Reference: StudentFilmmakers Magazine, May 2007. Landing an Agent How to Get an Acting Agent: 7 Important Guidelines by Vanessa Daniels. Pages 52.
In the acting industry, landing an agent can be more challenging than landing a role. Having an agent is a great desire among all actors, the advantage being they will be able to open certain doors in the industry and get you into certain auditions you would not get otherwise. There are several ways to go about getting noticed by an agent:
• Perform in a student or industry showcase.
• Get a role in an off, off-Broadway show and invite agents to attend.
• Do a mass mailing of your headshot and resume to every agent on whichever coast you reside.
I have had 3 agents up to this point in my career. The first discovered me in a show downtown, the second at a student talent showcase, and the current I acquired through a mass mailing. My experience is proof that there is no right or wrong way to get noticed, the important thing to remember is to GET NOTICED. Don’t wait for them to discover you. Below are a few guidelines and suggestions.
1. Avoid the narcissistic cover letter. A casting director the other day had a room full of auditionees cracking up as he read aloud the worst cover letter of all time. It was 3 pages long, and led its reader through a self-indulgent account of one young aspiring actress’s journey. She is “by divine right the next big thing” and talked about how “all the art inside the depths of her soul kept her awake at night; for she knows she is the light, the truth, the beauty that should be thrust upon the stage and silver screen.” Keep your cover letters short and sweet. “To Whom It May Concern: Photo and resume attached for your consideration.” Include your contact info. Nothing more. Agents won’t read it. They WILL read your resume, so if you have a few solid credits and a professional 8 by 10 headshot attached, it will get you noticed. If you happen to have a short reel (no more than 4-5 minutes), I suggest including that as well.
2. DO NOT call agents’ offices to follow up. Agents are extremely busy people and receive hundreds of headshots and resumes weekly. They do not have time to personally thank you for sending yours. “Don’t call us we’ll call you” is the way it works. They will call if they are interested in setting up a meeting.
3. Make your mailing stand out: typed labels, brightly colored envelope. Call attention specifically to the person running the department you are interested within the agency. For example, if you are trying to get a commercial agent address the envelope with the name of an agent in the commercial department. You may want to try including the assistant’s name, as he/she is usually the first person to open the mail.
4. Should you land a meeting with an agent treat it like a job interview. Dress to impress, have extra headshots and resumes with you, but don’t offer them unless asked. Be well groomed and well rested. An agent wants to see how you will present yourself in an audition. If you look like a starving artist who stayed out too late the night before in their office, they will most likely not want to send you to castings.
5. The best time to do a mass mailing is when you are in a show that the agent could actually come and see you in. Mail an invitation and announcement of your upcoming work. It may be a good idea to avoid doing mailings during an agent’s busiest season (typically fall and spring during pilot seasons). Agents are less likely to sign new people at this time because they are consumed with a larger number of incoming breakdowns (casting listings).
6. A great resource to find a complete listing of all the East and West coast talents agents is called The Ross Reports. You can find it at most bookstores or newsstands, and a new publication comes out every three months.
7. If you are a student enrolled in a performing arts program, inquire if and when the school holds auditions for an agent or industry showcase, as well as any other industry opportunities they may offer throughout the year.
Finally, the best advice that holds true with most pursuits in life is be persistent. Be patient. And know that luck (especially in the acting industry) always has something to do with it.
Vanessa Daniels’ credits include Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Boiling Point (MTV), Trackers (Oxygen Network), The Difference (Nickelodeon), and the recently completed feature, The Sandpiper, as well as numerous commercials, student films, and regional and off-broadway shows.
