Job Description

An agent is an actor�s representative. An agent will submit clients for roles and try to get actors seen by casting directors. The agent will take a percentage of the clients gross pay once a job is booked. They will negotiate fees and contracts, and are the actors greatest professional advocate. Agents serve as representatives of their clients in the entertainment industry. Agents send client submissions for parts to casting directors and producers. If a client is chosen for a role, the agent will then demand the industry standard percentage of the client�s pay.

Agents for the many facets of the entertainment business, including agents for film, television, theatre, commercials, and voice-overs. Agents receive information about upcoming auditions from producers, casting directors or from a service called PCR Newsletter, astcall and Castweb which is only released to agencies. Because the audition process is so highly competitive, an agent can snag that hard-to-get audition, helping their client beat out several other hopefuls who have no representation.

Being An Agent

There are three basic ways an agent acquires clients.

They are:

1.  The agent needs to be on the lookout for new talent, sees an actors work and calls them in for interview.

2.  Frequently actors are recommended to the agent by a casting director, director, producer or fellow actor who is a client of that agent. 

3.  Agents often call an actor in for an interview because of a photo and cv, which was received in the mail.

Getting to see an actors work is the best way to get clients one wishes to represent, because an agent needs to get to know an actors range before they can represent to the best of their ability. Even if the agent is interested in an actor via another route, they�ll probably want to see them perform in something before representing them. 

When running an actors agency it is important that all actors represent the agency with dignity and respect. One of the biggest challenge may be if an actor is late to a photo shoot or a production. When a film is in progress and an actor chooses to arrive late it causes lots financial loss. As the production company is paying for lighting crew, camera crew, other actors, etc. when it is our actors that are late it can reflect poorly on the agency. This is why we stress how important it is to be on time.

The most rewarding aspects that make it all worth while when one sees your actor on a commercial or a film, etc.

Agents work closely with Casting Directors, Production Agencies, Advertising and Marketing Agencies outside of the organisation.

Challenges of an Actors Agent  

Daily notices called "breakdowns". These are descriptions of the characters that need to be cast in the new TV shows and movies that are in more than most clients will ever know.

The agent is the primary liaison between actor and the talent buyers (Casting Directors, Commercial Producers, Commercial Copywriters, Industrial Producers and Production Business Managers). How well the agent services the talent buyers, by being professional and pleasant, by having the actors that the buyers are interested in and by being flexible when negotiating, will determine how useful and therefore how successful the agent will inevitably become.

In order to get auditions, in order to land bookings, the actor  is  responsible for promoting their cv and photo and making themselves known to those who are likely to hire them. (The agent does a minimal amount of this work.)

Day to day what happens?

Check the e-mails/fax first.

Then the post.

Every day there will be cast breakdowns of films or TV or commercial or theatre productions happening and what characters they are looking for.

Read the character description and pitch in with suggestions. Then send photos and CV's of the actors believed appropriate back to whoever is casting.

The rest of the day

Following up on suggestions, talking to actors, negotiating contracts etc. Might also get calls from casting directors who may be having difficulty finding someone. Also it is recommended to go to the theatre two to three nights a week to catch up on what actors are doing. Especially checking out drama school final year productions for new talent.

Can sometimes get calls from Producers usually because they are after one of the 'names' on the books. The way film financing works is films often will only get funding if they have a recognisable cast so producers often contact us directly if they are in the middle of this process.
 
An actor should grow in the roles they choose. They should choose roles that they can do something with. It's short sighted to simply pursue the money. If the script does not immediately appeal, some actors will do the role because he or she wants to work with a particular director at any cost. It usually comes down to how good the script is.

For new and younger signings an agent will try get them good photographs, get them seen by as many people as possible, try and target the new breed of good directors who will stretch them like Shimmy Marcus, Vinny Murphy

With high profile clients it is easier to find them work in the sense that producers know their work, but harder from the contracts point of view. With Equity contracts, there are rules and a structure we are familiar with.

 If one of your actors misbehaves on set the producer would call you. You would have firm words with the actor. Time is money to producers and sometimes overtime rules are overlooked. Try and get 12 hour breaks(12 hour turn around) between calls for actors. You have to remember an actor can be in make-up for two hours before you even start shooting and may have an hour drive home if they are not in a hotel.  

What an agent needs.

First and foremost you have to love to work with people. Having an education in Media and Communications is a plus. More important is to experience it before you "Go for It" It takes a lot of hard work and dedication, it is not as glamorous as it seems. Internship is the best way to find out if you got what it takes to become a successful agent.