Acting Tips: Finding an Agent in Los Angeles

Okay, you’re in Los Angeles and looking for representation, that key factor in getting a shot at roles in top-of-the-line film, television, commercials, etc. Thousands of LA actors are looking for agents, and even among union actors fewer than half reportedly have one. People in this business will tell you it’s hard to get an agent – especially a union-approved agent – and it is. That shouldn’t deter you. Many factors enter into an agent’s decision to represent you, including your age and type (and how often those come up in casting), as well as acting talent and experience. Don’t second-guess the agent, or yourself.

A good resource on the LA actor’s experience is An Agent Tells All by Tony Martinez, a long-time pro in the Los Angeles market. You can get it in hard copy or for Kindle and Chapters 7 and 8 speak specifically to this issue of getting an agent. You’ll find much more information there, including tips on how to handle the all-important agent interview.

Another resource, very useful from the practical standpoint of who to contact, is at Backstage magazine online. First a very good guide to agents - what they are and what they do - here.  (Also check out other useful guides here. Good stuff!)  Then the Backstage Call Sheet, available here.  The Call Sheet tells you what agencies are accepting submissions (some are closed and some only take referrals) and how they want to see your material. Hugely helpful.  (See other Backstage resources here.)  Many agencies prefer actors to submit online, which makes it easier for them (and you too!)

If you don't have an IMDb Pro account online you should get one, because it gives you access to tons of information about specific talent agencies, as well as ratings, links to agency websites and email addresses for specific agents.

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

What to have ready:

Photos: You’ll want to pull together a selection of headshots for comedy and drama and 3/4 to full body shots for commercials (I leave all of mine unretouched). On the East Coast they also ask for candids, but I've noticed that in Los Angeles they often ask for "lifestyle" shots, which are professional photos of a relaxed, casual scene with you and possibly one or more others in the shot. Since I'm new to Los Angeles I initially sent in the candids, but made a mental note to have lifestyle shots taken in my next round of professional photos. Be sure you have your photos as both prints and .jpg files.

Links to your profiles at Actors Access, LA Casting, and IMDb.com. The first two allow you to set up a link that will take agents directly to your information without having to log in. Be sure you have set that up before you get started.  Also an actor résumé in a .pdf file that you can print. You can find appropriate formats online.

A short cover note. Two to three sentences. Don't repeat information on your résumé. Keep it professional, but friendly. This is a business. The only reason for taking you on as a client is if you have earnings potential.

A video demo reel with five minutes or less of your best acting (where it appeared is less important than how well you performed.) At LA Casting you can link individual clips to your profile credits. For snail mail you can put this on a DVD, but also upload your demo to Vimeo or YouTube for those agencies that want a demo submitted online.

An mp3 file of your audio demo reel if you plan to submit for a commercial and/or voice agent. This can go on a CD if you're mailing it.

That’s all you need. No gimmicks, no gourmet food baskets, no touting yourself as the next Meryl Streep/Tom Cruise.

Where to send it: You’ve got your headshots, you’ve compiled a respectable list of film, television, and theater credits, and you’ve got clips you’re proud to show. Now you’re ready to start submitting your material to agencies. But which agencies? Not every agency is suited to your specific type and goals.

If you're a relative unknown, Martinez suggests trying for a commercial agent first, since it can be easier to get your foot in the door with an agency there. I think that's a good strategy if commercials are among the gigs you're looking to book. Once you have a commercial agent, then you might look within that same agency for a theatrical agent or voice agent, or seek a separate agency that specializes in voice or theatrical representation.

SAGAFTRA posts lists to their website of union-franchised agencies all over the country, and those from the AFTRA side typically have coded indicators as to what kind of performers they’re looking to represent (children, adults, comedians, ethnic types, etc.) or projects for which they’re frequently submitting (commercials, daytime drama, foreign/international, and so on). See below.

AFTRA Specialty Codes for Talent Agencies

Another strategy is to make a list of strong supporting actors who are in your age range, but not the same type (you don’t want to be in conflict with an established client). Look up each one on IMDb. Are they getting more work? What kind? How often? If you’re impressed with what you see, find out who represents them (if you've subscribed to IMDbPro you'll see the agency). Note the agency’s ratio of clients to agents; more than a hundred or so could be a red flag. This is a business for them AND for you. You want an agent who has the time to work with you to build a lucrative career for you both.

Referrals: If you can get a referral to an agent, open your cover note with that. It has to be genuine because the agent will likely check. It can be a referral from those inside or outside of the business as long as they know the agent personally. It can be a referral from the agent’s assistant, if you two have developed a friendly relationship. Martinez says that a referral from an acting teacher only counts if the teacher is willing to pick up the phone and call; in other words, put their reputation on the line for you. If they’re not willing to do that, leave teacher referrals off. That makes sense to me.

When to submit: Tony Martinez says agents are always looking for new faces, but the best months to make contact are April, May, and June, after Pilot Season when agents are catching their breath and looking for new faces to fill holes in their client base. Avoid December, he says. Not only are people distracted by the holidays but they’re beginning to look ahead to Pilot Season and what that will entail.

Whether mailing or emailing, Martinez suggests sending out five submissions a week (one a day) until you sign with an agent. Again, if it's a blind contact (no referral), be sure to address your materials to a specific agent by name. Here's why: I - like most actors - get spammed from time to time with emails from agencies saying they’ve seen my clips on Actors Access (or some other site), they loved what they saw, and they’d like to have me come in to discuss representation. If the email doesn't open with “Dear Kathryn” I delete it. An agent feels the same way.

So unless the agency site instructs you otherwise, yes address your materials package to a specific agent if you want someone to actually look at it. If you don’t get a response within four to five weeks, feel free to then send your materials to a different agent at that same agency.  Never to more than one agent at the same agency at the same time.

What helps to set you apart: A professional attitude (positive, friendly, cooperative, workmanlike) and a unique look that people remember. You don’t have to be drop-dead gorgeous or have rippling muscles to be a successful actor. Consider that Mark Rolston, Zeljko Ivanek, Jayne Atkinson, Roma Maffia, and thousands of others who don't look like Julia Roberts or Chris Pine nevertheless have fantastic acting careers.

Another thing that helps is comedy experience, particularly ensemble sketch comedy and Improv, because these showcase your acting skills and how you work with others. There’s lots of work for someone who can make people laugh, so if you’ve got it, flaunt it.

What to do while waiting to be signed? Keep building your experience and sending out résumés. If an agent says no but stay in touch, then STAY IN TOUCH! Send regular updates on the work you’re doing. Don’t assume he/she is just brushing you off. Their needs may change over time, and you will doubtless be getting better.

If an agent just says no, consider that there are lots of reasons why an agent may pass on you that are unrelated to your acting ability. Your age, type, and experience may not be in sync with what the agency is casting at the moment. They may already have too many actors on their rolls who are similar to you (which is why you research an agency and its client base first). There may be little chemistry between you and the agent (hey, not everybody clicks), in which case try another agent at that same agency. The word I hear now in LA is that agencies are looking for more "ethnic" types. If you're NOT an ethnic type, don't worry. Eventually the need is filled and they they start looking for something else.

Most important, believe in your talent. Legend has it that an agent once brushed off a potential client, saying “Who’s gonna hire a 4 ft. 11-inch character actor?” A reasonable thing to ask you say, unless of course the young actor is Danny DeVito.

That agent lost A LOT of money.