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How to Find an Agent... and Survive
by Cathy McKim
You're looking for an agent. And there are people everywhere
calling themselves agents, advertising for new faces, walking the
streets looking for actors and models. Some of these are agents -
mostly background or extras agents. Many of them are simply
selling courses or photography sessions; others function as booking
services for extras in addition to selling courses and photos, but
lack the contacts to promote you as a serious actor or model. How
can you tell the players from the phonies?
Agencies Who Advertise
Principal talent agencies rarely if ever advertise. These folks
have so many hopefuls lined up at their doors, photos and resumes
in hand, that they never need to look for new actors; when an
opening appears on the roster, they already have more than enough
applicants without having to pay to find more.
Some modelling agencies occasionally hold promotional events such
as modelling contests; such events are infrequent, and heavily
promoted in up-scale media with major corporate sponsors.
Everything about the agency, the contest, and its sponsors is
easily verifiable. But they do not advertise in other ways; they
also have hundreds of hopefuls lined up outside the doors, and
don't need to ask people to come and see them.
So who does advertise? Extras agencies sometimes do. There is a
high turnover on some agency rosters as people either get
frustrated and quit or (much less frequently) move up to actor's
parts. Also, crowd extras (the most common type of extra work, but
also the most boring and poorly paid) do not require a great deal
of training or experience to start. But the better the extras
agency, the less likely it is to advertise. Why? That long line of
hopefuls standing patiently outside their door, resume in hand.
So when you see an ad in the paper, or on TV, or at a transit stop,
or a sandwich board, think about who might be behind the ad.
Certainly not a well established professional agency that already
has its hands full of applicants. Maybe a brand new agency that
doesn't have a reputation yet, and no line of hopefuls at the door.
But it's far more likely to be someone in the business of selling
services to a high volume of people, and that's not how a real
agency makes its money.
Administration and Maintenance Fees
Agents earn a living on the commissions you pay them when you get
work. In most agencies, normal costs such as phone bills,
breakdown and courier fees, salaries and overhead are paid out of
general revenues, which is to say, commissions. However, some
talent agencies charge maintenance fees to cover some or all of
these costs. Where maintenance fees are charged, it means that the
agent does not expect to be able to pay normal costs out of
commission revenue. This may mean that the agent thinks you will
not get work, or in the worst of cases it may mean that the agent
is not an agent and cannot get you work. So if an agency asks for
money up front to represent you, you should be cautious.
If you are inexperienced, perhaps the agent is taking a chance on
you. Many agencies who represent new performers or extras charge
maintenance fees because their people may work less often and earn
less money when they do work.
Established principal talent agencies should have a strong enough
roster that they do not need to charge registration,
administration, or maintenance fees. Modelling agencies do not
charge any registration fees, and rarely charge maintenance fees.
Agencies which charge such fees average around $60.00 per year;
fees should not exceed $120.00 per year. Agencies should not
charge fees of a union member. Photographic Services
Agencies are not photographic studios; however, agents will have
varying degrees of involvement with the photographic requirements
of the actors and models they represent. Generally speaking,
legitimate talent agencies do not offer ionium photographic
services for actors. Some talent agencies will make arrangements
for you but if you are told that you must have photos taken through
the agency, leave at once. Standard procedure is for a talent
agency to give you a short list of photographers that they
recommend. You should visit each one, look at their work, and
select the one you feel the most comfortable with. Photos are a
vital promotional tool. While an agent's advice about what
photographer to use may be helpful, it is your choice to make.
Major modelling agencies in urban centres such as Toronto will
generally recommend either one or more reputable imaging
specialists or a short list of photographers to test with. Again,
you should visit each one, look at their work, and select the one
you feel the most comfortable with. Modelling agencies and schools
outside of urban areas such as Toronto are more likely to directly
arrange the test sessions for their prospective models.
If you are booking a photographer through an agency, find out the
name and credentials of the photographer, what services are
offered, and what you will be charged for them. Ask to see samples
of the photographer's work and make sure that he or she is a
working professional photographer. Contact other people in the
industry to find out the photographer's reputation. Comparison
shop: get price lists from other photographers, but remember that
price is not as important as quality. Find out what this
photographer charges for a session not booked through the agency:
the price should be the same.
Keep in mind the differences in photographic requirements for actor
and models. An actor needs a black and white 8" x 10" headshot.
Actors do not need portfolios. A model does need a portfolio and
"comp cards". The initial portfolio is developed through test
shoots with fashion photographers, and is then expanded with
tearsheets of the model's professional print work. Some of these
pictures are used in making up the comp card. Models being
promoted for commercial television will also need a "TV glossy", or
8" x 10" headshot.
Child actors under eight do not need professional photos. It is
acceptable to promote children with inexpensive snapshots, and most
agents do this to avoid the expense of having new professional
photos taken for children every few months as they grow and change.
Child models may require comp cards, based on the agency's
policies, but should not require the extensive portfolios that an
adult model needs.
Actors will need prints made of the headshot that you and your
agent have selected from the contact sheet provided by the
photographer. Models will need prints of their TV glossies, blow-
ups of the shots to be used in their portfolio, and multiple prints
of their comp cards. It may be convenient for your agent to
maintain the supply of prints and promotional photos, and bill you
for reproduction costs. Check the costs first; find out what a
reproduction house would charge you for prints. Whatever you
choose to do, make sure that your agent has a supply of your
promotional photos on hand at all times; you don't want to miss out
because your agent had no photos to send out.
