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How Do I Get An Agent?

Do I need a Manager? Which one is ‘right’ for me?

Let's Talk About Representation: AKA Agents and Managers

First off, what is the role of an agent and a manager? Before we get into how you can attain representation it is important for you to know what it means- and what it doesn’t mean. Later, we’ll talk about cold-submitting to agencies and management companies. And how TAS can hook you up with an awesome networking opportunity where you’ll get to be seen by agents and managers alike, not only in the Southeast market but in Los Angeles, New York, and all over the country! So let’s get into it…

First And Foremost, What Does An Agent Or Manager Do?

While there are a few differences between the specific roles of an agent and a manager, for the most part, they have the same goal: to connect actors with casting opportunities. Agents and managers build their roster of clients based on what they need at that point in time. For instance, if an agency has 30 people who fit within your “type” (AKA what types of roles you’re auditioning for), they might not want to add you to the roster. This is important to remember because it can feel disheartening sometimes when applying to agencies and not hearing anything back. A lot of the time, the rejection has nothing to do with you and everything to do with what that particular representative is looking for at that time!

Attending a Showcase gives actors the opportunity to be seen by multiple agents, and other VIP’s, at the same time!

So taking it back to the basics, your representative’s (whether that be an agent or a manager) goal is to find auditions for their folks. Once your agent finds an audition you’re right for, they’ll submit you to casting with your headshot and resume. After that, if casting wants to see you audition, your agent will give you the information and help you with any questions or difficulties along the way! Agents and managers also help to negotiate contracts and handle the business side of acting for their clients, ensuring things like fair contracts, making sure you get paid and helping to facilitate travel and other accommodations with the production team.

For the most part, managers are going to be more hands-on than agents. They are more focused on assisting with your career as a whole (in addition to providing you with audition opportunities). Because of this, managers often have fewer clients than agents and therefore can put more individual focus on each actor. When deciding to sign with an agent or manager, make sure that they are a good fit for you! Different agents and managers are going to have different priorities and levels of contact with the actor. Make sure that in your meetings with your potential representation you’re asking any questions you have and ensuring that this partnership is what suits you both best. If you’re confused about the agent meeting process and/or what questions to ask, you can always schedule a Career Coaching session with us HERE!

Having an agent or manager means you have another person (or group of people) on your team. And having a team is awesome. It means that you can work together to achieve one common goal. Remember if you’re successful as an actor, so are they. It’s a great partnership.

Stagemilk Team, "Why Having An Agent Is Important"

Don't Get Scammed...

Because your agent and/or manager (yes, you can have both!) are focused on getting their clients auditions, they make money when you make money. So, if you ever encounter an agency that makes you pay to sign or guarantees booking if you sign with them, that is a scam. Real agents and managers collect a percentage of what you earn from your bookings.

It’s unfortunate that we have to talk about this, but new actors are often the target of scammers. Make sure that when you’re researching agents and managers and working through the submission process, you have a coach or industry professional helping to guide you along the way. Private Career Coaching is a great way to chat out your options before getting locked into a contract. To find a coach who can help you with this next step, schedule HERE.

There are a couple of different types of agencies out there, and the difference is mainly in the size of the client list that they have.

For instance:

Boutique agencies are the smallest, these agencies have a select client list so they can be more hands-on with their actors.
Bi-coastal agencies, as the name implies, have offices in different markets, for example, an agent might have an Atlanta office and an LA office.
Midsize Corporate, this is bigger than a boutique agency and they might carry some bigger names in film, TV, and theatre.
Corporate, this is the biggest agency size and they work beyond acting to negotiate distribution, work with international markets, and branding.

(Do Actors Need an Agent, a Manager, or Both? | Backstage)

Your agent is a friend to help you navigate the industry

So What Can You Do?

Now that you know the difference between agents and managers, and know how to avoid scams, let’s go back to the original question…How do you get an agent?

