Monday, October 23rd, 2006
An Introspective Look At the Exclusive Agent Question
Let me preface this article by saying... There isn't an act worth managing that isn't capable of managing themselves. By this I mean that any artist that doesn't understand the development process, and intuitively know what career moves are right or wrong for them, will likely fail to realize their full potential. The world is loaded with talented wannabe performers working as waiters and cab drivers, etc. I could have, should have &, would have... is the common thread among this group. You must want it bad enough to stick with it through thick and thin and never give up. And, every performer with the "right" stuff should be looking for the "right" representative who is prepared to go to the wall for them. By representative, I mean agent, manager, promoter and friend... a person that can provide all of the above. Only at the highest levels will it be necessary for an artist to hire a separate manager, agent and publicist.
Some performers are better at business than others, and some are better at business than performing. In this instance, their future probably lies in management, and it makes total sense for them to handle their own business affairs. Being the performer, agent, manager and promoter is often necessary during the initial process of getting noticed which also entails some marketing skills... which we'll get into another time. For the moment, let's pick it up at the point where an act is already established to a degree and trying to sustain a comfortable living as a professional entertainer.
My advice on representation is quite simple... and simple isn't always easy. Firstly, I believe every worthy entertainer should have an exclusive representative that handles all the business including contracts and publicity. It has to be the "right" person and it may take a few changes to find the person that can fill the bill as your collective Mr. or Mrs. Everything. Every career performer should spend as much time as possible practicing and improving their performance skills... not negotiating their own deals with buyers and packaging promotional materials, etc. Doing everything yourself is penny-wise and dollar-foolish. Making calls and attending meetings is very time consuming and takes away from valuable practice and rehearsal time. And, selling yourself is never a good idea at the professional level. Entertainers that represent themselves are hanging a large "amateur" sign around their neck. But, look at all the money saved by being your own booking agent. Is it really money saved? Let's take a closer look at that aspect.
Financially, exclusive agents make sense to me. At least it makes sense if you buy into the premise that an agent can bring you 10 dates (that you wouldn't have had) during a calendar year. How is that you say? Ok, let's say an act agrees to pay an exclusive agent a full 15% commission from all engagements he/she books and a 5% commission from all other bookings from wherever. Now, follow the math... if an act gets $1000.00 per show, and a calendar year represents 100 shows... here's the breakdown:
PAGE TWO - EXCLUSIVE AGENT QUESTION
Exclusive Agent gets 10 shows (10 x $1000).................... $10,000.00
Net earnings to Artist after 15% commission.................... $ 8,500.00
Artist & other contacts get 90 shows (90 x $1000).................... $90,000.00
Artist pays Exclusive Agent 5% ($90,000 x 5%).................... $ 4,500.00
It is obvious to me that the Exclusive Agent question is a no-brainer... why would anyone choose to do otherwise? What's not to like about losing all the time consuming phone calls and office work while gaining $4,000.00 to your bottom line for the year. The above numbers represent a stark comparison meant only to illuminate the practical side of agent exclusivity, even when the performer and his/her existing contacts are responsible for booking 90% of the engagements. In reality, the bookings are likely to be more balanced than the example shown. There will always be some bumps along the way. But, as an artist develops a strong artist/representative relationship, it will eventually lead to a comprehensive network of sub-agents and promoters across the country and around the world. It is this development process that builds a successful long-term career for the performer. The penny-saved and dollar-lost attitude is a dead end road that will always lead to much less than full potential for any entertainer.
Many of today's agents are not worthy of their rewards, and most of them couldn't or wouldn't provide the multi-faceted requirements that you need. However, it is wise to continue searching until you find the right person. You'll always be worried as well as optimistic. One part of you will be concerned for finances, career decisions and areas where you feel out of control. Conversely, another part of you will feel optimistic listening to the promises and hopes of others. It is hard to find a solid middle ground. The most important thing to remember is that it is the doing (of what you do) that is your greatest reward. Even a very large performance fee can sometimes seem surprisingly hollow. The key is to play the game you have chosen in order to express yourself, your values and your goals. This is very different than playing the game for only the financial reward. Remember... we are verbs not nouns. So, always do the very best that you can do at every performance... the rewards will take care of themselves. And, in all probability, the right representative will find you.
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Posted By Les Vogt @ 12:00 AM
Author's site: http://www.members.shaw.ca/lesvogt
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