These days it can be very hard to get yourself an actor’s agent. If you want to be an actor but you don’t have an agent, you miss out on the majority of the casting opportunities that are happening in your area. The entertainment industry is all about becoming well known. But how do you do that when you are first starting out? I want to share some of our 20 year+ knowledge. Here are 8 tips to help you get your foot in the door:
1) Always look professional. Dress appropriately and be on time every time. If you are attending a meeting with your agent, thongs and shorts is not a professional look. This is a business! You don’t need to wear a full suit, but show respect by dressing up rather than down. Smart casual is fine (that means: jeans, thongs, shorts etc are out).
Obviously if you are going to an audition then you wear whatever is appropriate to that specific role. But if you are going to a general meeting with either an agent or casting agent then you should always make an effort with your appearance.
2) The competition is tougher if you are between 16-30 years old (especially if you are a female). This is the age when most people decide they want to be an actor. It’s tough but there is nothing you can do about the numbers of people you are competing with. Generally after 50 years old there is a lot more opportunity for commercial work. And after 70 years of age you are in demand! The reason is that most people give up and either have children or get another career at around age 30. Having said that, you can make a decision early on about what kind of look you want to go for. Bear in mind, there are a LOT of stunningly beautiful young women trying to break into acting (in every major city of the globe). So if you have a quirkier or alternative look then it would be in your interests to emphasize this.
3) Don’t think that if you are ethnic, overweight, geeky, over 30, or have unique features that you won’t get work. In fact it is a lot easier for you to get your first break if any of this applies to you.
4) Most acting agencies won’t take on untrained actors. Agencies traditionally only take a 10% cut of whatever the actor makes. It’s hard work looking after actors! First we have to promote you, and then we have to protect you. And often we have to console you.
There is only so many roles per year. We want to make sure we are sending out the actors that are MOST LIKELY to land those roles. The more you are trained the more chance of success you’ll have.
Don’t despair if you don’t get into prestigious acting schools like NIDA. You can still do some shorter 1 year courses (yes they tend to be expensive because they are private and not government funded). You can also do some shorter courses but you should be trying to do some theatre and short films as well. The more experience you have the more an agent will want to look at you.
5) Any reputable acting agent will want to see your work before they represent you. If you are doing a course, they will often have agent days at the end, where the agents can see your final piece. At least put something short down on video (even your iphone can record you doing a monologue) and burn it to disc to give the agent a chance to see you perform. Seeing actors on film is becoming more and more necessary these days because there really isn’t that much paid theatre work in Sydney anymore. There are also a lot of auditions done on video and sent internationally.
6) You can get a professional showreel done if you can afford it. But it would definitely be in your best interests either way to attend a short (1 -5 days) course on acting in front of the camera. If you do nothing else, then this one is essential. You need to learn where to look (your exact eyeline and which eye is the lead etc), how to tone down your delivery and other essential elements that are NOTHING like acting for the theatre.
7) The most critical selling tool you can have as an actor is your headshot. In the old days this was an 8 x 10 inches black and white hard copy photo. This was the only way that casting agents and directors could identify you. In the internet age things have got a lot more interesting. Almost all of the casting process is done online. In Australia there are 2 major casting databases: Showcast (www.showcast.com.au) and AT2 (www.at2.com.au). They are both subscription based and you really need to be a member of both if you want to be submitted for castings (film, tv and theatre). This is regardless of whether or not you have an agent. These casting databases are how agents, casting agents and directors now communicate.
You will still need your headshot, but you can upload several different coloured photos of yourself to both Showcast and AT2. Depending on the subscription package you get, you may also upload and video footage as well. It’s not usually necessary though when you are beginning: casting agents will just view your headshot.
Because headshots are so important, please don’t scrimp and do it yourself. Get some professional shots done.
8) When approaching an agent unsolicited, you need to come prepared. You are selling yourself as a bankable commodity. If you ring them: be prepared for them to say a flat out “no”. These days you can usually email your cv first and then phone. If you are young you can probably load up some short videos of yourself to youtube and include the link in your cv. If you are older and not so tech savvy don’t despair: just send your cv anyway (remember you are in demand!)
When I say “some short videos” I mean SHORT. Realistically 1 video with about 3 scenes (2 drama and 1 comedy etc) is perfect. Less than 5 minutes total is ideal – we are busy and don’t have to watch your entire repertoire to know if you are good or not (and believe me we will NOT be watching it after 5 minutes anyway!)
So there you have it – our basic tips to help you get and keep your agent. If you are based in Sydney and want representation you can use our contact page to connect with us. Please don’t be disappointed if we can’t take you on – there are plenty of other Sydney agents who may be interested!