Classes and Workshops
Talent agencies sometimes offer workshops for actors, bringing in
a well-known or respected specialist for an evening or weekend
session. If attendance is optional and prices are not excessive,
this practice is acceptable.
When talent or modelling agencies offer on-going classes in-house
or make arrangements for clients of an agency to take classes at a
specific school (which is often affiliated with the agency), you
need to do some investigation. Check the training, experience, and
other credentials of the instructors. Check the cost against fees
charged by independent schools or instructors. Find out if you
must take the courses provided by this agency before you will be
represented. An agency that does not accept training from other
sources is not serving your best interests.
There are many places to get training: universities and colleges
offer acting and drama courses, and some colleges offer programs in
fashion and modelling as well. There are independent schools with
good reputations for both actors and models, and many highly
regarded individuals who offer classes, workshops and private
instruction. Local school boards may offer acting and modelling or
"self-improvement/self-image" courses through their continuing
education departments. A model's most valuable training can be the
"on-the-job" experience s/he receives in the course of shooting
his/her test portfolio.
Some modelling agencies, especially those outside the heavily
competitive Toronto area, run legitimate schools which serve both
as self-improvement or "finishing" academies for young men and
women who are not planning a career in modelling, and as
introductory training schools for those who are. The hallmarks of
such legitimate schools are honesty with respect to an applicant's
potential, strong ties to the local business community, and
connections with national and international "high profile"
agencies. Most also participate in one of the Canadian modelling
associations: the Modelling Association of Canada (MAC) or the
Canadian Model and Talent Convention (CMTC). To check out such a
school, request local business references, and ask about
affiliations with national and international agencies and modelling
associations.
Talent agencies prepare binders or promotional packages with photos
of the talent on their roster and distribute these to casting
directors; these should not require any expense on the part of the
performer beyond the cost of printing sufficient photo
reproductions to be placed in each binder.
Modelling agencies do charge their models for inclusion in various
promotional packages; the most common of these are the agency book,
and the agency headsheet. Sometimes only the agency's top-line
models are included in these; other agencies prefer to include all
of their models in the agency book or on the headsheet.
If you are
being charged to be in a book, or on an agency's headsheet, ask to
see earlier editions to assure yourself of the quality of these
promotional tools. Also, contact some of the agency's clients to
see if the book and headsheet are distributed and used. The fees
charged for inclusion in agency books and on headsheets should be
calculated based on the cost of printing the promotional material,
divided by the number of models included in the material. A
nominal fee to cover distribution costs may be added to the cost.
Remember that legitimate modelling agencies do not make any profit
on these promotions. If the fees are greater than your fair share
of the costs, something is wrong.
You may also find yourself being asked to pay for audio or video
demo tapes, computer database casting services, or resume
preparation and maintenance services, just to name a few of the
services some agencies are selling. For all these services, do
your homework; find out what is normal practice.
The best way to get a professional job on a demo tape is to hire a
professional who specializes in that service. While casting
directors look at tapes sent by agents they know, and some will
request them, if the tape is not good quality, it will do nothing
for you. Normally demo tapes are edited from clips of actual work
you have done; if you have no media work to use, you may select
material to record for a demo. If your agency does demo tapes in-
house, ask to see some tapes done for other performers to check on
the quality. Call a few casting directors to see if they would
look at a tape sent by your agent. And as always, find out whether
the costs are comparable.
At the present time, some U.S. casting directors are beginning to
make use of computer database casting services. The practice is
not common in Canada. If your career is at a point that you wish
to be visible to the U.S. market, you might consider such a
service. But check it out carefully first - preferably with the
Screen Actors Guild (SAG) if it is a U.S. service, or with ACTRA
and the Casting Directors Society of Canada if it is a Canadian
service.
Resumes are like photo reproductions: if you prefer to take
responsibility for regular updates and printing, discuss this with
your agent. It can be convenient to have your resume on your
agent's computer: it will be updated with each new job, and copies
are no further than the agent's printer. As always, investigate
the costs; even if you prefer not to take care of your resume
yourself, there are professional services that can offer you
similar convenience, and the price may be better. Just be certain
that your agent always has copies of your resume on hand.
As a rule of thumb, for any service offered, first find out if that
service is necessary, check the credentials of the people who will
be providing the service, and always comparison shop for price and
quality.
In Conclusion
If an agency's fees seem excessive, or if the services offered
differ from the norm in the industry, do further research. Check
with casting directors, or fashion photographers and studios (for
modelling agencies), to see if the agency is known by the people
who work with actors or models. Ask the agency for professional
references, and check them out. Watch out for circular references,
where connected companies give each other good references, but no
one else seems to know who they are. A reference is not worth much
when given by someone who has no credibility.
A contract is a binding legal agreement; once you sign, you are
committed to uphold all terms of the contract. Get legal advice if
there is anything you don't understand in the contract. Make
certain that all obligations - yours and the agent's - are clearly
laid out. Do your research before you sign anything, or give
anyone any money. A legitimate agent will answer your questions,
and will give you time to make a decision without undue pressure.
Do not sign anything until you are satisfied that the agent is
legitimate and the deal is right for you.
From "An Actor's Guide to Agencies in Toronto,"
published by Moonlighters Publishing Inc. Copyright © Moonlighters Publishing Inc. Used with permission of the author.
All rights reserved. Not to be reproduced or distributed by any means without this copyright notice.
email: moonpeg@inforamp.net
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