First, let’s talk about submitting to representation. This process is actually easier than it seems, as most agents and managers who are accepting submissions have detailed instructions on their website of what information they want to be sent in and the method of sending that they prefer. For example, some agencies might prefer email over old-school mail. Make sure you are doing your research on agencies before applying, and that you’ve carefully looked over what their submission requirements are. If you’re not seeing a “Submissions” or “New Talent” tab on their website, chances are they aren’t looking for new talent right now. So be respectful if that’s the case and only apply to agencies who are accepting new faces!

Now, in the beginning, we mentioned that The Actor’s Scene can help you out in your search for an agent or manager. On the edge of your seat? At the end of our 32-week On-Camera based programs, we have a showcase where we invite industry professionals from all over the country to watch our students perform. This includes casting directors, production companies, and of course agents and managers. While we don’t guarantee representation, the TAS showcase has had a 97+% callback rate the last 6 years, meaning that many of our students met with and even ended up signing contracts with an agent or manager at the end of their class. It is super important that if you are looking to gain representation you are taking classes and plugged into a studio. Showcase is a natural next step for our beginner students who start with our On-Camera Foundations class, as they get to be seen by agents and managers after completing our 8-month program and learning about the basic acting tools, commercial technique, character building, and even working with scripts! All classes get to participate in the showcase, so no matter what level you are at, we can offer training and advice in addition to this amazing networking opportunity! Don’t miss out if you’re looking to get started in the Atlanta film and TV industry.

Ready to get started? Reach out today!

TASFRONTDESK@GMAIL.COM

770-904-6646

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About The Author

Molly Pass

Molly Pass is an Atlanta-local actress, acting coach, and wedding videographer who loves to help new and seasoned actors alike find their purpose and passion through performance. She holds her bachelor’s degree in Film and Media Studies from Georgia State University and enjoys discussing movies, shows, and all things new media. Her favorite part of working at The Actor’s Scene is being able to inspire folks to pursue their dreams and helping them to gain confidence in themselves along the way. When she is not acting or working in the digital media realm, she enjoys reading murder mysteries and desperately trying to keep a garden alive.

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How Do I Get My Child On Nickelodeon or Disney?

Is it really possible?

One Of The Top Asked Questions Is...

Hello there! If you’ve reached our TAS blog, you or your child might be interested in pursuing a career on Nickelodeon or Disney. If so, you’re not alone. In fact, questions regarding these specific networks make up a majority of our inquiries! That is awesome, but there are some important things to keep in mind. When it comes to making specific career goals for big networks, like Disney or Nickelodeon, there is some good news and some bad news. The “bad” news, first, is that both of these companies follow standard casting procedures. This means that any studio or person guaranteeing to give you opportunities for roles on these networks is likely scamming you.

First, let’s walk through how the standard casting process works, and then let’s chat about how you can increase your chances of being considered for roles on Disney or Nick.

Part One: How Does The Casting Process Work?

Casting is a multi-step process that has a couple of key players. The Casting Director is the person who presents the people in charge, that could be a Producer, Director, or Showrunner, for instance, with a narrowed down selection of people to be considered for a part. So here’s how the process works. When a director or producer needs to cast actors for particular roles, they reach out to the casting director with a breakdown of what they’re looking for. The breakdown typically has a physical description of the character as well as a description of their personality so that casting can select a group of actors who best fit what the decision-makers are looking for.

Casting will then ask Agents or Managers for actors who fit the description, and the agent or manager will send in headshots (professional industry photos) of the actors they want to be considered to the casting director. Sometimes, the casting director will post the breakdown on casting websites such as Actor’s Access, where actors who do not have representation can submit themselves for parts. Then, the casting director will narrow it down by selecting the photos of the people they think most clearly work for the particular character and will tell the agent or manager to ask those particular actors to audition (or in the case of a self-submitted headshot, casting will directly ask those actors to audition via email). After the initial audition, casting narrows it down by performance quality and might even hold a callback or two to further reduce the size of the list. Once they have made their final cuts, the casting director will present the director or producer with a smaller group of actors to choose from, and the people in charge will select the actor they want for the role.

