In Hollywood, a professional actor really needs an agent. Though you can submit yourself through some of the online casting services, there are tons of opportunities that only agents hear about. There are hundreds of agents here but tons and tons more actors. I've been told that 70% of actors are not represented. It can be tougher to get an agent than to find a parking space at the mall the weekend before Christmas.

I'm currently with a small agency out here in La-La Land. It's a very nice agency and is comprised of two people, my agent and her assistant. I've been with them for the past year and I have a good relationship with both of them. All of that is great but unfortunately, for whatever reason, I haven't gotten very many auditions through their submissions. I've actually gotten more through my own. In a town that's all about relationships, I suspect the low audition quantity may be mostly due to the fact that it's a small agency and few people (that I've run into anyway) know them.

Well, I recently had a call from another agency. I went in and met with the head agent and it went well. Though I didn't get the same sort of "personal" feeling as from my current agency, this agency seems very aggressive about promoting their clients. They also organize a lot of social events where clients can get to know each other and meet casting directors. If this town values relationships, this could sure help.

So, I'm left wondering what to do. Do I stay with an agent that works with me/knows me on a personal basis but isn't moving my career forward very much? Or, do I go with an agent that's better connected but isn't as personal? Hard to know -- the old choice between the bird in the hand versus the bird in the bush.

My first inclination would be to call my current agent to discuss it but she's out of town for a week and it's becoming very awkward to stall the new agent for very long. Sigh...decisions, decisions...

Trevor,

I honestly believe you will have to go with your gut on this one. Which agency is it? If it is a level higher than your current agent, with better connections, it may be a good choice to make the move. Do some research to really find out if there is any bad juju with this new agent who is courting you. You can always work on the personal relationship with your new agent, especially if it means you will be going out more frequently and booking more because of that.

I was with my first agent for over three years. I probably had one audition a month, if I was lucky. Avg about 6-8 a year. Sad. The jobs I did book (TV) were all through my own submissions. They were basically submitting me for commercials only. I was also one of 500 clients with only two people running the show. Not good odds. And their connections were not well developed at all.

Worth considering.

J