Along the way you’re sure to meet up with some, well, questionable folks.
I had a call a couple of months back now, from an agents assistant who’d seen my headshot and asked if I’d come in for a meeting with the head of their commercial division. Sounded great to me, so muggins said yes!
Well, to be fair, I submit myself on a daily basis, and with my day job I sometimes forget everything I’ve submitted for. And, it’s not unheard of to be called in for a job based on your headshot.
Anyway, the call turned out to be a cattle call for the agency in question. The audition was to memorize some copy (a photo copy of a loan ad for the guys, and a moisturizer magazine ad for the girls) and then do a read for the head of the commercial division. I’m not sure how you head yourself, being the only commercial agent on staff, but there you go. Melissa, the head of the commercial division headed herself.
They’re actually a small to mid size agency, they have a name, they’re not in the top 10 by any means, but, they’re bigger than the agency I’m currently with.
So I gave my reading of the “copy”, and was told that I did a great reading. Then, Melissa asked if I was currently signed to an agency. I explained that yes, I was. To which she replied, “Then what the hell are you doing here?” I mentioned that they’d contacted me, and asked me to come in.
Well, we chatted for a bit, she wanted to know if I skateboarded, I don’t, but, she asked that I contact her in a week if I was still interested. I left quite pleased, having successfully auditioned for a short film earlier that week.
I was still very interested, until I started receiving the agency emails.
Now my current head shots are theatrical, rather than commercial. Melissa wanted me to get some new commercial head shots done which is not unheard of. She also included a list of photographers that the agency recommends, and asked to be contacted prior to booking the shoot. Part of their contract required their final sign off on any photographer.
Well, all the photographers that were recommended were a tad on the expensive side. And while Melissa was touting how wonderful they were, I couldn’t help thinking that I was looking at proof sheets from the 1970’s. The majority of submissions are done on line these days, yet, they also recommended a printer for getting pictures run off.
I couldn’t see myself getting any photos done with the recommended lot, so talked with my good friend Elena (who has some superb headshots, both commercial & theatrical) and made an appointment with her guy – for less than 1/2 the price of what was on Melissa’s recommendation list.
Well, Melissa said no, I couldn’t use this guy, and that I need to pick someone from her list to make sure I “didn’t get the wrong shots”, as she didn’t want me to “throw away my money”.
To which I replied “it appears that the recommended photographers are rather expensive for the service they’re performing. Do you receive a commission or finders fee for referring clients to them?”
Melissa wouldn’t answer this question, but, she DID direct me to another photographer, not on the main list, which she thought might be a better fit.
Needless to say, I didn’t end up signing with her after that!
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