How to Get and Keep an Agent or a Manager

So a very common question I am asked by parents and young actors is how do I get an agent or manager. Now, most of the time they aren’t even sure of the roles they play so I’d like to start with that.

WHAT IS AN AGENT?

Basically, a talent agent in New York or California is licensed by the state and their job is to solicit employment for their clients. Kind of like a temp agency if you will. They are franchised by the union and are generally limited to taking a 10% commission on money earned from employment. Agents can have a small or large number of clients. Their job is to get an actor into an audition and secure a job as well as negotiate contracts to get the most money they can for their clients. They normally sign a client to a one year contract. Some states are called “right to work” states and those agents will not have a union affiliation and they can take more than 10% if they desire so you’re going to want to make sure that you are clear about that.

WHAT IS A MANAGER?

A manager sees the big picture while cultivating a career. They develop talent.

Managers counsel, advise and provide career direction and guidance. They generally have fewer clients than an agent, which enables them to give more personalized attention to their clients such as working on your image, making sure you are audition and camera ready, finding classes for you, pitching you to agencies and producers, recommending photographers, and believing in you when nobody else does. They are in it for the long haul. They are INVESTING in your career. Managers take anywhere from a 10 to 20% commission. They are not bound by a union so they can do this. They usually sign a client to a three-year contract. I know that sounds like a lot, but it really takes a long time to develop and cultivate a career.  A benefit to working with a manager is that while a client is signed with them, they can freelance with several agents, and then have access to more auditions. An actor can also have a manager and work exclusively with one agent.

HOW DO I GET AN AGENT OR MANAGER?

Now that you know some differences between an agent or a manager I’m sure you want to know how to get one.

Agents and managers are always there. They’re the next step to moving a career forward but MAKE SURE  your child is ready.

Once you believe your child is ready for the next step, here are some ways to find the right match. It is always best to be seen in action.

1. Agents and managers love to frequent theatrical productions, as they are always on the hunt for new talent. If your child is serious about acting professionally, make sure he is involved in school plays, community theater, camp plays, and even regional theater. Reps are always looking for a child who has potential and they love to visit productions.

2. Industry showcases are the perfect opportunity for young performers to gain industry attention. This is an event in which agents, managers, and casting directors watch actors perform exclusively for them. Actors perform scenes, monologues, songs, commercial copy- whatever they excel in. If a rep responds to the actor, they will arrange a meeting and possibly sign on a new client. Even if your child doesn’t sign with an agent or manager, they might keep their name on file to be seen again in the future.

3. Another great way: workshops and classes. Many acting workshops and classes will culminate with an informal performance for an agent or manager. Now these are generally for educational purposes where your child will practice in audition-like settings. However, if an agent or manager sees promise in a performer, they might ask for their name and set up an interview. I know the classes I hold always culminate, especially at the end of the year, for reps because I think it is one of the great ways for actors to be seen while they’re doing great work.

4. Old-fashioned mailings. Well it actually still exists. Make sure you have a great photo that looks like your child and a résumé which details your child’s experience and training. Get a list of agents and managers who work with young performers. You can do that through CallSheet which is published by Backstage Magazine. And once you get the names you can send a hard copy to them with a short cover letter. Make sure you read how they like to be contacted. If they have an address, you can send a picture and resume. If they list an email, you might be able to send it digitally.

5. Now hopefully your child has an acting or voice teacher or coach. And one of the best ways is for that teacher to refer your child to the rep. I never pass up an opportunity to send one of my students to one of my colleagues when I believe they are ready to work. Since they have been vetted by me, my colleague, the rep, is much more inclined to respond. I have introduced many of my students to both agents and managers and I will tell you they continue to have really wonderful and incredibly successful careers.

YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR REP

I recently got a call from a parent asking my advice on whether she should call her daughter’s agent about an upcoming audition. I was curious why she was asking me and when I asked her that she said she was afraid to ask the agent because she didn't want him to drop her daughter. Now that’s crazy. Because if she’s afraid to ask the agent, she is probably with the wrong agent. We talked about how to get an agent or manager but if you want to foster a good relationship with them and make sure the relationship lasts, which is no different than dating by the way, you really need to have a good relationship. 

What is a good relationship? Well, one that is open and honest, learning how to communicate. How does one like to be communicated with. Finding that out from the get-go. Be prepared. Right? The child has to be ready, and not be overloaded during the week. Being available for auditions. Not turning auditions down. Always have your phone available, responding to your emails. Bening right on top of it. Be prepared. This is a very fast business. 

Know when to leave your agent or manager alone. They’re not just working for you, they’ve got other clients. And they are also working for you even though you don’t know they are working for you. 

They are trying to get your child work! So know when to leave them alone.

And most of all, be a good team player. If you do your part, they will do their part.

QUESTIONS TO ASK POTENTIAL REPRESENTATION

So now you are lucky enough to take some meetings with agents or managers and you may want to know some good questions to ask when meeting with them. Well, I guess for either one of the questions is how many clients do you have.

1. You want to know if there is a small amount or a large amount?

2. Do they have more than a few of the same type?

3. How often should you communicate with them? How should you communicate with them? By email? Telephone? Just popping by…which I don’t recommend.

4. How often should you update your child’s resumes and photos? Are the contracts negotiable?

5. Can you take a three-year management agreement and negotiate it down to one or two?

6. A great question is if you find work on your own for your child, do they take a commission on that.

7. For a manager, you might want to find out which agencies they work with and when they will be introducing your child to an agent. Will you be looking for agencies on your own or are they going to provide that service?

8. Can you submit your child for a project on your own? 

Regardless of if your child gets an agent or manager right away, they should always be looking for ways to continue growing their career and network by working on their skill set through classes and pursuing other hobbies that make them the unique individual they are. 

