When I used to be with Daniel, his emails never bothered me. He would tell me that a lot of his clients were terrible at following his crystal clear guidelines with regards to agency protocol, booking out, and making auditions.

The individuals who are not behaving professionally should be addressed individually, not the entire roster of clients. I'm not the only person who was with Daniel to complain about the constant email spankings. It is silly.

quote:

I think a lot of new actors forget that they're competing with seasoned professional actors in Los Angeles. It's hard to compete on a professional level if you're submitting subpar headshots and you know nothing about sub-text or camera techniques.

Headshotsonly, I took a look at your portfolio and have a question. Do you use the landscape orientation only in your online portfolio? Landscape rarely works in the thumbnail world of online submissions. The off center landscapes look great on the versions we hand out. Also, the head tilts look almost sideways if you crop those to portrait. Are you clients or their agents using those to submit online?

I just got called in by Greene & Assoc. too. Whoop whoop! Apparently it takes a couple months to hear back sometimes. So if anyone sends out headshots to agencies, don't get discouraged if you don't hear back right away; you may still get a call.

Happens all the time, you send out submissions and get nothing back. You just have to keep at it. Timing can be everything.

And a more commercial headshot too, but that's bee covered.

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Originally posted by TRUTHTELLER59:
When I used to be with Daniel, his emails never bothered me. He would tell me that a lot of his clients were terrible at following his crystal clear guidelines with regards to agency protocol, booking out, and making auditions.

Hi TT and Mikebee,

DPM question for you: I joined DPM like 5 years ago, and although I was SAG, his contract stipulated a 20% commission. When I asked him about this at our initial meeting, he told me that "waiters get a 20% tip, why shouldn't I receive that rate if I do a good job for my clients"? It was hard to argue with that at the time. I was sent out, and I appreciated his professional manner.

I moved away from LA for a few years, but am now getting back into the LA game. Wondered if Daniel is still charging 20%, even for union work?

Also, has anyone heard of Avant Artists? I have heard very positive things from friends with them. If offered rep with them, do u think I should sign ATB with them, or go back to DPM commercially and the rest with Avant?

Thanks very much for your input!

What?! He used to take 20%?! He takes 15% because he's neither with SAG/AFTRA nor ATA so 15% is legal in the eyes of the state labor department.

Haven't heard anything stellar about Avant, but nothing negative about them.

Daniel takes 15% now, not 20%.

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Originally posted by amo37:
Good luck with DPM is right. I gave them a chance, but besides only getting 5 auditions in a year with them, every week all clients were sent scathing emails about being professional, etc. etc. I felt like I was 5 years old.

I hope your experience is better than mine.
Of course, I was told it was my headshots, yet continued to get called in on my own.

I liked Daniel, but didn't appreciate the way he treated his clients. Just my two cents.

This is my experience. I've been with him for a few months now and haven't heard anything. He tells me it's my headshots (and it might be, I'm trying to save the money to get new ones), but a friend of mine who is also with him was told that his headshots were perfect... and he hasn't gone out either.

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Originally posted by Scoobings:

quote:

Originally posted by amo37:
Good luck with DPM is right. I gave them a chance, but besides only getting 5 auditions in a year with them, every week all clients were sent scathing emails about being professional, etc. etc. I felt like I was 5 years old.

I hope your experience is better than mine.
Of course, I was told it was my headshots, yet continued to get called in on my own.

I liked Daniel, but didn't appreciate the way he treated his clients. Just my two cents.

This is my experience. I've been with him for a few months now and haven't heard anything. He tells me it's my headshots (and it might be, I'm trying to save the money to get new ones), but a friend of mine who is also with him was told that his headshots were perfect... and he hasn't gone out either.

TT & Scoobings, thank you very much for your input and thoughts. I really appreciate it!

Let us know how the meeting goes.

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Originally posted by Huluforme:
I joined DPM like 5 years ago, and although I was SAG, his contract stipulated a 20% commission. When I asked him about this at our initial meeting, he told me that "waiters get a 20% tip, why shouldn't I receive that rate if I do a good job for my clients"? It was hard to argue with that at the time.

Very easy to argue with that: "You're not a waiter, you're an agent. Agents don't get tips, they get commission. Commission is typically 10%."

Argument done.

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Originally posted by thesper:

quote:

Originally posted by Huluforme:
I joined DPM like 5 years ago, and although I was SAG, his contract stipulated a 20% commission. When I asked him about this at our initial meeting, he told me that "waiters get a 20% tip, why shouldn't I receive that rate if I do a good job for my clients"? It was hard to argue with that at the time.

Very easy to argue with that: "You're not a waiter, you're an agent. Agents don't get tips, they get commission. Commission is typically 10%."

Argument done.

Exactly. There's also a lot of crappy waiters who don't deserve tips.

Not sure what he did five years ago, but he does not take 20%. It's 15%.

PS I already booked my first commercial with him. Woo-hoo!

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Originally posted by mikebee:
Not sure what he did five years ago, but he does not take 20%. It's 15%.

PS I already booked my first commercial with him. Woo-hoo!

Good to know! And congrats (albiet a late one)!