Working with Entertainment Agents
Posted on 13. Nov, 2010 by Jason Gold in Stage Shows
Billy Potter, a friend and respected Scottish comedian gave me excellent advice. I remember him telling me, “Never sign a contract with an agent, there is no need for it, so don’t do it”. I took his advice to heart. When I began my career as a Stage Hypnotist I had many agents keen to put me on their payroll. The agent’s job is to set up the events, promote them, and then pay you to perform. The agent makes their money several ways. One is based on the ticket sales or the price they charge the venue, they then either pay you a fixed rate or a percentage of the profit. Another way they can make money (and probably more commonly used) is to charge your rate to the venue, and take a percentage from that figure.
I personally have never used agents (or had agents using me). I believe in the entrepreneurial approach of setting up shows on my own. This brings with it the risk of losing BIG and still having your costs if the show fails but also has the merits of earning you a potential fortune. If this is not your style then by all means work with agents, it’s a sure way to bring in the work.
I believe there are agents who are out with good intentions and some who care only for themselves. What you have to remember is that they are out to make money. If they think they can make money from you then they will, if they don’t, then you’ll get very little work from them. Either way, using an agent is not a bad thing, it can be a smart move, but remember never to sign a contract with an entertainment agent.
When you move away from pubs and clubs and into the big time, this is when things start to change. At this point, agents may just be your ticket to bigger and better things and I wouldn’t advise against signing contracts here, but I do suggest you read the small print and make sure you know exactly what you’re getting yourself into first.
