Top Talent Agency workshop

[LIZS]

Has anyone's dc attended an audition workshop for the above? dd has heard about them from a friend but I wondered if it was worthwhile or not, even just for the experience. The workshop seems to be free but should you be "selected" there is an £85 fee for photos and to be included in their books for a year.

I believe the real acting agencies usually charge 0 to have you on their books.

My daughter is attending the audition workshop next month. I have looked into it a lot and have heard good things about them.

That was my belief Richmal but it does say on their website that if you have professional photos already they don't charge. Their credits seem pretty limited though, is it actually an agency or just a casting website.

That's not actually true of children's agencies. Most charge for photos & that seems reasonable.

Also you need to check if the fee includes entry into spotlight. It's the casting bible & many in the industry think its pointless having an agent if you arnt in spotlight as the majority of castings come via them.

I have heard of top talent. Have a lo

Have a look on www. notapushymum. com as there are a few parents on there I think.

Yes quite a lot about Top Talent on notapushymum

They do have quite a lot of kids on their books (although not compared to some) - which can mean your child doesn't get called to many auditions. What sort of work would you be interested in? Agencies aren't always essential to get work.

Thanks , I'll have a nose on napm (would I need to sign up or just lurk?). She loves drama, has done a bit of local musical theatre and dance exams etc. Enthusiastic rather than exceptional imho but am willing to be proved wrong !

You need to sign up to see some of the topics but can lurk as a guest for most of them.

She doesn't need an agent to get professional work. DS2 doesn't have one (we live way out in the sticks, and I don't fancy being told to get to central London for an audition for a commercial with 100's of other people with 24 hours notice!). He's been in West End tours, an actual cast part in a feature film (ie not an extra) and has ongoing voiceover work (and we don't have to give a cut of his wages to an agent). He's even turned down work (a commercial). A lot of agencies seem to send kids either for open auditions or for commercials. A lot of TV companies use particular agents - and they're often fairly exclusive.

Sooooooo my advice would be: know what type of work you want (and whether or not you will need an agent for that work), and have a look at what the kids on the books are up to. Are they appearing in parts that they would have needed an agent for?

An alternative to an agent is something like Kids Casting Call Pro.

As pictures said you would be expected to be in Spotlight (which is think is around £100???) so you have that cost to add to the photos (all fairly standard charges for kids' agencies). I know agencies can work well for some children and families, but they are expensive and once you add in the costs of auditions (and really if an agent puts you forward you have to go) it does all add up.

Thanks , interesting reading, overall positive. Browsed KCCP too and one of the "featured" was someone we know ! How are you kept in the know about professional work without an agent ?

Professional theatre productions are usually open auditions. Well a lot are. If it's a West End tour then the touring theatres often advertise the auditions (they usually have a young company of some sort). If not local weekend stage schools often get told about them & if it's a nationwide tour then somewhere like notapushymum will pick it up. From that you know the casting director and can follow them on social media to see when they're auditioning near you. I follow a few casting directors on Facebook/twitter as well.

DS2's jobs have been found through a mix of open auditions, invited as part of a group to audition (so local stage schools were asked to select some boys for audition), and a friend being asked to suggest some boys for a part (sent in CV, then was asked to meet director).

I think once you have some professional work it's easier to pick up more because they know you'll be reliable and well behaved.

He may audition for another national tour soon - (may not as it's dance which isn't his strong point - it's up to him) - that's open auditions and has been advertised both nationally and locally and I saw it on notapushymum!

For kid's theatre roles it's a real advantage to be small for your age imo - as it means you can play down. There isn't always much time to rehearse for the tours so having an older child play a younger one can be sensible - especially if they have to deliver lines/accents/sing solos (and it's late nights, and quite pressured really - although ds2 never seems to notice the pressure)

My DS has been with Top Talent Agency for a year and they have been fantastic ( and no I don't work for them or have anything to do with the industry!) He averaged about an audition a month - everything from a commercial to a series drama for TV. He hasn't booked a job yet but I can only say brilliant things about the agency. The workshop/audition is really good fun and my son has always enjoyed the experience

Hello have seen this thread on Top Talent Agency and thought I would comment as I know this agency very well! Both my children (ds 12 and dd 10) are with them - have been for 2 years now - and both have performed in the west end (dd was in Les Mis and is rehearsing for a London production now, and ds is just rehearsing now for his 3rd west end show that opens in March). Dd has also done a TV commercial and has been on Eastenders, Call the midwife) and they both absolutely love all of it! I have to declare a further interest now though because since they have been with the agency I have started to work with them on marketing. But I have got to know a lot of agencies since my children have been with TT and I would honestly recommend them. I think it's best to have an agency rather than going it alone - it is worth someone else objectively assessing your child's chances of getting jobs apart from anything else. The auditions are fun and not scary and nothing to prepare - next ones are in Feb for TT. And it is normal for children's agencies to charge a fee for professionally taken photos too. Hope that helps!

WOW so happy with Ignite Performance Academy in Cardiff, I signed my 3 children up with them a week and half ago and not one but all three of them have already attended auditions, would highly recommend!

That's lovely, well done to them. Hope they get some work soon.

Don't quite understand why you have posted your news on a random 2-year-old zombie thread (about a completely different agency in another part of the country) rather than starting a new one, though.

No agency will charge you any joining, Admin fees or any other fees of any kind. They will only take a percentage of your earnings upon your jobs, This is around 15-20% Fees that agencys charge they say are for pictures (They are not) most of the pictures are taken very quickly. You are basically paying to be put on a database that you could do yourself for free online (There are alot of free ones and yes the free ones can connect you to the big companies) If your interested in spotlight you can join for £154 but they do require you to have at least 4 experienced past jobs (commercials, extra work and small parts are not accepted) So these agencies that say you will be on spotlight are lying unless you have this experience. If not then there are alot of free ones where you can apply for jobs (This is what your paying an agency for except you still have to apply for jobs yourself, So your basically paying for nothing) If tour concerned about getting professional pictures, You can always go to colleges and universities and see if theres anyone in photography or entertainment studies who would like to photograph you and in return they get experience and credit for their course and plus they will do it free

I know this is a zombie post but Bunny has posted some incorrect information re Spotlight.

For children you cannot be on Spotlight without an agent - it’s not something you can sign up to yourself (mostly to stop over enthusiastic parents from submitting their children for things which they don’t fit the brief).

Secondly, child membership is £100 a year, not £154.

Thirdly, there is no minimum number of credits before you can join. That’s because they are children and unlikely to have many. It is true that you don’t post credits for local youth theatre work etc on there - just the professional stuff.

It is more than possible to get musical theatre roles without an agent - the main shows have auditions listed on their websites and anyone can apply.

However, IME, my kids agents are amazing and have sent them some really good opportunities (some they got, some they didn’t) BUT the really good stuff does come through Spotlight I’m afraid.

My daughter got through the online application stage, the self-tape round then the final stage was the in-person audition workshop. They had all the kids (around 40) do some fun activities, improvisation then made them one by one perform a short monologue that was sent to them beforehand. She didn't manage to get in to the audition but she enjoyed the workshop and was a great learning experience as it was quite pressuring. She is now signed with another agency. The costs of joining an agency should cost nothing but with every agency, you need a set of headshots and spotlight. It's how you get auditions and castings in the first place. Headshots cost around £100-400 so it is quite pricy but for child actors, you have to get new headshots every year. Spotlight is a casting directory that costs £106 a year. Apart from that, they shouldn't make you pay anything else. Of course, paying for weekly classes for your child like Stagecoach will be good.