A talent agent can open doorways for actors and obtain them auditions and bookings that most people never even learn about.
Don’t think me?
Just ask Ethan.
Ethan would be a teen actor who’d subscribed to an How to get an agent for acting as a teenager workshop I had been teaching. He’d some theatrical experience but had not done any on-camera acting formerly. But he was very gifted and passionate, after the workshop, I asked him to satisfy beside me in the talent agency I labored at to go over representation.
We wound up signing Ethan, and within just a few several weeks, we’ve got him booked on the major supporting role in Spike TV’s The Kill Point, starring Donnie How to get a talent agent for music and John Leguizamo.
This How to find a talent agent for singing with very little experience before a video camera got booked on the major cable network Television show while he found the best agent.
Are you able to think of the auditions and How to become a talent agent get access to should you signed with the proper agency?
How different would your job (as well as your existence) be?
Everything begins with locating a great agent to fully handle your case.
Where would you even look for a talent agent?
And how can you tell that they are legit?
And never likely to swindle you?
Among the best bits of advice I’ll share with any actor beginning out is to utilize what’s known as a union-franchised agency (or agent).
There are many unions that you might cope with being an actor-SAG (Screen Actor’s Guild) and AFTRA (American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) are the most jackpot slot online typical with regards to focusing on camera. SAG and AFTRA was once their very own separate unions, however in 2012 the 2 merged to get SAG-AFTRA, one combined union to represent all actors for on-camera work.
You will find benefits and drawbacks for actors who’re part of how to find a talent agent.
The union guarantees they get compensated a particular minimum wage for just about any on-camera work they get booked on. Additionally they guarantee certain working conditions, and provide actors medical health insurance, retirement, along with other benefits.
However, when you join you are able to ONLY do union focus on camera. If you reside in one of the numerous, many smaller sized markets round the country that does not have lots of consistent work with union actors, this may be an enormous drawback.
However the question of whether or else you not you need to join the union is really a debate for an additional day.
The key factor for just about any actor to understand is when unions use talent agencies.
Advantages of using a union-franchised agency
SAG-AFTRA issues franchises to qualified talent agencies that meet specific needs.
They are known as union-franchised agencies.
These agencies must apply, pay a totally free, and become approved by SAG-AFTRA to become in a position to represent union actors.
It doesn’t mean you need to join the union to be able to use these agencies.
Actually, for many actors living outdoors of the major market like LA or New york city, It’s my job to recommend you don’t join the union (but that is an extended conversation for an additional time).
What it really entails is the fact that these agencies are highly controlled by SAG-AFTRA, and also have all decided to certain conditions its their actors, union people or otherwise.
These conditions include:
the company must make its earnings almost solely through commissions they receive once they get work with the actors they represent
they can’t impose a fee to get actors auditions
the company can’t be of an acting school or educate any classes or workshops being an agency
there can’t be an in-house professional photographer or specific 3rd party professional photographer that actors are needed to make use of
they are able to only charge actors 10% commission for SAG-AFTRA jobs (they are able to charge greater commission for non-union jobs, generally 15-20%)
Union-franchised agencies only get compensated once they get work with their actors. They can be a secure haven in the many scams available made to scam unsuspecting actors.
Performs this imply that non-franchised talent agencies can not be reliable? Or that you simply should not sign together?
Absolutely not.
There are plenty of very trustworthy non-franchised agencies available such as the following exactly the same guidelines because the franchised agencies. They work challenging work with the actors they represent, plus they have only the very best of intentions.
But discovering which of individuals non-franchised agencies are trustworthy and which of them really are a scam is one thing which comes with many different experience employed in that industry.
And many of them seem to be legit Before you start to utilize them and finish up costing you some time and your hard earned money.
So that’s the reason I usually suggest that actors try to utilize a union-franchised agency when first beginning out.
How to locate a union-franchised talent agency
Locating a franchised agency in your area is simple-visit SAG-AFTRA’s franchised agent page online and check for that agencies on the market nearest to where you reside.
You shouldn’t be afraid to grow your research past just where you live-you can even check inside a couple hour radius of where you reside.
It might be harder to get at auditions personally, but there might be possibilities that you should self-tape your personal auditions and publish them towards the agency.
It’s far better to obtain the franchised agency that’ll be the very best fit for you personally, after which determine the logistics of when and how you’ll audition.
There might be many non-franchised agencies which are nearer to where you reside.
Most of them is going to be totally above board, and provide you with use of a few of the same auditions and bookings that you would get should you be signed to some franchised agency.
And you will find some who’ll lie, however, treat you poorly, and cheat you out of trouble of tons of dollars.
With time, you can place these fake agencies and scams from the mile away.