All dreams start in the audition room. Are you prepared to audition for your dream role when it comes along?

Part Two: Goal Setting for Actors - What Can YOU Control?

What does this mean for actors? As you can see, the actor doesn’t have much autonomy in the casting process, which means that we can’t base our industry goals on bookings or even the amount of auditions that we get. Because of this, actors should focus on goals within their control, such as:

Taking a new class that you know will challenge you
Working with a private one-on-one coach to help you work on a particular skill or acting method
Working on building your submission packet by building your resume and getting nice, professional headshots
Leveling up your self-tape setup or finding a studio to tape your auditions at
Submitting regularly for roles you fit the description of

Goal #1: Taking Classes

Whether you’re a brand-new actor or someone who’s been in the industry for a while, training is the most important investment an actor can make. You want to make sure that you are constantly expanding and up-leveling your toolkit as an actor, and that includes skills and techniques that you can work on in a group class or with a private instructor. Taking classes is a big key to growing in your acting journey. For beginners at The Actor’s Scene, we recommend our On-Camera Foundations class, which runs from August-May and can be taken either online via Zoom or in person at our Buford, Georgia location. In this class, students of all ages will learn acting basics such as the four acting tools, commercial techniques, how to create characters, and get to work with scripts!

If you’ve been working in the industry and want more of a focus on auditioning and on-set etiquette, we recommend our Working Actor program: The Taped Audition and Script & Set Study, which is a two-part course designed to help actors feel more confident in their self-tape game, and know exactly what to do on set.

If you’re an advanced actor with many years of industry experience, we offer Meisner and Beyond, a deep dive into classical techniques with the goal of maximizing an actor’s technique and guide them into building an acting brand.

For more information about about our various acting programs, please click HERE. You can also give our friendly office staff a call and they will assist you in finding the perfect fit.

Goal #2: Working With A Private Coach

A great way to get personalized training that is customized exactly to what you need is to work with a private coach! Our private coaches at The Actor’s Scene offer a couple of different one-on-one options. You can get this individualized instruction in-studio at our Buford location, OR online! Click HERE for more info.

We have:

The New Actor Bootcamp– If you or your child is just getting started with film acting, we offer the New Actor Bootcamp which is a 3 hour-long session with one of our awesome acting coaches who walk you through the very basics of the Atlanta film industry and how to get started on your acting journey! This time is customized to you/your child and the coach will meet you exactly where you are, answering any questions you may have along the way.

Career Coaching– If you feel stuck at where you are with your acting career, you can sit down with a coach to help you figure out the next right step. The coach can work with you to figure out what’s going well, what you need to work on, and how to set and reach your industry goals!

Skill Building (General) Private Lessons- If there’s a particular skill or technique that you or your student need more help with, working with a private coach is a great way to have individualized instruction that works at your pace to help you improve! Another bonus of regular private lessons is having a go-to person for all your industry questions since you’ll see your coach on a regular basis.

And we now offer Vocal Private Lessons!

For more information and/or to schedule your private coaching session, click HERE.

Even in my dreams of being an actor, my dream was not in the celebrity. My dream was in the work that I wanted to do.

Lupita Nyong'o

Goal #3: Build Up Your Submission Materials

Whether you’re looking to get plugged into an agency/management company or you’re hoping to start auditioning for projects to gain industry experience first, you need to make sure you have great headshots and a resume. Even if your resume so far is just your training, that is totally okay! Headshots and a resume are the materials that casting gets to see when they decide whether or not they would like for you to audition for a part. This is why making sure our headshots and resumes look super professional is so important! If you need help crafting your resume or want feedback on which headshots to use on your profiles (or even need help setting up your profiles on casting websites such as Actor’s Access and Backstage), you can schedule a Career Coaching Session HERE.

