Should I get an Agent?

Should I get an Agent?

The answer to this question is undoubtedly 'yes'! Some people can get work without an agent, but in this day and age, if you want a successful career we believe you will need to have a good agent, who will offer you all of the following (and more)

• They help find and then secure auditions for you.
• They gather constructive feedback for you during auditions.
• They negotiate a contractual deal on your behalf when you get offered work.
• They do a lot of behind-the-scenes work making sure the right people know who you are, and what you are up to.
• They encourage industry professionals to be interested in you and your work, and invite them to see you perform.
• They fight your corner if a company is in breach of contract.
• They offer support and guidance at all times and help you make difficult decisions about the development of your career,
• They are there to be the 'bad guy' who liaises with producers when necessary, so you only have to focus on performing.

Overall, a good agent will provide you with consistent and valuable support in an industry which is forever changing.

(extract from secrets of stage success)

Self Promotion with Social Media

I have found Social Media beneficial in two ways:

1) It allows you to connect with various artists as well as friends/family

2) It allows you to promote yourself as a performer

When I started this course I have only used number 1, to connect with people I already know. Since then I have discovered different methods and tools that have allowed me to discover how I can use social media and make it beneficial for myself.  I already had a Facebook, instagram and twitter but I now have been introduced to delicious, youtube and google +. 

I am also new to blogging. I have found it very useful to keep in contact with various people including members on BAPP so that I can see what they are up and to help them out as much as I can.  It has been very reassuring to know that everyone is in the same boat and by getting feedback from tutors and other students has been very useful.

I did create a SIG on Facebook: getting into professional work. I haven't found this as useful as I originally planned. I found that because I was a member of other peoples SIGs as so many other students are, it was very difficult to keep in contact with all of them and contributing as much as I could. 

Auditions

What I am struggling to do at the moment is finding auditions that I want to attend. Most open auditions through the stage are mainly jobs such as cruises which I don't have an interest in doing. I do have spotlight www.spotlight.com which I have found fairly useful with finding auditions but not many want to audition me. This is where I think an agent would come in useful as they look for auditions for their clients daily.

Here are some links I found when searching for auditions in musical theatre:

Acting the song: tips for a more successful musical theatre audition

http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.mdx.ac.uk/docview/1357482569?pq-origsite=summon

Hitting the right note: how to get a callback at a musical theatre audition

"If 100 of you audition for a commercial — and that's quite typical — 99 of you are not going to book it," Capra says. "But those other 99 actors did have an opportunity to create a relationship and create a memory in the brain of the director." 

The more auditions you attend the more you get to know people and create a relationship with them.


http://web.a.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.mdx.ac.uk/ehost/detail/detail?sid=1c36f4de-f72a-408d-98b3-1c263a1b948d%40sessionmgr4005&vid=0&hid=4001&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d&preview=false#AN=27254495&db=bth

Spotlight: Musical Theater: Broadway Audition Breakdown

Preparing for auditions should always take much consideration as it makes a big impact on your audition. Know the show and the directer/casting directer and sing/dress appropriate for what the show entails.

http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.mdx.ac.uk/docview/862816267?pq-origsite=summon

Vlogging

Documenting my life

As you all know I will be heading to New York in just under two months - yes I am very excited. I have decided that I am going to document my journey on youtube as videos - or as some people say it Vlogging. The BAPP course has inspired me to blog more and I would like to include different ways of doing this and whats better than doing videos.

I have entitled my channel no one lives forever, to motivate and inspire me to live my life and have a journey. I also want to give viewers advice on performing, such as choosing a performing arts college and what to do after you have graduated. I also have a background in fitness and want to inspire people to exercise and eat healthy. 

Youtube is a tool I have used for my "self promotion" heading in my inquiry, I therefore thought my first video should be me doing some sort of performing, so heres myself singing a cover of Alive (originally by Sia)

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMjSKgo7gS-KHxKrNZSB8iw

SIGS

I am looking for people who are currently working in the dance/musical theatre industry. I would like to hear your journey after professional training including non-professional work. If you could include:

1. Whether you have an agent or are freelance
2. Have you always managed to find professional work after graduating
3. Are there any ways that you have had to promote yourself in order to find professional work?

My inquiry is based on finding professional work in musical theatre, I have decided to have specific topics that I would like to focus more on. There are Agents, Auditions and Self Promotion. 

If you would like to contribute or have any ideas for me I would love to hear from you.

Please leave comments below or if you prefer my email address is hollynkm@hotmail.com

Thanks

Why do we need Musical Theatre?

When I typed in "why do we need musical theatre" into google various links came up regarding training and if studying musical theatre is for you as apposed to why we have it. Musical Theatre is growing every year with more and more applicants applying to all the colleges, who have had to expand to accommodate these circumstances.


I also want to look at American Musical Theatre as I'll be heading to work in New York over the summer. I want to compare and evaluate the differences between West End and Broadway.
Here is a link on why British and American theatre audiences are so different.
http://www.theguardian.com/stage/theatreblog/2011/mar/30/british-american-theatre-audiences

We have the Oliviers, American have Tony's, but are Americans better at Musical Theatre than the British?
Why Americans beat the british in Musicals:
http://www.theguardian.com/stage/theatreblog/2011/feb/23/americans-british-musicals-west-end-broadway

Employment in the Musical Theatre Industry

What do agents look for in a Musical Theatre grad?

Stuart Piper, and agent at Cole Kitchenn explains that he does not look for a particular casting but chooses clients on who he thinks are special and who he thinks will become "tomorrow's stars." Piper describes that colleges are now trying to make their students triple threats having equal training in all disciplines. This therefore makes clients more employable as they are able to do different things including maybe playing an instrument.
https://www.thestage.co.uk/opinion/2015/stuart-piper-agents-look-musical-theatre-graduate/

I have started to look at employment in American Musical Theatre as I know nothing about employment there. In the UK there are various ways of getting your foot in the door. I've heard that its a lot harder to get into broadway than it is the west end so I'm going to find out more information.
This was the first link that I found about the subject. Most of the advice given relates to work in the west end too. The first two tips have been useful to me.
1) Get tickets to see shows- (especially if its the show your auditioning for) this will help on so many levels and gives you something more to talk about at your interview.
2) Get in the right room - face to face is better than electronic. Attend opening nights, conferences- get your face seen.
https://www.theproducersperspective.com/my_weblog/2013/01/5-tips-to-getting-a-job-on-broadway.html

How to become a broadway actor/actress:

train train train - whats difficult is after college I now have to fund for myself and nowadays everything costs. It is a struggle to keep fit and also attend as many auditions as I can.
network - this has come up a lot in my research. Many people have said its about being in the right place at the right time- but you have to be in a place to start with.
always say yes - I agree with this to a certain extent but I will always remain professional.
see as much theatre as you can - I try and see shows as much as I can, usually I go spontaneously after an audition as I am already there.
take care of yourself - This has proven tricky as I work full time and its difficult to find time to attend classes.
show up and move on - go to auditions and accept that there is a high chance of rejection.
http://broadwaymusicalblog.com/2013/06/18/how-to-become-a-broadway-actor-or-actress/

How to make it in musical theatre

http://castings.thestage.co.uk/audition-advice/blog/posts/what-it-takes-to-make-it-in-musical-theatre

What it takes to train a broadway star

I found this an interesting article. Even broadway stars are continually growing and never stop learning. It is not enough to just sing and dance, performers need to be strong triple threats and be able to sustain their stamina for eight shows a week.
http://www.newyork.com/articles/broadway/what-it-takes-to-train-a-broadway-star-24415/