Talent Agencies and Management

Get a (Better) Reel If you have been working in plays and showcases and can't get an agent to come see you, it's time to get a reel together. Focus on getting in a low budget or student film. With a few good scenes that showcase your range, you will be able to hire a professional editor to put together an reel that will catch they eye of an agent. If you have a reel and have been sending it out to agents with no success, take another look at it. It may be that it's not impressive enough as is. You may need to add to it or have it re-edited. Have a few trusted fellow actors or industry people look at it and tell you what they think. Keep in mind that home videos are not suitable for your reel. Only professional work should be included. If you have something truly different and interesting on video you can consider uploading it to YouTube and sending the link to agents. But don't put it on your professional reel.

I recommend:  Backstage.com is good for casting searches. Craigslist.org sometimes lists casting notices for student and low-budget films. Check out the student newspapers of schools with good film department such as NYU and UCLA.

Re-write Your Resume Make sure your resume is complete. List all your special skills, no matter how ordinary or how oddball they might seem to you. I got my first agent because I listed Conversational Spanish as a special skill and she was looking for Spanish speakers for commercials. I signed with her and went out on a few Spanish language commercial auditions without getting hired. However, through her, I got a few jobs in series television and began to develop relationships with casting directors. You never know what will catch the eye of an agent. If you are a champion shot-putter or speak Mandarin, make sure to put it down on your resume.

I recommend:  Be thorough. Ask for feedback from trusted industry professionals about your resume and headshots. Look at the resumes of your actor friends or hire a professional at resumesforactors.com.

Develop Other Relationships Work on getting to know some casting directors. Send them your resume and your reel. Invite them to showcases. Call the office and ask for a general audition. These are meetings in which an actor will come in with a prepared monologue rather than to audition for a specific part. If you've impressed a casting director, ask them to refer you to an agent. Same goes for any director you work with. Ask acting teachers and fellow actors to recommend you to an agent. If an actor has a good relationship with their agent and thinks you're good, he or she shouldn't have a problem making a recommendation (unless they feel you are in direct competition). Well-known acting teachers with good reputations are more likely to catch the eye of an agent when listed on your resume than an unknown one. Get into a class with a well-regarded teacher.

I recommend:  Rossreports.com has a list of casting directors. There are a number of compilations of monologues for men and women such as Contemporary American Monologues for Women and Contemporary American Monologues For Men by Todd London, and Audition Monologues; Power Pieces for Women, and Audition Monologues; Power Pieces For Men, by Deborah Maddox. Backstage.com has lists of teachers and coaches. Make sure to ask around for a really good one.

At the Meeting Finally, you've been asked into meet with an agent. This may be the result of your reel, a showcase, a recommendation or on the basis of your resume and headshot alone. How do you make the most of this crucial fifteen minutes? First of all, look your best; not too dressy, not too sexy, but smart casual, professional and obviously as attractive as possible. Be ready with a monologue in case they ask for it (they will usually warn you in advance but might surprise you), and be ready to talk about your strengths. This is often the hardest part of an actor's job; you can be Lady Macbeth for four hours straight, but talking about yourself for ten minutes is sheer agony. Agents have seen trainloads of hopefuls just like you. What sets you apart? They might actually come right out and ask you that very question. Be prepared to answer it. Know what kind of work you are looking for. Is your dream director Judd Apatow or Julian Schnabel?

I recommend:  A good agent will definitely ask you what kind of work you see yourself doing. You must show confidence and have realistic answers to these questions. It also helps going in knowing something about their agency; for example, know the names of one or two actors they represent and something about their recent work. Read the trades so you know what's happening in the industry and can converse intelligently about it. Hollywood Reporter, Variety, Backstage, as well as the arts sections of major newspapers. Watch movies and television and go to the theater.

Hold On To Your Agent You've signed a contract and you're in the initial trial period. What do you need to do to keep your agent interested in you? Get a job! If an agent sends you out on audition after audition with no success, he/she might not want to keep the relationship going. If you don't get the job but you get a couple of callbacks, this will reflect well on you. It is part of your agent's job to get feedback from casting directors on your audition performance, so make sure to make a good impression every time and take criticism with grace. You can also ask for feedback. When you're really stumped as to why you didn't get a callback when you thought you blew them away in the audition, by all means find out what happened. Dress appropriately. I once got negative feedback through my agent from a casting director because I hadn't fully understood the character description and dressed inappropriately for that particular part.

I recommend:  Keep the lines of communication open with your agent and stay positive and upbeat. Whining and complaining will not score points. Above all, have a clear vision of what kind fo career you want and can realistically expert to have. The agent should be following your lead on this, not the other way around.

Keep honing those audition skills. Backstage.com has a list of audition classes in your area. Practice with your fellow actors.