How do i get a ligit agent?

Question:Well, thus, the universal question so many young actors ask themselves when trying to break through the first barrier of the talent industry; the first agent.

It's a little tricky because you need to have experience to get an agent, and you need an agent to get experience, kind of a double edged sword, isn't it?

The answer is...
Student films, independant films and shorts.
You can find casting calls for these on many websites including Craigslist.
They RARELY if ever pay you. But they will almost always feed you, with both food AND experience.

You take the role, and ask the director or producer of the project for a dvd copy of your scene when the project is finished, and you then begin to assemble what is called your demo reel.

The demo reel is your ticket into the agent's chair.

A demo reel is a montage of several pieces of your screen experience, spliced together with some clever editing and perhaps a song somewhere in the middle for you.

You must use atleast I'd say five pieces of things that you've done. And use a simple movie editing program to put it all together. Which means atleast five small independant roles in a short film, an independant film or a student film.
These roles only usually last a day-or-two anyways.

If you put what city you reside in your 'additional details' part, or simply private message me I can help you out with finding some auditions, I know tons of student websites, film school casting websites and others for plenty of regions.

Good luck!
P.s:
Here are some tips for developing your demo reels;
A) First go onto Youtube, and type in the phrase 'demo reel' - self explanatory.
B) Do not attempt to make a 'cold demo' this is where a person takes a video camera and attempts to make their own scene, or show off their improvisation techniques. Do not do this, it is both tacky, and agents hate it, they will throw your demo in the trash.
C) If you want to show off your improvisation techniques, have someone film you in a legitimate comedy club performing a stand-up comedy routine. (Make absolute sure that the sound is good, not fuzzy or full of banter and hecklers from the audience) You do this by putting a shotgun mic or boom mic either near the speakers or even better, near the performer. And make sure the camera is on a tripod and the image is not shaky.
You cannot use stand-up comedy as your entire demo reel, only as about one-fifth. You need additional screen experience as well.

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: Well, thus, the universal question so many young actors ask themselves when trying to break through the first barrier of the talent industry; the first agent.

It's a little tricky because you need to have experience to get an agent, and you need an agent to get experience, kind of a double edged sword, isn't it?

The answer is...
Student films, independant films and shorts.
You can find casting calls for these on many websites including Craigslist.
They RARELY if ever pay you. But they will almost always feed you, with both food AND experience.

You take the role, and ask the director or producer of the project for a dvd copy of your scene when the project is finished, and you then begin to assemble what is called your demo reel.

The demo reel is your ticket into the agent's chair.

A demo reel is a montage of several pieces of your screen experience, spliced together with some clever editing and perhaps a song somewhere in the middle for you.

You must use atleast I'd say five pieces of things that you've done. And use a simple movie editing program to put it all together. Which means atleast five small independant roles in a short film, an independant film or a student film.
These roles only usually last a day-or-two anyways.

If you put what city you reside in your 'additional details' part, or simply private message me I can help you out with finding some auditions, I know tons of student websites, film school casting websites and others for plenty of regions.

Good luck!
P.s:
Here are some tips for developing your demo reels;
A) First go onto Youtube, and type in the phrase 'demo reel' - self explanatory.
B) Do not attempt to make a 'cold demo' this is where a person takes a video camera and attempts to make their own scene, or show off their improvisation techniques. Do not do this, it is both tacky, and agents hate it, they will throw your demo in the trash.
C) If you want to show off your improvisation techniques, have someone film you in a legitimate comedy club performing a stand-up comedy routine. (Make absolute sure that the sound is good, not fuzzy or full of banter and hecklers from the audience) You do this by putting a shotgun mic or boom mic either near the speakers or even better, near the performer. And make sure the camera is on a tripod and the image is not shaky.
You cannot use stand-up comedy as your entire demo reel, only as about one-fifth. You need additional screen experience as well.

Legitimate talent agents will only consider working with you if you already have a strong combination of training and experience. If you do, let us know more about your training and experience, the city nearest you and your approximate age and we'll be better able to answer your question.