How to Get an Agent
To get an agent, you need to have your own capacity to act or exert power. Stand up for yourself. Focus on professional headshots, demo reels, biographies, websites. Interview with a Talent Agency. Ask questions you should about your prospective talent agent. While it’ll take hard work, it’s possible to build your acting career without an agent. Unite with casting directors. Contact performance unions such as SAG-AFTRA. Know what an agent or manager does. They connect actors with opportunities. You want to learn how to find an agent to help advance your career. Agents get their clients paid.
Understanding Agents and Managers
The differences between an agent and manager are not simple. Understand what agents do and what "tools" you need to be hireable on television. There are three ways of landing a TV lit agent: Through connections and relationships, by getting yourself a job, and by creating a property with value. Here’s how not to get an agent: It’s as tough as selling a manuscript yourself. Improve your chances of success. Make your query stand out with decent headshots and know exactly what they’re doing.
Importance of Talent Agency Fees and Contracts
Any acting agency takes roughly 10% to 20% of a client’s gross earnings as compensation for each job they book from an audition they sent you to (10% if you’re a union actor; up to to 20% if you are not Union). Is it hard to get a talent agent? In short, yes. In fact, if you’re aiming high and sitting at home with no professional credits, no formal training, and limited acting experience, it’s nearly impossible.
Additional Advice for Working with Agencies
We’ll focus on how to get an agent, how to work with talent agents from some of the best acting agencies in this business and how can you as an actor move your career forward with making connections while you’re still about to finally sign that contract.
As an agency, we receive many representation requests and in the midst of hundreds of emails, it’s important to make yours stand out! We’ve put together a list of things to know before applying to an agency:
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Have decent headshots. Your headshots are your first introduction to agents and casting directors, so you should invest wisely! Go to a professional headshot photographer who specializes in working with actors.
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They may cost slightly more than your mum/uncle/cousin’s friend with a Canon 700D in your back yard, but they know exactly what they’re doing, and what will help you get noticed.