its micro budget .

As ever, your feedback is greatly appreciated.

 

[Cracker Funk]

I prefer to kick them square in the nuts.

What tangled webs we weave...

 

[NickClapper]

Hi guys, I’m curious to find out your experiences with dealing with actors agents. How do you approach the situation, speak to them etc.

I’m interested in trying to get a few B-list actors for cameos in a TV series I’m filming over the summer and the problem I have is that It’s a micro budget and being filmed on a Nokia N8 (For cost as well as possible publicity). Now chances are most will either laugh at me or simply tell me no but I’ve been brought up on the belief that if you don’t ask, you don’t receive.

I’ve worked out that I could probably film the scenes they are in, in around a day for each actor (not including any problems). So what would be your suggestions in regards to speaking to agents? Be polite, professional and come across as having a lot of backing or simply lay my cards on the table and tell the agent its micro budget .

As ever, your feedback is greatly appreciated.

Definitely lay your cards on the table. BS gets you nowhere.

I'd be concerned about shooting on the Nokia N8 (not just from a filmmaking POV) because if they're already members of the B-list then they're unlikely to want to be in a production being shot on someone's mobile. I'm not sure what your reasoning behind shooting on it is but, personally, I think it will make it all but impossible to get any B-list actors interested.

This is a form letter that I've followed:

Dear the Agent of ________,

I am a filmmaker currently in pre-production of a short film called ________. I am corresponding to ask whether your client, ________, would be interested in a part in the film. It is a __ day shoot and ____ is exactly the sort of person I am looking for to play the role of Matthew.

________ is a short film about a day in the lives of ________________________, whose lives are about to be ________________________.

A bittersweet comedy drama, ________ will be submitted to festivals across the UK and internationally. All actors will be getting a fantastic chance to add to their CV with a visually and emotionally interesting film.

Please let me know if _____ might be interested,

Thanks,
________

 

[bez]

First of all you're better off calling in my opinion...as most of the agents emails aren't available. Second...Personally I would send Mark Sikes an email. He writes a column for showfax (www.showfax.com) but he's also a casting director in Los Angeles that has cast well over a 100 larger budget indy's... he also has a website with contact info on it. I know from speaking to him personally the he negotiates these types of deals all the time with agents. He may be able to help. I recently had a supporting role in a film he cast with Morgan Fairchild and John Callahan.

 

[NickClapper]

First of all you're better off calling in my opinion...as most of the agents emails aren't available. Second...Personally I would send Mark Sikes an email. He writes a column for showfax (www.showfax.com) but he's also a casting director in Los Angeles that has cast well over a 100 larger budget indy's... he also has a website with contact info on it. I know from speaking to him personally the he negotiates these types of deals all the time with agents. He may be able to help. I recently had a supporting role in a film he cast with Morgan Fairchild and John Callahan.

As you're in the UK all you need to do is sign up to the Spotlight directory and it will have an email address for all the UK actors. Every one of them that I've emailed has got back to me within about 72 hours, so they're pretty good.

 

[directorik]

Several things to keep in mind.

Number one: it can be done. Actors want to act - even actors
with agents. I'm not suggesting that it will be easy or that you
can do it. But it has been done and will be done again. Actors
do this for a living. So money must be involved. If you have
absolutely no money at all to offer then your success will be
considerably harder. Still not impossible, just much harder.

So before I offer my feedback, do you have any money at all
to offer these actors for their time? Your answer will help me
focus my feedback to something that might help.