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Position:Home>Theater & Acting> How can I get a talent agent to represent me?Question:This blog was created to help actors understand how the audition process works, and to provide resources regarding talent agents. You can find a ton of information, along with a complete listing of SAG (Screen Actors Guild) franchised, and ATA (Association of Talent Agents) signatory Talent Agent. These are the ony agencies that legit film studios and production companies will negotiate with........ http://talentagents.blogspot.com Far and away the best publication resource for finding an agent or manager is the Hollywood Creative Directory. It is the entertainment industry bible. It lists every single agent and manager in the world, and you can check these agents against the SAG and ATA Agents list on that blog. It also has every casting director in the world. One awesome thing is that it also has email addresses, so you can email them a link to your website or photo online. I would recommend also getting the Ross Reports. It lists all of the films and TV shows that are in pre-production or production, and it lists the casting director for each production. Then you can look up that casting director in the Hollywood Creative Directory, and send them your photo and resume. Here are the links to Amazon for these publications..... Hollywood Creative Directory (the new edition just came out, the 62nd edition): http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1928936... Ross Reports: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00008R... ; ) ___________________ Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: This blog was created to help actors understand how the audition process works, and to provide resources regarding talent agents. You can find a ton of information, along with a complete listing of SAG (Screen Actors Guild) franchised, and ATA (Association of Talent Agents) signatory Talent Agent. These are the ony agencies that legit film studios and production companies will negotiate with........ http://talentagents.blogspot.com Far and away the best publication resource for finding an agent or manager is the Hollywood Creative Directory. It is the entertainment industry bible. It lists every single agent and manager in the world, and you can check these agents against the SAG and ATA Agents list on that blog. It also has every casting director in the world. One awesome thing is that it also has email addresses, so you can email them a link to your website or photo online. I would recommend also getting the Ross Reports. It lists all of the films and TV shows that are in pre-production or production, and it lists the casting director for each production. Then you can look up that casting director in the Hollywood Creative Directory, and send them your photo and resume. Here are the links to Amazon for these publications..... Hollywood Creative Directory (the new edition just came out, the 62nd edition): http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1928936... Ross Reports: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00008R... ; ) ___________________ On camera seems to have pretty much answered your question and then some. You want an agent. Ok. Now work backwards. What do you need to get an agent? Talent, head shot, résumé, cover letter, communication of your product,. If the agent already knows you, you would have an advantage. One of the most important thing in that list is a résumé, because it shows what you have done without you actually being present to tell the story. So how do you create a résumé that's going to be interesting enough to get you an agent? By getting some interesting work to put on the résumé and by working on reputable projects with reputable directors in reputable production companies. What can help you get work? Or rather what will make casting directors want to bring you in to audition for their customers? If they see that you are well-trained and can take on the roles for which they are casting AND if you are right for the parts AND if you are better than the other candidates or have something to offer that is different or more interesting than your competition, then you will have a greater chance. What will help you be seen as a well-trained actor who is the right actor for roles and who is better than the other actors they see? Good, solid training with a good school and a good teacher. If you have not been training, I think your time will be better spent building a base of SKILL first before looking for an agent. Remember that casting directors and agents eyes are trained and experienced and they can see when an actor is trained or not. If you are in the NY or LA areas, whether you actually have an advantage with regard to choosing an agent is debatable. On one hand you have a lot of agents to choose from. On the other hand, you have an enormous amount of competition. You also have to watch out for (wherever you live) for so-called agents that are really primarily out to get your money without giving you your fair share of service in return. Reliable places to look for agents: Aside from the document that Alan Baltes mentioned, (Creative Directory): Ross Reports: You can pick up a copy at the majority of newsstands in NYC. Go to www.rossreports.com and check them out as well. Backstage.com has an agents' listing New York Agencies: A publication that comes out every two months or so and that not only has a complete listing of agencies in NY, but it also tells what kind of talent those agencies are looking for in that particular moment. Association Of Talent Agents: http://www.agentassociation.com/ Will give you agents that are registered with them. It is an organization that looks after the interests of talent agents and that provides a series of benefits for agents. (A great place to learn the issue that agents are concerned with.) You should also realize that there are agents that specialize in different areas, like a lot of smaller agencies do. I ran into an agent in NY who specializes in Italo-American actors, because she booked a lot of people for the Sopranos and a lot of roles for those kinds of actors. Another agent I know of specializes in Hispanic and African-American actors. And while many agencies do cater to a wide variety of talent that covers a wide variety of ethnicities, you might find that you work better with one agent more so than with another. I say this to tell you that don't think that it will necessarily be the case that you find an agent and you work well together. There is also the possibility that once you do get an agent, that you will get sent out on a lot of auditions and there is the possibility that you will not. A few years ago, I was working with two agents in NY. One sent me out on the average of about 12 auditions per week. The other sent me out maybe once per week. There is so much to know about agencies, how to get an agent, how to prepare for an agent interview, how to keep in touch with your agent, how to work together in partnership with your agent, what agents look for in an actor, how to tell if an agent is a legitimate business person and more. On my website for new and aspiring actors, you will find a 12 Step approach to getting an agent, that will tell you exactly what you need to do. My recommendation, however, is that you do it after you have gotten some acting training under your belt. In addition, you can check out this link that will get you on your way to applying everything you have learned with these two answers to start towards getting an agent: http://www.actingcareerstartup.com/how_t... . Good luck! Tony You have to submit your resume to talent agencies.They will call you back if they are interested.Then you will be called in for an audition,so they can see if you have talent.If they pick to represent you,then they will find you work.If you don't know how to build a resume,here are some links of info and examples. http://www.actingbiz.com/articles/write_... http://www.actingbiz.com/articles/resume... http://www.actingbiz.com/articles/your_a... http://www.musical-theater-kids.com/samp... good luck! |