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Explore Talent AgenciesSo what do you need to have in your “portfolio” when you are looking to explore a talent agent or manager? First off, you need a good “headshot.” A headshot is an up and close professional photo of you. Just turn on a computer and click on the Internet to find thousands upon thousands of qualified headshot photographers. Or better yet, ask a friend or a colleague in the “biz” who might be able to recommend a good photographer. After obtaining your headshots (you should have many copies printed out), you’ll need to put together an acting reel to showcase your various talents, such as a clip or two from a comedic scene or some clips from a dramatic short film.
You need to show that you can not only act, but that your talent surpasses the many other actors trying to explore the same talent agents. I know this sounds like a Catch 22. You’re thinking, “I need an agent to book a part so I can build a reel, but I need a reel to get an agent?!” That used to be the worry way back when. But nowadays, all you need to make a reel is a small video camera, an editing machine on your computer and the right material to showcase your talents. Look on You Tube; everyone today is making shorts or posting funny skits or random clips of themselves acting in a scene. To explore talent agent jobs, you have to really understand that you need to make a splash and show them every way and any way that you are better and more talented and creative than the rest of them.
The biggest thing to understand is that when you explore a talent agent or manager, you need to realize that you’re interviewing them as much as they are interviewing you. Sure you might be over the moon when an agent wants to take you on as a client, but if they are not going to get you out there in the best possible way or if they don’t believe in you as much as you think they should, then maybe it’s worth holding out for an agent or manager who will be the right match for you. And remember, starting out with an agent or manager at a small firm is not a bad thing.
Sometimes it’s the best path for a new actor in town. If you got the opportunity to sign with a top agency right off the bat, chances are you’d be a small fish in a big pond and you would get lost in the shuffle. That’s not always the case mind you, but most likely you’d be best served with an agent who can really focus his or her attention on you, helping you build a solid career in the biz. The best tip for all the young talent gearing up to explore a talent agent or manager is to go with your gut. If you feel it’s a good fit when you get signed with a talent agent, most likely it is. |