Episode 13 / Melanie Gayle, Founder of Melanie Gayle Talent
/by Roj Whitelock
London-based photographer and HSM Associate Member
Melanie Gayle, Founder of Melanie Gayle Talent, talks openly about starting an agency, an ever-changing entertainment industry, inclusivity, self-tape success and offers some insightful advice for actors at every level.
Note: View on YouTube for captions.
"Deliver your best. Some people deliver tapes I think just to hit it. But is it your best? If it's not your best, maybe don't do it, because when you send it to me or to a CD, that's what they're going to remember. So, you must always present your best work."
Melanie Gayle
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From Ten To A Whole Lot More
Okay. Well, my name is Melanie Gayle from Melanie Gayle Talent. I set up in August 2018 and I'm actually an actor agent. So, I set up back then while I was on my journey meeting other actors, young and old, very diverse actors that needed some help and experience. And so my plan was to set up, have 10 clients and try and follow my dream and help them achieve theirs as well. But it just got way bigger. They say you build it and they come and they did. So it was needed. There was a gap in the market at the time.
Real People. Real Talent.
Yeah. Diversity, inclusivity, but it was like that real talent. It was a time everything was real. And I'm local. I come from the Brent. I've always been in community work and close to the youth and stuff like that. So I saw that they wanted kids with cane rows or dreadlocks or that cool looking kid, you know, that Nike London kind of look and then I knew them and then they're over there saying, "Mel, I need an agent. I need Spotlight. How can I get in? How can I help?" So it was just like connecting the dots. So bringing them in and then just getting them the opportunities. Yeah, that's how it happened.
Keep On Growing
Now, as I say, when I did this, I was acting, I was on my own journey, but I saw others that had a dream as well. And it's like, how can I help them get there? And I genuinely do like to help, as you did say. So it's very important that, you know, you have an agent that has your back, that's in the corner for you. I help them anywhere I can. I check every self tape. So again, I don't just get the talent. I get them in. I'm like, what's your dream? What do you want to achieve? How can we get there? Do they need to do a training course? If they want to do voiceovers, do they need to get a sound reel? If they want to do stunts and actually like what is their direction and how we're going to get them there. So each of my clients are unique. You can't have the same plan for all. So I take each one on an individual basis and work with them to achieve their goals. So you have to help. It's teamwork. It's teamwork because if you just take - I mean it's all growth. We grow as well. So there's some I've had from when they were 18 then 25. So I've seen them grow from their first job, you know, from walk on to the hero, the lead to maybe auditioning for EastEnders, Hollyoaks etc. So I've seen the growth. And that's what it's about - growing. We're not always on a book, but it's about growing. So I help as much as I can to help them achieve the goals or that's what's the point of me just being an agent? It's not just giving them here's the tape, do it. How are we going to book it? How are we going to get it? How do we tick that box and get them on to the next goal. You know, it's like a ladder. Yeah, it's a ladder. As I said, like I did it myself. So, back then, you know, StarNow, we got the levels, you know, your extras, casting collective universal extras level. Then you go the next up, maybe Mandy, StarNow, Backstage. Next would be your Spotlight, your agent, you know, and then progression, then the self-tapes, then booking. Well, actually self-tapes, auditions, recalls, pencils. That's the next step in the process that lead to bookings. Actually pencils, heavy pencils and then bookings. And then again as I say, you might start small. You might do walk-on rolls. You might not just start and get a Netflix role straight away. Some do, you know, as I said, everybody's journey is different, but the path could be smaller roles leading to the bigger roles or you might get lucky, be a graduate, and go straight into Harry Potter or something like that. But for me as an agent, watching every tape, I see growth. And that's the key for me. As long as we're not going backwards or we're just staying stagnant the same. It's not always about booking. I know my talent, they worry a lot when they don't book. It's very hard. It's very competitive and we can submit a lot of tapes before you might book. So my worry as well is that my clients don't get stressed and because they seem to think that oh they don't want to let down the team. We've got a lot of team MGT spirit at my agency and they want to be on the Instagram when they see everybody else booking. But it's encouraging for them you know they want to do it as well. But I tell them, don't worry about those. Focus on your own self and keep on going. And I've got guys that booked on their first job, which is a first. A guy joined in December, sent one tape, he's filming in March. I've got clients that joined, did three tapes and booked from two. I've got clients that taped the whole of last year and didn't book anything, but yet they booked already in Jan. So, they've already had to change. So, no year is the same, but you've got to keep on going and persevere. And I just think key for actors, patience. I've got a guy that did a job today. He booked it. Well, he auditioned for it in April 25. He had a recall in May 25. Then I heard nothing until December when they wanted to pencil him and he got confirmed yesterday and recorded today. So how long is that? So again, people could have left. You know, a lot of things can happen in that time, right? But he still hanged in there. He was still patient. He just didn't go away. So he's over the moon and they think he's on three bookings at the moment. But then there's some people that had none last year. So you just you can't even just watch that guy and think, "Oh, I want to get three like him." That's what happens for him. It could be quiet the next few months and then it might be good for you or the other person. So I just tell the actors, focus on yourself. Focus on improving yourself step by step and that progression. But again, don't worry if you're not booking. Like I'm not going to let them go. They worry like I didn't book all the other guys. It's not it's not like that. Just stay in your lane is the key. Stay in your lane and just grow and additional skills as well. A lot of skills help along the way from boxing, rapping, dancing or whatever. Presenting skills, even content creation these days can all help to get you in that room and book a job on top of training and just acting.
