Up-front fee proposals are a ‘fudge’, say unions

Published Tuesday 27 February 2007 at 13:30 by Nuala Calvi

Proposals to outlaw the taking of up-front fees on the day at casting events fall “far short” of the action necessary to protect artists from unscrupulous agents, according to unions. The Department of Trade and Industry is consulting on the measures as part of plans to protect vulnerable agency workers, which also include setting out more stringent rules, covering fees charged for inclusion in casting books or directories.

Equity and Bectu say the proposals do not take on board their call for an outright ban on agencies taking fees before finding artists work, instead suggesting a “cooling off” period, during which people could ask for their money back.

Equity councillor and up-front fees campaigner Clive Hurst said: “This is yet another DTI fudge - it doesn’t do anything. The fact they won’t be able to take fees on the day makes no difference - people will still pay the money, they’ll just be giving a post-dated cheque.

“What we need is a total up-front fees ban. We all know that legitimate agencies don’t charge up-front.”

Bectu’s national official Spencer MacDonald said he was pleased the DTI was taking the problem seriously by holding the consultation. But he warned that just listing the costs that agents could legitimately pass on to artists, such as photography, printing or distribution costs for casting books, would not prevent abuses from happening.

“This will still leave it wide open for people to make up the sums,” he said. “It doesn’t go nearly as far as we wanted it to.

“They’re also saying there will be a cooling off period, but we say that doesn’t work. Maybe it works for people buying double glazing, but an agency is supposed to get you work, and you’re not likely to get anything in a week so there’s no way of assessing what you have paid for.”

However, a DTI spokesman said a seven day cooling off period would allow people to reconsider their decision without pressure from agencies using hard-sell tactics.

Giving people a list of “reasonable charges” would force agencies to be more transparent and limit the amount they could charge for book fees, he added.

The DTI believes a total ban on up-front fees would put an unnecessary burden on legitimate agencies.

As well as the consultation, it has published advice for would-be entertainers and models to help them decide whether or not an agency is genuine.

Employment minister Jim Fitzpatrick said: “Most agencies are reputable and will tell you that the entertainment industry is tough to break into. Beware of anyone who promises to make you a star overnight. If it looks too good to be true, then it probably is.”

The extent of the problem of up-front fees was revealed last year by a Stage survey that showed three quarters of those paying money to agents received no work in the following 12 months.

DTI’s ‘Top Tips’

• Never sign anything on the day
• Ask what percentage of clients are in regular work
• Beware of adverts claiming to hire for popular TV shows
• Watch out for agencies telling you you’re “just what we are looking for”
• Reputable agencies will tell you only a small number of people have what it takes to succeed