Goal #4: Level Up Your Self Tape Setup And Find A Studio To Tape At.

Ideally, all of your auditions will be taped in a studio space such as the awesome audition taping studio we have at The Actor’s Scene. However, we know that auditions can come in at short notice, the taping room might be full on the day/time that you need it, and at the end of the day, a lot of folks are looking to save money when it comes to auditioning, since the booking is not guaranteed. This is why having a good self-tape setup at home is super necessary!

Here are the things to prioritize in your self-tape setup:

-A Camera With A Tripod (even if it’s a phone!): You read that right. As long as your smartphone records in at least 720p, you should be able to use it for filming! No need to buy an expensive camera if you already have one in your back pocket. You can buy a special tripod to hold your phone too, like THIS ONE from Amazon. Just make sure if you’re using your phone that you are shooting horizontally, not vertically.

-Good Lighting: Casting needs to be able to SEE you and your awesome performance. Umbrella lights are a great, user-friendly way to have professional quality lighting in your home.

-Good Audio Quality: Just like the second point, casting also needs to HEAR your performance and your lines! If you’re recording at home, make sure there is no additional noise in the house. Let your dog play in the backyard, warn your roommates and/or family, and make sure that there is no distracting background noise on your tape.

-A Plain, Solid Backdrop: Whether it’s a blank wall, a sheet you attached to the wall with push pins, or a professional-quality backdrop with a stand, we want your background to be plain and non-distracting. Gray is a great color that compliments all skin tones!

If you aren’t able to tape at home or you just want some professional coaching along with an industry-standard, beautiful audition tape, book an audition taping appointment with us HERE.

Goal #5: Submit Yourself!

As long as you have your headshots, resume, and accounts on casting websites such as Actors Access, Backstage, and Casting Networks, you’re able to submit yourself for projects! Lower budget projects such as student films and unpaid shorts are a great way for new actors to get experience, resume builders, as well as clips for a demo reel! You can also submit yourself for projects like feature films, commercials, and/or television shows. If you’d like help navigating the world of self-submissions and at-home auditions, you can book a Career Coaching session, virtually or in-person, HERE.

You are not alone! By partnering with an acting coach you are investing in your journey.

In Conclusion...

In conclusion, we can’t guarantee that you’ll make it big on Nickelodeon or Disney Channel. But we want you to know that you can achieve industry success by making tangible goals for yourself and following through with them! We hope that you feel more confident in taking the next right step in your acting journey.

Ready to get started? Reach out today!

TASFRONTDESK@GMAIL.COM

770-904-6646

Share This Article

About The Author

Molly Pass

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5 Easy Steps That Anyone Can Do To Start Their Acting Journey

If You’re Looking To Get Started...

As an actor in the film and TV industry, you’re in the right place. The Actor’s Scene, located in the greater Atlanta area, is a studio for newbies and seasoned pros alike! We believe that ANYONE can jump into the industry as long as you have patience and a great work ethic! You might be thinking “That’s great, but I don’t know the first thing about getting started in the industry”, and that’s where we come in.

Step One: Start Training

No matter how long they’ve been at it, actors are constantly training to improve their skill sets. So you’re probably already guessing it, but becoming an actor starts with training. Yes, there are steps further down the line, such as getting headshots and a resume and an agent, but everything starts with taking classes or getting a private coach.

For beginners, we recommend our On-Camera Foundations class, a 32-week course offered from August-May which can be taken online or in-studio at our Buford, Georgia location. Starting with a course such as On-Camera Foundations will help you get introduced to the world of on-camera acting. You’ll learn about the basic acting tools, how to build a character, commercial acting techniques, how to work with a script, and more! And an amazing component of our 32-week classes is the end-of-year showcase, which gives students the opportunity to perform for industry VIPs such as agents, managers, casting directors, and local production offices. Not only will you get 32 weeks of training from a working industry professional, but in the end, you will be able to make connections with other VIPs that can help you get to your next career step!