An Industry In Flux
As I say, for me when I came at 2018, I think for me I was new. So you had to change. The first couple of years I was just getting the rhythm. We're just growing. Then we had lockdown. Then it's like who knows what's going to happen. But because I was new, I've never had a problem adapting to change. I think if you were agents from back in the days, 20-25 years, all these changes might be a lot, you know, but my background, I'm quite into technology and stuff. I'm quite up to date with all the stuff that's happening. And so a change from 2018 to 2020 is not a lot for me because I'm new. And as I say, what I might say today in June or July, I could say something different because it's changing at a different pace. So I think key for myself and actors out there, keep yourself up to date. You must be knowledgeable about what's happening in the industry because it's forever changing. So in lockdown all the problems you had, studios closed, the writer strikes, AI, there's so many things happening that actors might sit down and just think, "Oh, I haven't had an audition. It's quiet for me. Why? Let me get a new headshot. Let me.." No. Look at what's happening. Is it quiet for others? Is it just you or is it the whole sector? So before we get disheartened and think I'm not doing well, you must know, you know, if you go for any job, you research it. Know your sector. I think we need to be more up to date with that. And as an agent, I have to do that. So I try and pass back stuff that I can to my clients. But as I say, what I'm saying now could change. Self tapes, the speed of stuff. So again, you could be the best actor in the world. You can perform on stage, but if you can't capture it on that tape and hit that deadline, you're not going to be working. And deadlines are really quick. I could get requests today, tomorrow at 9:00, to tomorrow at 3:00. And constantly, I'm sorry for the quick turn around. But my talent are very hungry. They do it. So we're booking a lot of jobs, but it's very last minute. So again, people want to work, but they're stuck in "Oh, I was at work today, Mel. By the time I got in no I couldn't..." Do you want to do it or not? Because somebody else is going to get that same opportunity and do it. So I'm not saying we should work under pressure and stuff like that but that's how it is. So, again even just the working rate is very fast.
You Are What You Show
You got to be in it to win it. And deliver your best. Some people deliver tapes I think just to hit it. Is it your best? IIf it's not your best, maybe don't do it because when you send it to me or to a CD, that's what they're going to remember. So, you always present your best work. So, a self tape coming in at 3:00 in the morning for 9:00 and I can see you're tired. The CD is going to see it. Is that your best work? Maybe tell me, can I get an extension? So, I'm saying it is not worth just hitting it. We want to book it. I think that's another thing as well. You got to do your best foot forward. One last thing I'll say. Recently I had a client. She was good - I checked the tapes and that she was the same kind of standard consistently, but she had a self tape for a big show on an NDA. Huge show. The self-tape she sent me was out of this world. It's the best work I'd ever seen of this girl. Like I can only push you as far as what I think you can do. So she was just staying like this and I thought that's all she had. But when it was her favorite show, the tape was amazing. I said, "I didn't even know she had this." But now I've seen this. She can't go back. So I said to her, "Wow, you really stepped it up. Like did what happened?" And she said, "Oh, I love that show. You know, I love that show. So I really worked hard on it." I said, "That's great, but you need to do that for every single tape." Yeah. Every tape. Because sometimes shows are on the code names, so you don't even know it's your favorite show or whatever, but you're going to just do average. I said to her, whatever you do again, you got to do all of that for every job, not just for your favorite CD, Nina Gold, or your favorite show, Bridgerton or whatever. Every tape must have that standard because again, if you don't book that role, they might keep you for something else or another part in that show or something in the future. But if it's not even good anyway, they're not going to come back to you. Yeah. So, yeah, that's just something I've just noticed. Don't just do your favorite show. Like, just always do your best. Always present your best or don't present it. That's what I think. Just leave it if if it's not your best work. That's what people remember again with accents. If your accent's not good and they say flawless and I'm like, "Hey y'all, it's Melanie Gayle y'all" And you send that in, three months time you come up again American, they're going to be like, "No, we just heard it." So again, if American's good, but they say they want flawless or native, maybe don't even do it. Get it flawless and then present yourself. It's not a rush. It's not a rush.
