Sooooo, start of a new year. New Year’s Eve was spent with great friends as usual in a place in the middle of deepest, darkest Wiltshire. Always good fun and I do look forward to it.
On the 6 January, as I sat in front of my computer visualising what an amazing year I am going to have, an email from my agent popped into my inbox starting with “We would like to take this opportunity to wish you a happy New Year.” Good stuff I thought, an email setting out how we would work together for the year.
But no.
They decided to dissolve their agency and work on the production side of the business. Damn, start of a new year and an agency hunt again. No matter, onwards and upwards. I wish my former agent all the best though as I know they have been putting a lot of their creative juices into the production side of the business and it seems to be doing very well for them.
Writing to agents began in earnest. I set a target of researching and writing to three agents a day to make sure they are all tailored and fresh emails, rather than copied-and-pasted responses. A week later on 13 January I got my first hit, an agent who wanted to have a meeting in London the following Monday. Good stuff!
Later that same week, my visa lawyer contacted me, after many discussions regarding sponsorship for my US visa and spoke to me about a US agent I had approached very late last year. Apparently she had heard good things about me, loved my showreel, saying it was very strong (Thanks Raine at Reel King) and wanted a Skype meeting, so I set one up for later that week. On Friday 17th I had a call with the USA agent who has agreed to sponsor me for the full three year visa! Incredible start to the year.
Oh yes, during that week I also landed a great role in a horror feature film too, which was nice.
Go me! *waves flag and toots one of those odd whistles that unfurls the rolled up paper when you blow it*
Damien Gerard 