I've just been approached by BTM and despite them having clients on their books and some testimonials here on CCP, I'm not entirely convinced about them.
Two questions come up:
- Why don't they have a website?
- Why don't they have a business email address instead of a Gmail one?
They also say I can be with another agent as long as I let them know about jobs I'm put forward for. Can anyone vouch for them or conversely, advise I ignore them? It isn't quite sitting right with me!
Strange, the rest of my message didn't get posted. Thank you for searching for me, I was generally advised by other actor friends on FB to stay away too. There are far better agents out there!
I'm with Birdston Management. They are very nice guys and got me a couple of jobs:a commercial for Heineken and a major music video directed by Dawn Shadforth who did all of Kylie Minogue's videos. Also work on the new Justice League movie. And other auditions as well . They're not top dogs but they're hardworking and Sean is an honest guy. Depends what you're looking for. If you want really high end jobs they're not quite there, but they're building a reputation. you should ask the others represented by them. All the best, Seb
I am also repped by them and I can safely say they are the best agent I have been with, been with some good ones too. Sean works very hard for you, he has got me virtually an audition every week since I started with them in April. He is reliable, hard working and has got me through some great doors. He only started up a year ago after working in casting. He knows people. I trust him 100%. Just filmed this weekend and like Sebastian said he is not high end but they are building a good rep. Check their stuff out on CCP. Also not all good agents have websites.
He works off Spotlight, CCP and other sites as well as direct to the casting directors, hope that helps.
I'm also with BTM and having been a professional actor for over 20 years it's one of the best agents I've been with. Sean has got me a commercial for The Prince's Trust and many castings. I'm very impressed with them. Mark Shaer
Hi Jennifer, I'm with Birdston Talent Management too and I'm happy to vouch for them - I've been put forward for lots of jobs, some that have stretched my skills. I've been featured in a Sainsbury's TV commercial that aired in May, and had a role in an school internal film via BTM. Recently I've had a number of really varied auditions - one for a major feature film. Sean at BTM is works really hard and is a very easy person to get on with. Don't be put off by the gmail email address or the lack of a company website at present.
Ken
In an industry filled with rejection , it actually makes a nice change to receive a message welcoming you in ! A few months ago I received an invite to join them , but was a bit concerned that there was no website for me to view. And nowadays your online presence is quite important . I wonder has anybody else recently joined . I mean since the original posting .It would be nice to get to hear from anybody else who has benefited from the move to Birdston . How are people getting on now with this agency ? Id really like to know , as im considering giving them a chance . My one lingering concern apart the online presence , is how does an agent who never meets a London client , get to build a relationship with them . Surely you need to sit down with someone at the beginning to talk about strengths and weaknesses .Where you would like to see yourself in the coming year etc ?
I decided to give them the benefit of the doubt and respond to them about a month after they initially contacted me. I was completely ignored so I don't think they'll respond to you if it's been a few months since they contacted you but you never know. I also like to meet someone face to face because you can tell a lot from that as well.
It may sound shallow, but I really do take an agency's website and whether they have a professional email address into consideration as to whether I contact them or not. If agents expect us to have a professional appearance and attitude then so should they because at the end of the day, they're making money from us.
All we can do is keep plugging away and hope we will eventually sign with the right agent.
Hi , well I just sent a message to him so will see how it goes . Is he quite good at replying to messages ? Be good to get a reply at least , just to get a feel . Sometimes you can gauge a person or company simply by having a decent phone call .
Hi David, yes generally Sean’s really good at getting back to people. Though as I mentioned he’s off on holiday from today for two weeks so will probably not be checking his mail much. It’s worth following BTM on twitter too for the occassional update. If you check my Mandy profile you can see some of the recent job’s BTM have found for me.
I'm currently with BTM myself. He approached me saying really flattering things about my showreel, headshots etc... and offered to represent me. I gave Sean the benefit of the doubt too after reading reviews and googling the company. I was (and still am) wary of the fact he doesn't have a proper established website or a business email address and since joining, Sean hasn't contacted me.
I expected to receive some updates now and again to say what jobs he's put me forward for or to check in with me to see if I have any work booked. I've always been the one to contact him. I've offered to speak to him on the phone or another means (even to have a meeting in person), but always says he's too busy and will do at some point but not just now.
At this moment in time, I am considering in terminating my association with BTM as there are a lot of warning signs and I'm not happy with the way things have gone. I only found out about his holiday on Twitter as well; out of consideration he could of sent a group email to everyone maybe to say he won't be available for certain dates. To me it comes across not very professional at all.
Even though it does sound like a negative review, I have emailed Sean again recently just to see where I stand and I will make my decision from there.
As you've probably realised, I'm not with BTM so I can't comment regarding how Sean operates but he now has a site (too little too late for me but that's cool).
If I were you, I'd definitely look elsewhere as he doesn't seem bothered about really being in your corner particularly as you're making all the effort. I get that agents are busy but I mean, come on. No one is *that* busy especially when it's your client who could potentially make you money.
You've had warning signs and his Twitter holiday announcement is just another nail in the coffin. Sorry, but that's totally unprofessional - how are you supposed to know where you stand or make plans in advance?
I don't mean for this to be a personal attack at all, I don't know him but am just pointing out what is pretty obvious regarding his approach (or not, as is the case for you). If you're not getting seen at all and always chasing him then run!
I'm with BTM and have also been with a known agent before. My experience with BTM has been positive and I have found Sean to be a pro active agent on my behalf. He always reply's to my emails or text and is very good at getting you paid on time. I like the fact that I can seek work outside of BTM and Sean is only to happy to hear about my progress. I feel that we are building a relationship that is beneficial to both parties.
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