“How can a client best maintain his relationship with his agent?”

The relationship between client and agent is delicate. On the one hand, there is the agent, most days too busy with the demands of the industry to take time to call or email each client to “catch up.” On the other hand, there is the client, out there in the world, with many of life’s distractions. Days turn into weeks and the relationship between client and agent can go through periods where there simply is no “relationship.” There is hope. Email.

While we are all busy, most agents are in the office and on email at least 10 hours a day (if not 24 hours a day!)  This makes it really easy to know where to find them, if they let you. We do. Maintaining a relationship with your agent in a way that is unobtrusive is key for us. We simply want our clients to keep in contact, and conduct themselves with the same level of professionalism in which the agency approaches the industry.

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Baron Entertainment San Diego. We are currently accepting submissions at our San Diego office:

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Baron Entertainment is PREGNANT! Baron Entertainment is proud to announce the soon-to-be-born BARON BABIES. When the Industry needs babies, Baron Babies is where they will find them.

Got babies? Send your newborn through age 3 submissions to our Los Angeles address.

[at left, Quin and Reed, who will hit the small screen in major roles on the hit series Heroes!]

Rod's take on the relationship between agent and client, from a recent article in Backstage West
I feel that most actors have been trained to leave the agent alone. To not "bother" them. To drop off pictures and kinda hope for the best. This creates a problem for me. Since I started my agency over 7 years ago, I have kept every line of communication open to my clients, and I have expected these lines to be used. Phone, email, special events, travel -- I have tried everything possible to get to know and learn about my clients. I empower my clients, I hope. I want them to feel like part of a family, like they can email me anytime with any question, and I will be there for them.

When an actor and I decide to work together, I tell them flat out what I expect: "If I haven't seen or heard from you in a month, something is wrong." If you plan on dropping your pictures off to me, and then disappearing, this is not the agency for you. But time and time again, this is what happens. Actors come to me, bring me pictures, and after one 20 minute meeting, expect me to know who they are and what they are about. Months go by, I hear nothing from them. They never drop by. They never email me. They are a ghost. Ghosts do not get auditions these days. They will finally call 12 months later asking why they haven't had any auditions, and I will look on LA Casting and I will look on Breakdown Services, and lots of times, these people, won't even have a photo up for me to submit.

As an actor, it is up to you as to how your business runs. Do you reconcile your bank statement every month, or do you let it slide for a year or so? Every agent is different. Find one that lets you speak. Communication is the key to any relationship.