So if you want to become an actor, step one is training.

Step Two: Get Professional Headshots.

What’s next? After signing up for a class and getting plugged into a studio that believes in you, step two is getting professional headshots. Why are headshots important, and what do they look like? Well, headshots are what casting sees to decide whether or not they want to have you audition for a role. Whether you are submitting yourself for a role or having an agent or manager submit on your behalf, casting needs to see what you look like to decide whether or not they’d like to see you read for a particular role. Above are some awesome headshot examples from some of our TAS students and alumni!

Professional headshots should look LIKE YOU. We don’t want a super glammed-up version of you, casting wants to see what you actually look like so that they can decide whether or not they can see you in a certain type of role. There are many amazing local headshot photographers in the Atlanta area. One of the headshot artists we recommend is Michael Justice at Hollywood Headshots!

No matter who you go with, you want headshots that:

-Look like you

-Are well-lit/professional quality

-Have YOU as the central focus with the background blurred out

This will help ensure that your headshots are accurate to what you look like now, and will give casting an idea of what roles they can ask you to audition for.

I say luck is when opportunity comes along and you are prepared for it.

Denzel Washington

Step Three: Build Your Resume.

Alrighty, now you are taking classes and you have awesome headshots. The next step is to create a profile on a casting website such as Actor’s Access or Backstage. Believe it or not, you don’t need an agent to submit for projects, especially smaller budget shoots like student films! Student films and unpaid shorts are an awesome way to build up your resume before applying to agencies or management. So the natural next step after training and having awesome, professional photos is to build up your resume. Applying to and auditioning for smaller projects is a great way to gain on-set experience, further work on your craft, and get resume credits/demo reel footage. Your demo reel is an edited video containing clips from projects you’ve worked on, so for example you could have a scene from a short film you were in be a part of your reel!

If you need help setting up your profiles, submitting for roles, or crafting your resume, we offer private, personalized Career Coaching at The Actor’s Scene! Click this LINK to learn more and book your one-on-one session with one of our amazing industry pros!

You are not alone on your acting journey! Partner with your acting coach to achieve success.

Step Four: Submit for Representation.

This step doesn’t have to be hard! If you’re enrolled in a class at The Actor’s Scene, the end-of-year showcase is a great opportunity to get connected to agents and managers, both in the Southeast as well as the Los Angeles and New York markets! Performing in a showcase does not guarantee signing with an agent or manager, but it’s an awesome networking opportunity as well as a chance to be seen by these VIPs who might just be looking for someone exactly like you! You can also cold-submit to agencies, and most have their preferences as far as submissions on their website, so be sure to check out what they ask for from new talent before submitting anything!

This is another thing that Career Coaching can help you out with. If you’d like to meet with someone to discuss your submission materials and possibly help you apply for agencies, schedule a SESSION today!

Step Five: Don’t Give Up!

Listen, it sounds silly, but persistence and believing in yourself are some of the major keys to success in this business. You’re going to hear a LOT more ‘No’ than ‘Yes’ as an actor, and that is 100% okay. Please don’t compare your success to others who are close to you in age or experience. Everyone’s acting journey is unique and the timing will likely not be as fast as you’re hoping. Focus on your own path and continue to gain confidence in yourself and your abilities through training, learning from your mistakes, and growing through all of the different seasons of your career. You’ve got this. We’re rooting for you!

If you have any questions or would like a one-on-one consultation about how to start your acting journey, please reach out to us! We have private coaches who would love to do a Career Coaching private lesson with you that is 100% tailored to you and your needs at whatever stage of your acting journey that you might be in. For more information on our classes, showcase, or private Career Coaching, please check out our website at (The Actor’s Scene (theactorsscene.com)). We look forward to seeing you soon!

Ready to get started? Reach out today!

TASFRONTDESK@GMAIL.COM

770-904-6646