Essential Guide: How To Get An Acting Agent in Los Angeles

How to Get a Talent Agent

Whether you're an actor, director, writer, or creative individual, you must have representation to succeed in the entertainment industry. The greatest shortcoming for most talented individuals is overlooking talent agents. Yet, you cannot underestimate their influence in the entertainment industry. That's why you need a talent agent to represent you while you focus on your creativity.

With that said, we recognize that finding a talent agent isn't a walk in the park. Fortunately, there are various talent agencies to help take your stress away. But even more important is how skilled they're at connecting creative individuals to potential suitors.

We hope that this article will help you learn how talent agencies work. But, most importantly, it will also provide the steps you need to follow to find the right talent agent:

Functions of a talent agency

Besides setting up meetings with various clients, talent agencies are instrumental in several ways:

·         They help you find opportunities: Since talent agents depend on their clients' salaries, they strive to ensure a continuous workflow.

·         Sorting out client offers: Some clients have varieties of job offers. So talent agents collect these offers and sort them carefully to help clients stay on schedule.

·         Packaging materials: It can be stressful to package materials to be sent to studios and financiers. Talent agents put together various materials and send them on your behalf.

·         Contract negotiations: No one understands various contract terms and other essential details more than a talent agent. They help you negotiate a better deal.

How to Find an ACTING agent

1. Determine the relevant agency

Finding the right agency to represent you depends on your specialization. Various agencies specialize in different fields such as acting, modeling, writing, etc., within the entertainment industry. So it's up to you to find the one with relevant specifications.

2. Find out whether they belong to any union or have organization affiliations

You may find that some talent agencies are part of certain unions. In other words, they comply with the union's specific guidelines. Sometimes you can contact these unions for more information. Also, they could belong to some organizations, such as the Association of Talent Agents or SAG Franchise, meaning they adhere to certain regulations. It's necessary to do to avoid the mistake of getting yourself a rookie talent agent. 

3. Do they have a website?

 It's necessary to find out whether the agency owns a website. Doing so will help you learn a bit about the agency's history, including its experience, number of offices, and clients. Also, some agencies will include their recent bookings and where they get work. By so doing, you'll be able to ascertain whether you can be a match.

4. Find the specific agent

You want to make sure that you're speaking to the right agent. First, identify the various departments within the agency and get the person in your relevant field. Once you do so, you should research more information about the individual. It could be in blogs, feature articles, interviews, and more. This is to find what the agent is seeking in a submission.

Once you know what's required, you can read their submission policy, i.e., whether they invite online or hard copy submissions. With this knowledge, you can craft a cover letter requesting a meeting.