Not everyone will have an easy path to finding representation, but don’t give up, they’re going to  be a huge asset to your career.

So Your Child Wants to be a Star? Now what.

What do I do? Help! There’s no training or ”how to” guide about how to coach you or your child through this new adventure. Today I am talking about what you can do to support your child’s dream in acting right now. I will discuss what some of your initial steps should be and give you a course of action to make them the most successful version of themselves.

WHAT DO I DO NOW?

So your child wants to be on tv, broadway, movies, fantastic! You are probably here because you care deeply about making sure your child is given every opportunity possible to make their dreams a reality. And guess what? I am here to help you logistically figure out how to make that happen. So let’s talk about the signs that your child wants to pursue this on a more serious level?

There are tell-tale signs like when your child starts asking to take an acting class, to audition for school plays, are they making movies with their friends, are they potentially more interested in being involved in these things than hanging out with their friends or other hobbies or events.  I believe It’s genetic. I believe It’s in their DNA. They do it because they have to. 

Don’t discourage your child when they express an interest in acting. Because this is how they are going to communicate and exist with the world. I know this first hand because it is how I communicate with the world.

Look, I get when this happens it might seem daunting, especially if the resources that are available to you are a bit more limited. But l’m going to reassure you right now, especially in today’s world, you can pursue a career in acting from anywhere. 

BENEFITS OF SHOW BUSINESS

A lot of parents can get scared about this idea of their child being in show business because it is a business and that might seem scary to expose your child to that. Another daunting element of your child expressing interest in the arts is all of the unknown or the fear that your child might not get their “big break” they might get discouraged. There are so many benefits for your child to gain from pursuing a career in show business

I have worked with so many young actors and a few have moved on to celebrity status, some have moved out of the business, and many others have moved to other areas within the business. But what they all have in common is that they are all VERY SUCCESSFUL adults.

A reason to support your child: it builds self esteem and confidence, they learn how to deal with rejection from an early age, they learn how to listen better, it improves their reading skills, they learn how to think on their feet, they learn how to take risks, and they’re gaining independence.

PROFESSIONAL ASSESSMENT

So you’ve determined that your child wants to pursue this to a more professional degree. So let’s talk about the tools you need to jumpstart your child’s career. It can be incredibly helpful to seek out an industry evaluation or assessment. These assessments are going to give a better understanding of how your child fits in the industry as a whole.

Do they have the skill &  ability to be competitive in the industry? Are they taking classes and studying the craft? Are they marketable in the industry? As in do they have the right look for what’s being produced in today’s industry. How competitive are they in a saturated market ? How do they stack up against talent that is already established in the industry? And are they marketable right now. Places you might get an assessment are from a vetted industry pro like talent manager, acting coach/consultant, or even a casting director.

DIGITAL PROFILES

Get your child out there! Set up Digital profiles on various acting websites including Casting Networks and Actor’s Access and Backstage. If you’re not familiar with this, these are websites that are online databases that casting directors use to cast their shows. They are audition breakdowns, which are essentially lists of auditions and the various characters that are needed for the project, and you are able to submit your child for and hopefully have them book these roles. These online profiles will make sure you have a competitive edge even prior to landing representation.

HEADSHOTS

Headshots. Headshots. Headshots. It’s your child’s calling card.  If they are young, you can easily take a nice photo on their iphone, but eventually, you will need to find someone to take a professional photo of your child. Those images should capture your child’s personality and give a clear example of what roles they would be perfect in!

RESUME

Put together a resume. And this is different than a business resume. An acting resume should fit on one page with three columns, very easy to read. If you’re not sure how to do this and you are interested in a template for that, you can find one in my book, Parenting in the Spotlight: How to Raise a Child Star without Screwing Them Up available on Amazon and if you’re in the NY area The Drama Bookshop which is a place you should visit whenever you’re in town..

At first your child may not have a lot to add to their resume, if anything, on their resume, but it should list the basics about their training and appearance as well as any roles or experience they have had up to that point. Don’t worry if they don’t have anything to list on their resume yet, that will come with time!

REEL

Once your child starts putting together auditions or they’ve been cast in a few projects, you should start to think about putting together a professional reel for them. A reel or a sizzle clip is a series of clips that shows what your child is capable of doing. Think of a reel as a trailer of your child’s career! Look as they have more experience and you’re ready to sink in a little bit more money, they can get a beautiful professional reel and we’ll talk about that later on as well.

REPRESENTATION

Eventually, it will be important for your child to seek out representation with an agent or manager. You can start to find work for them without one, but to advance their career and book more important roles, larger roles, they really must have representation.

TRAINING

Most importantly, you must get your child in a class where they can begin their training. A lot of times agents and managers will attend showcases or final performances of these classes even because they’re looking for kids who are in training and working the right way. But before signing your child they want to know that they are well trained and that they’re committed to the process. Training never stops. It’s really really key! 

BE READY!

Again I can’t stress enough READINESS. Before you take the leap make sure your child  has the skills and confidence ready to move forward. I tell my students all the time , only confident actors get hired. Confidence comes with experience, time and maturity.  TRUST THE PROCESS. Once you have done the things I’ve talked about, know that the right things will come at the right time. Try not to micromanage your child or their career. I know it’s hard as a mom, but stay on top of it and be the best advocate you can be for your child. 

Pursuing the performing arts is a wonderful and amazing thing that builds character and strength and whatever they choose to do later on they will be really good at because you supported them now!

Your child chose this because they have no other choice. Nothing satisfies them more than getting up on stage or being in front of a camera. Support them!! Don’t stand in the way of your child's self empowerment, success, happiness, AND becoming the best they can be! This is the beginning of an exciting and thrilling journey for your child and you and I am happy to go on it with you!