Hey - Agent, I Got Your Money...

Paycheck from my last commercial - yay.  But still no copy from my second-to-last spot, shot way back in the spring.  Ugh.  I'm sick of emailing these people; they have broken me down.  I want to give up... and yet... the realization that they have broken me down only makes me want to harass them even more: 

"Hi!  Remember me?  I shot a commercial with you last spring, it was for xyz shot on blah blah with so-and-so as the director!  I would like to get a copy of the finished project for me reel!  You can email it to me, or I can come pick it up from your office, or YOU CAN GET BENT FOR BEING COMPLETELY UNRESPONSIVE AND UNACCOMMODATING TO A STRUGGLING ACTOR.  Have a nice day! ;) "

Another seminar last night (details later).  My legit/theatrical agent/CD blast continues apace.  However... well, obviously I am frustrated with the state of my career;  I feel permanently stuck in the commercial world, so I am trying to push the other areas... but now I'm wondering if maybe I should just be marketing myself as a commercial actress.  You know - go with the flow, since for the first time in, like, EVER, I have a rock-solid set of goods I can deliver to an agency:  the ability to consistently book commercials.  And commercials pay pretty damn nice, so it is entirely possible that I could land a good agency, and/or one who would send me out more often.  I mean, I already have 2 nice boutiques on my roster... it's just that they don't call much.  Which means there's still room for one more teddy bear in this bed, at least.

I did meet with an agency a couple weeks ago with a commercial department but when we discussed my career, I explained that I already had a lot of people (admittedly, some currently MIA - but it's summer and what can you expect?) in my corner commercially.  But maybe I should have been like, ""Damn, girl - bring it ON!  I will rock your world, commercially!  CALL ME!!! WOOOOHOO!!!!!"

(Ok, maybe no horns of the devil or drunk-girl "woo-hoo"-ing.)

But, maybe I should keep pushing for bigger and better commercial agents.  Then maybe after we build a relationship, I could climb my way up into their legit files.  That can happen, can't it???

--Susan Atwood

Comments

[Stacey Jackson]

YES! Keep your eye on the prize and any and all opportunities to move up. I believe in loyalty, but if you have the chance to build a relationship and further your career, jump at it girl! With your commercial track record this year, you should be going out for SAG commercials, booking them, and getting in the union--which will be a big boost money wise and career wise. Go for it!

[susan]

Thanks, Stacey ;) I think I will go for it. I don't know why I didn't really think of that option before. I guess maybe it's because none of us really gets into this biz to be a commercial actor... and, as we have all pretty much agreed on here in this blog - it's exhausting sometimes. But, why not try hooking a bigger commercial fish, and see how that changes the game. These bookings are gifts, or - at the very least - tools I can use. So, next month I'll try to hit some big commercial agency seminars.

Also, to sort of build on the idea of using *good* material at seminars: folks should know that you can bring your own commercial copy (if that's what they're using). You're not beholden to using what the networking company provides.