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Tips & Tricks from Industry Insiders

Representation

Denise Simon

February 7, 2012

Representation

Ask Denise: How do I Choose a Good Agent or Manager?

Denise Simon

February 7, 2012

Representation

Q: How do I choose an agent or a manager?

A: I tell clients it is like picking a pediatrician!

Send the potential agent or manager a well-lit, casually dressed head and shoulders shot.
Send a cover letter detailing your child’s talents, skills, acting experience, and training.
Make sure the personality of the representative will result in a positive effort for your child, including an ongoing relationship.
Find someone who is excited about your child.
Assess how well the representative communicates with you and your family.

Expert advice by Denise Simon

Featured

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Meet and Get to Know Top Agent David Doan

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Join Denise Simon and CESD talent agent David Doan in this week’s episode to get the inside tips about actor representation. During this interview, David answers many commonly asked questions as well as gives some unexpected advice about the role of agents and what you and your child can do to elevate your career to the next level! Don’t miss this unique opportunity to hear a top agent’s thoughts on the industry and what talent can do to make the most of their relationship.

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How to Get and Keep an Agent or a Manager

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One of the trickiest and most important elements of the business is finding representation. There are so many options so it can be difficult to know where to begin! It is crucial to choose the right people to be a part of your child’s team! On this week’s episode, Denise Simon answers many commonly asked questions about what the difference is between an agent and a manager and what you can do to cultivate the best working relationship.

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What Makes a Good Youth Talent Representative

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I’ve worked in the youth acting industry for over 30 years as an acting teacher, career consultant, and former talent manager. I know and collaborate with many youth agents and managers, and can shed some light on what makes a good agent or manager for your child. Let’s first start with the differences between the two, the roles they play, and why some are better than others.

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Advice

How Teen Actors Can Pay for College

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College is a big investment! With today’s tuition ranging anywhere from $25,000–$75,000 per year students often have to scramble to figure out how to pay. There’s no guarantee that the career you choose will pay for all of your expenses, so it’s important to consider your future before leaping too quickly into student loans. Here are five ways teen actors can lighten the burden of college tuition.

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5 Ways Young Actors Can Improve Their Diction

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Having clear and proper speech is essential. It’s how we communicate and share our ideas, and, more importantly, it lets us express emotion. For an actor, the voice and the body are tools that work together to tell a story. If one can’t be properly understood, how can a young actor do their job and get an audience engaged? Many of my younger students have trouble understanding and controlling their voices. Here are five ways young actors can improve their diction.

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The holidays are fast approaching and with canceled vacations, many of my students have been looking for something to keep them sharp over the break. Why not settle down with a good book? Actors can learn a lot just by reading the works of veterans in the field. Here are eight ideas for the child actor, parent, or teacher to get cozy with over the holidays.

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The world we’re living in right now is full of uncertainty, but it’s important that we try our best to maintain business as usual. Many schools have moved classes online, but for students in the arts that can be challenging. As an acting coach, I’ve been teaching on Facetime and Skype for years for students who are on the road or who don’t have access to teachers because they’re in smaller markets. In an attempt to continue regular training for my students, I’m now teaching group classes on the platform Zoom. Here are the benefits I’ve found my students experience through online learning.

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With productions shut down and theaters only now starting to open up, many of my students have been asking how they can stay sharp in their acting. The great thing about living in the digital age is that students don’t need to wait for opportunities to come knocking at their door. YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok are all great platforms for young actors to create their own content, garner some attention, and have fun doing it. Here are some pro tips for students who want to start creating their own content.

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After months of COVID-related audition and production shutdowns, the acting world is beginning to reopen. I’m fielding many questions from my students’ parents regarding safety precautions, auditions, schooling, and on set protocols. Here’s some information that you should consider so that you can make wise choices as you think about your child actor returning to work.

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Who isn’t in search of an exciting, job-booking dramatic monologue? As an acting coach for kids, teens, and young adults, I understand the struggle, having spent hours searching for engaging material to use as teaching tools. Throughout my ongoing searches, I’ve explored the classics and great writers of the past, but I’ve also found many contemporary playwrights producing current, trendy material.

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Kids grow and change quickly. New heights, haircuts, styles, and skills appear daily as they mature. In the entertainment industry, your image, age, and type all play a part in determining what jobs you’ll be right for. Just as you need to update your headshot regularly to stay current, the same needs to be done with a demo reel. Here are the signs your child actor needs a new reel.

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5 Shakespeare Monologues for Kids

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One of the most troubling areas of study for young actors is Shakespeare. They feel challenged by the language, vivid characters, and scenes that are often foreign to them. Young actors are typically still growing vocally, physically, and emotionally. Working on Shakespeare helps connect all these different moving pieces so that they can work with confidence. It’s a great way for them to expand their craft, and when given the right material, they can actually have a lot of fun with it.

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Every young actor dreams of the chance to deconstruct and explore Shakespeare. High stakes, vivid language, rhythm, and poetry all come together to create a perfect storm of lyricism in his work. This is the kind of material that will really push a young actor to dig deep with his nuanced characters, and it’s pretty popular in the high school scene. That said, it can often be difficult for teens to find material that they can connect to and understand.

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