A representation agent is in charge of representing performing artists and performers as musicians and actors, making the bonding and audition process much more fluid. When you're just starting out, a representative can help you make valuable contacts that will grow your career by allowing you to focus on your acting work. But getting a representative is already a way to bond, and you need to have as much experience as you can to start your career on the right foot.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Part One: Get Experience
Step 1. Work as hard as you can
The best way to get an agent to represent you in the medium, as an actor or a singer, is by practicing your trade. Reps are looking for talented, established artists with a track record they can profit from, not people who may be talented but have never done anything in between. If you want an actor representative, you have to act first. If you want to be a singer, you have to sing in public first.
Apply to any call for actors and accept any job they offer you. The experience may not be glamorous, but it is experience that you can use to move up the middle. If you are a musician, attend any open mic festival, local party, or radio show where you are accepted. Make your name gain some prestige
Step 2. Perfect your art
In addition to getting as much experience as possible, you should also practice and perfect your skills by taking classes, attending workshops related to your trade. Even if you want to be a stand-up comedian, there are specific workshops where you can learn about stage time and get coaching from experienced comedians. Get a class or workshop in your area and attend.
If you don't enjoy the job itself, there is no point in getting an agent to help you improve
Step 3. Talk to other interpreters
Start by building a network of contacts with actors or musicians you trust with whom you can advance your career. You can use them to get tips on the trade from them, but they can also help you get a representative. If you have an actor friend who has already obtained representation from a registered agency, you may have an advantage with them if you have already worked with your partner in the past.
It also helps other interpreters. If you find out about a casting call, tell your colleagues and friends instead of hiding the information from them, hoping to land the job for you. When a friend gets a job, celebrate. Making riches known benefits everyone and will make them more willing to help you if you need them
Method 2 of 3: Part Two: Meet Representatives
Step 1. Understand what reps do and what they are looking for
Some successful and famous actors (like Bill Murray) have no representatives and choose to do all the work alone. A representative is someone who secures you auditions, contacts with recruiting directors, and contacts with the business on your behalf. Being taken as a customer means that they must believe that over time they will make money.
- Generally, a relationship between the representative and the client is based on signed contracts and not so much on monthly payments. In other words, your rep will get you paid jobs and take a percentage. If you are difficult to hire, the agencies will not be willing to accept you because they will not make money from you.
- To secure a representative, you must be either exceptionally charming and personable, or ideally, a combination of both.
Step 2. Strengthen your presence on social media
Become a person willing to meet new people, building your presence on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other social networks. Use these tools to make connections and maintain relationships with friends from the environment, as well as contact representatives or agencies.
Use this general rule of thumb for cocktails: Treat social media like professional platforms. Never say anything to someone you would like to work with that you would not say face to face at a cocktail party. Use social media to broadcast new presentations or concerts that you already have booked, as well as to congratulate your peers for their achievements
Step 3. Create a resume and press primer
Commonly, a press primer includes some photographs of you, references from other actors or directors with whom you have worked and all the dissemination material that you can think of, as well as a small sample of your work. A resume is a formal list of all the experience you have related to the medium. In other words, there is no need to add your first food-house school job to your acting resume.
Step 4. Ask for recommendations
Ask other actors to recommend you to their agency and try to secure a meeting with them in the near future. Discuss your wishes to ensure representation and goals for your career.
- Be realistic and avoid overdoing it. Nobody wants to have someone in need and desperate to become a star in their office. If you are a professional, behave as such.
- Avoid desperate calls. Previously, you used to send photos and resume to an agency to secure a meeting, but this is no longer the case for you. You need either a recommendation from an agency representative, or attend the open calls or workshops that an agency or a group of agencies launch to find talent.
Step 5. Prepare an audition
If you secure a meeting, you will need to audition for your representative as if you were doing it to get a job. Prepare some monologues or a scene to act out if needed. You don't want to waste a valuable opportunity by not being prepared.
Method 3 of 3: Part Three: Choose a Representative
Step 1. Make sure your agency is registered and franchised
Agencies are generally regulated by the state economy and must leave a percentage (usually 10%) of their income to the state. There are many people who call themselves representatives who lack the registration and seek to exploit inexperienced actors who still do not know the world of show business.
To verify an agency's registration (particularly in California), visit the Department of Industrial Relations website:
Step 2. Find out how many other clients your agency represents
Schools that advertise a good teacher-student ratio, this means that a good school supposedly has few students for every teacher, resulting in a better and more personalized relationship. The same you should look for in a representative.
A busy representative from a large agency who decides to take you may be less valuable than a more devoted representative with fewer clients from a smaller agency
Step 3. Make sure you get along with the representative
The relationship with a representative is a true interpersonal relationship, not just work. You should choose someone you can get along with and openly discuss your plans and ambitions. A representative that you find intimidating or one that doesn't truly trust your talent will not be a good fit in the long run.
In the first few meetings, talk about your plans for yourself. Ask the representative what they see in you and where they think you can go. Seeing if your plans match his is a good way to judge the viability of the relationship
Step 4. Don't be afraid to put a brake on it
If you have a dysfunctional relationship with your manager, who is not doing things right, you need to find a new one. Be patient and don't expect too much in the short term, but if your rep is hurting you on purpose or if you feel like he's taking advantage of you, put the brakes on immediately.
Many young actors are afraid of trying to find a new manager because they think they may lose the stability they have with their current manager. A young actor thinks, "Even if I'm not working, at least I have a manager." However, a rep who doesn't get you jobs is the same as nothing. If the relationship doesn't work out the way you'd like it to, take the initiative and find a new one
Advice
- Be sure to research what kind of arrangement you have with your representative. You don't want to give him all the money you worked so hard to get.
- Be careful when choosing a representative. Do not sign with the first agency you find on the Internet.