If you’re anything like I was when Zack was starting out you are probably experiencing a few truths: 1) you have no idea where to begin 2) you could very easily be taken advantage of and there are people out there who will try to take advantage of you and, by proxy, your child, and 3) you’d give anything to have a tutor willing to offer you guidance. We were so fortunate to have a friend with lots of experience in the “business” who was willing to act as a manager for Zack, and truly be that tutor for us as we got started. We were also , eventually, able to sign with an agent who works specifically in musical theater.
Although we were lucky to have experienced both, the truth is you don’t really need to have both a manager and an agent. They each take a percentage of the money when your child “books” a job so if you have both representatives generally 25% of his/her pay will automatically go to his/her “team”. While I feel that both their services are invaluable, the sad truth is that it is rare for a child to become wealthy while getting started (or really ever) in the entertainment business, and it is best to choose one or the other. We have needed to be very frugal during Zack’s first “big” gig just to allow us to maintain the two households necessary while affording him this opportunity.
There is quite a difference between an agent and a manager and the choice of which to contract with is a very personal one. I’ll give a little information here about each and hopefully it will offer you some insight and guidance. As always, please comment with any additional information you may have. I love to learn new things too. I would ask that if the conversation turns to particulars about a specific agent or manager by name that you take it to a private chat. I think it’s great to share that information and help each other out, but this just isn’t the forum. I would also be happy to offer any information about our experiences outside of the blog.
An agent, as mentioned in last week’s blog, will typically work for a talent agency. There are many many different types of agencies out there. The different agencies may have specialties or, if they are a bigger agency, they may offer many specialities with certain agents assigned to each area. Some of these divisions can be babies, print, film, dance, or musical theater. Although there are many agencies, the number of talent looking for representation is far greater. An agent will generally sign a contract with you for 18 months and will typically take 10% of earnings from any project /job that you book. The talent agent’s job is to find audition opportunities for you and to schedule appointments for the auditions. When you book the job, they will then act as the liaison between you and the company you are working for, ensuring all paperwork is processed to allow prompt payment and also act to foster smooth communication.
Sometimes agencies are described by their size. A boutique agency has a smaller number of clients , 100-150. They may have only a single agent working for them or as many as 4. A bicoastal agency is a medium sized agency with offices usually in both LA and NYC. They may have as many as 200-250 clients. They may handle kids and adults in all departments. It’s important to know that just because you are represented by this type of agency you are not necessarily going to be submitted for all projects. Only certain agents will have contact with certain casting directors so it is important to be clear with the agency what type of work most interests you before signing with them. Above the bicoastal agency are the mid sized and corporate agencies. These are huge. They have hundreds of clients and are the professional sports/Hollywood star agencies.
A manager is different from an agent in that he/she doesn’t only look for “job opportunities” for your child. He/she will actually “manage” the child’s career. A manager will typically sign a contract for the long term, as long as three years, and will be compensated 10-15% of your child’s earnings. Given his/her involvement in the whole career, he/she tends to represent far fewer clients, which allows him/her to give your child more individual attention. He/she may help with picking out the best photos from an entire photo shoot, assist with clothing choices for an audition, offer advice and feedback for/from certain casting directors and projects, and offer emotional support when things get difficult. He/she may also be very helpful with publicity, including management of social media and/or creating your child’s own web page.
For two reasons it is best to obtain an agent/manager through a referral from someone you trust: 1) there are many people looking for representation and a referral will get your foot in the door and 2) although there are many reputable agents/managers out there , unfortunately there are are also many who have bad business practices that will take advantage of people who are less knowledgable about the business. I have actually only heard of people signing with an agent/manager through referral ; usually a coach, casting director or a friend already represented by him/her, but I imagine there are people who have obtained representation on their own. I would think that sending a mailing of resumes and head shots to selected agents/managers is another way to obtain representation, as one would with any employment opportunity. I am just not familiar with anyone who has had success with this method.
You should always have a face to face meeting with anyone with whom you are considering signing. You’re interviewing them as much as they are interviewing you. You need to make sure that you are a good fit with the person who is ultimately representing you to the casting world. We had a friend looking for representation for his daughter. She had already booked her first Broadway show but needed an agent. For her dad it was important to work with a straight shooter. He wasn’t interested in hearing a lot of compliments about her work or promises about things that would happen; she was bringing her job to the table and he just wanted to hear what the agent would do for them. It took a few meetings but they were able to find the perfect representation for them and it was through a referral. We were also very lucky to get a referral for Zack through his coaches and have been incredibly happy with his agent. Unfortunately this is not always the case, and you only have to look to today’s entertainment headlines to see stories about talent in big legal battles with their representation.
If you are searching for representation outside of referral be smart and do your research. You should never, I mean EVER, have to pay a fee, tuition for classes, or for a fancy photo package to get someone to represent your child. Most states actually have laws against this type of business practice, but there are always people out there finding new ways to skirt the laws. If you feel like you’re having to pay anything out of pocket up front then run for the hills! It’ll only be the beginning and these are not the people you want representing you. A legitimate agent or manager is paid when, and only when, your child makes money working.
Many locations have online Facebook or social media groups, often closed to the public, offering support to parents of kids in the business. Ask friends whom you see at auditions or workshops if they know of one in your area. These are great groups to belong to as the parents come from all types of experiences and offer the best advice and referrals. A great example is being able to bounce off of them the name of a person who is looking to represent or work with your child. If you put it out to the group I guarantee that within minutes you will have a ton of valuable feedback.
So, I think those are the basics of representation. I myself am struggling right now a bit with the union vs non -union question, so my hope is that I will finish our personal research this week and be able to offer some information in the blog next week. Have a great week everyone!