A Role For Everyone
I mean, back in the days it was BAME. Remember you had BAME, which is Black Asian Minority Ethnicity. Then POC, then there's BIPOC, there diversity, inclusion. Basically, at Mel's Got Talent I represent all. It's just diverse, it's all talent, old and young. Not just black or brown, but European. I have Iranian clients. I have Bulgarian, Hungarian, I have clients at 76. I have clients that are 19. People with ADHD, you know, disabilities. It's everything. It's diverse and inclusive is all. So again, I don't want to specialize in any one niche area. I'm here for the talent of all. So diverse talent of colors, ages, races, European, international, English, Irish. I don't want to just be just a diverse agent, but diverse talent come to me because they see my clients and having such you can come and get Chinese, Asian, you can get everybody here. Um I have all and I think that's what make people feel comfortable. And as an agent, I'm really happy that I can work with people of all races, ages, ethnicities, cultural backgrounds, but most importantly, we have the same dream. We have talent. We're hungry and we're passionate people. That's what all brings us together. And on a team night out, I just love how some clients have never met each other - they're all different - but if you see them together after 10 minutes, you'd never believe they haven't met, you know? So again, it's not, it's just we're all like-minded people. We're different in whatever ways we are, but I like to showcase all people. So, diversity and inclusivity is everybody. Yeah. It's not a limit. I'm not just BAME or POC. Everybody. So, totally inclusive.
Celebrating Individuality
Yeah. It's it's constant changes, I think. So, when I started it was, as I say, that cool night London look, the guys, the people around me, maybe BAME - they were pushing that word. But then it does go in phases. So then I had the first couple of years a lot of my 18 to 25 year old cool guys and BAME they were working a lot but then there would be another phase maybe they rolled out Chinese Asian so it seems to go in different stages not all at once - it's a stage so they went Chinese Asian then maybe Latin Mediterranean, Eritrean, Somalian - I have to have all because the demand comes up so I when I see the jobs coming up I have to identify wow I need these actors to fill all these briefs. So then it was East African then even diverse like freckles, duck teeth - you know uniqueness, differences, something that make you stand out. So again, I always say to my talent, you have your own USP. You got to bring that to your tape, to the roles, a bit of yourself. Keep it moving like a football team. You get new players for what's currently happening. And and that's why it can go quiet for some because maybe they're not casting that right now. Maybe summer time they might be more sporty. Maybe now it's this. So it's swings and roundabouts. So no client can have the same journey. Even if you're the same, even if I got two black guys, one might speak French, one might have a Jamaican accent, one might be African, there's different stuff. So I have a wide mix of people, but for me it's the skill set.
I think the industry will have to keep on changing all the time to accommodate all because everybody needs representation on screen. So it's just hard to do it all at once, it seems, you know, to put all everybody of difference on the TV at the time. So it seems to be in phases. But everybody on my books, there's somebody's always working on my team because they are so different. So, whatever phase they're in, I have someone there. Since when I started, it was that diversity push. It was all diversity, diversity. And I just think it's going to continue because you can't go back on it. But you can't - we have to have - all I'm saying you need everybody. So, you can't just focus on that. So I have to have everybody, as I say, all ages, but it's going to be more about the stories, what's being written. So again, if there's a lot of Iranian stuff, then that's where my guys are going to be strong. If they want this American or these Tom Cruise Hollywood films, then the American accents going to come in. But then if it's period drama, then it might be time for the English RP and stuff like that. So again, the work's going to go with whatever's being booked and commissioned and then what they write. But again even the writers and the work being commissioned will say put diverse people in - even in wheelchair - you see on TV deaf, wheelchairs, everything, blind - they have to include everybody so I think at first it was mainly color but then it's just rolled out for everyone. It has to be more than just color.
