More Recent Grad Issues: Gifts

College Majors Musical Theater Major
21

<p>My son had an agent as a teen (not high level though) and she strongly advised him to send out handwritten thank you notes to the casting agency every time they saw him. (I don’t think gifts are necessary at all personally.) She said everytime you see them, you personally thank them for the opportunity to be seen whether or not you’re cast. This keeps you in their mind both as a) a pleasant professional person to work with and b) just keeps you in their mind. She also strongly suggested seasonal greetings as well as cards letting them know you’re in a show whether or not you’re cast (these can be pre-made postcards with your headshot, and a brief note saying you’re thrilled to share you’re in x show on y date). </p>

<p>As far as the agent herself, yes, especially when you’re lower down in the tier, it is important to send holiday cards, and notes too. I don’t think gifts are necessary or even appropriate, especially since our actors will be poor. A handwritten note or card however is always appreciated–as with casting, you’d do one for any holiday, and also send one for a show you’ve been cast in whether or not the agent had anything to do with it; just express gratitude. This keeps you on her/his radar and again, makes you a professional/pleasant person to work with, which is absolutely essential in this business (all businesses!).</p>

<p>If you have advanced to a high level agent and have a lot of visibility (for instance, Soozie’s D), I don’t think it’s necessary to send out postcards letting them know you’re doing x show on y date if the show itself has a lot of publicity - but I still think thank you notes and holiday cards are gracious, inexpensive and cannot possibly hurt.</p>

1 Like
22

<p>FYI, here’s recent advice from casting people about thank you notes and gifts. This is from a timely article in Backstage: </p>

<p>“What do casting folks think? “Thank-you notes are good business,” says casting director Gwen Hillier, “especially if they’re on your photo postcard. I don’t think a gift is necessary—Starbucks cards are sometimes included and certainly appreciated but don’t necessarily remind me of the actor.” “I think gifts should be discouraged,” casting director G. Charles Wright says, “but I do appreciate a thank-you note. It’s my experience that the actors that are coming up and making a name for themselves are usually the ones who send gifts or cards. More-established actors, working career actors, very rarely, if ever, do.” Another casting director reluctantly concedes that while she’d never expect gifts—like the mug and mousepad on her desk—they do make her think of the actors who sent them and might even remind her to call them in, if she likes their work.” Full article: <a href=“http://www.backstage.com/advice-for-actors/the-working-actor/when-should-actors-write-thank-you-notes/”>http://www.backstage.com/advice-for-actors/the-working-actor/when-should-actors-write-thank-you-notes/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;