On Self-Tapes
There is something for everyone and in my agency sometimes clients four or five could tape for the same role so I know that you can't all book it. When I check the tape , I'm just checking. Did they hit the brief? Did they put the ident at the end? Is it labeled right? Is it this and that? Did they - can I read it without looking at the paperwork? So, I always watch the tapes first, kind of gauge what's going on and then just check it on the paper. But if I do get four or five tapes for the same role, they're not the same. That's what I mean. Every actor, we're all going to have the same dialogue. We can all act and be trained and that, but what makes someone book it? Maybe you did something the director didn't see, you know? Maybe it's just your take on it. So again, I can never say to any of these guys, "Oh, I don't, you know, I never know who's going to bought, but it's good." And so it's going to, if it's down to the final two or three, it's not just your tape. It's going to be something special, something that you did. Maybe you did it exactly as a director visioned. Maybe you look exactly as a director looked, you know, the personality, the vibe. And then you also need to remember chemistry. If you're being paired with people, so a lot of times when clients don't get jobs, they always think, "Oh, what can I do to get my tape better? It's not about that. You may have been fantastic. You were presented in the final four, but maybe those two worked better together. Maybe the producer worked with them. The final decision making, it's not really about your tape. As I say, if you're in the final two, three or four, you did well, but it's going to go down to the showrunner's favorite. Everybody's going to have their favorite. On commercials, the client's going to have the last say. So, the casting director might love you, the director might love you, and the client says, "Oh, don't they look great together?" That's it. they're paying the bills. So, don't ever feel disheartened. And when they come back, as I said, I've worked with the same CDs from 2018 to date and they come back. When they come back for you, you know you didn't do anything wrong. The CDs want to book you just as much as as I want to see you get booked. And they like you. They want they champion you, you know, but there's only one role sometimes. So, as I say, when it comes to the final decision making, it's out of our hands. But it could just be something special that you did, the way you played it. So, when it comes to taping, if it's a small scene, I always say do two or three takes. Always give them what they want on the paper, you know, maybe channel it a bit more because when you go in the audition room, you never do one take. They always give you a note. Yeah. So, why I'm not going to get a self tape for something huge and just do one take, 30 seconds. I want to try and get the best time. So, I'd always give them what's on the paper. Then I try and do it like as if they gave me a note. Try and do it differently. But I always do a third one which is like a wildcard which is just me, right? So nobody else could ever have that take and that might be what swings it. And remember you still get second chances. You just want to get to the next stage. So sometime you stay safe and just do that one. Okay, that done but someone else might do a bit more. You have to be aware of competition. There's other people there. So if you're taping and taping and it's not happening, you need to think, you know, what am I doing wrong? What can I do differently? So, I always think put yourself on it. Stay safe, the first one, get the lines right. I'm an improv person. I'm always doing improv. So, I stay safe, give them what's on the paper, take it a bit higher, the second one, and I'll just go wild. Unique take. And that could be the key to booking.
Belief, Knowledge and Patience
I think belief, you know, you have to really believe because if you believe, you're not going to be on a time limit. So it might take, as I say, 12 months, 18 months, a year. But if you don't believe, you're going to give up. You're going to go back to the day job or something's going to distract you. When you believe, you have that hope that it's going to come. A lot of people might quit today. Mel, I'm going to take 6 months out. But maybe tomorrow was that chance. You know, some people tell me, well, it's January. I've got the whole month off now. I'm ready. But I don't know if it's going to happen in January. You need to be ready always. So, it's survival of the fittest and all that. You have to be in it to win it as you say but I think believe in yourself that it's going to happen - without that belief it's very easy to give up, people whispering in your ears when you going to be on EastEnders or right those type of things will put you off your path but if you really believe and you're aware of the industry, have knowledge...I'll give you three tips. So have belief in yourself, be knowledgeable about the industry so then you know if it's quiet all around and it's not just you and then patience. It's not going to happen overnight and a lot of people are always watching the other person. Oh, Mel did three jobs. What about me? Don't - clap that person. Celebrate that person. But no, that could be you. You have the opportunity to do what that person's doing. So, celebrate the others, but don't think, oh, compare yourself to that. Nobody's journey in this industry will ever be the same. So, focus on your own and then believe that it will happen. I think that's the key. And enjoy it. I think actors, it's very hard. It's competitive. my hair goes gray sometimes, but enjoy it along the way. I think it gets a lot of stress. You know, I do tapes myself. I love taping, but I know some people don't. If you have the psychology that, oh, another tape, it's just already you already put that on your tape. Enjoy it. Go for it. Learn from each tape, learn from each progression, and just take your time with it. It's not a race. It's not a race.
