Talent Agent FAQ
Every actor at some point in their career wants to work with a talent agent. Why?
First and foremost, to get better jobs. Agents have access to the Breakdowns put out by casting directors for their current projects. Once they receive the breakdown from casting, the agent starts submitting talent online from their roster that’s right for the project. Whether it’s a talent agent in Los Angeles, or a talent agent in New York, or somewhere in between, they are there to get their actors in the door and seen by casting.
Why else would you want an agent?
Besides being submitted and seen for projects that you would never know about, once you book a job, your talent agent NY or your talent agent LA will negotiate and contract for you to get you the very best deal and the most money. If you make more money, they make more money. Plain and simple.
How much do they make?
10 percent of whatever you’re making. But if you have a good agent, they will do their best to negotiate in a plus 10. That means they don’t take a commission from you and are paid directly by the client. Sometimes your agent can get it and sometimes not.
There are many other things they will negotiate for you to get you a better deal depending on the medium, the contract and what they think they can get for you.
Other jobs your agent will be doing for you include pitching you to casting, career guidance and helping you with your marketing materials i.e. headshots, resumes, clips, demos and websites.
Something to note is that not all agents do all of these jobs. It depends on the size of their office and how many clients they have on their rosters.
Some agents are bookers while others act more like personal managers and are very hands on. It’s your job to do your due diligence, research and find the best agent for you.
How do you find out information on talent agencies and agents. Start by Googling them and then going to their business websites. I would also recommend checking out IMDB Pro to see who their on-camera talent is and if they are missing you on their rosters.
Or you can contact the Actors Connection, to make that connection!
Hi, I’m a complete novice at voice over but I’d like to do this right. I just took a class here on AC last night and I’m interested in how I can do more while I’m continuing to study, I just don’t know where to start. Any and all guidance would be greatly appreciated.
Hi Daron,
Thanks for reaching out. Since you are new to the world of voice-overs, I would recommend that you start off with a beginning VO technique class that is multiple weeks working with the same teacher. At Actors Connection, you can study with Paul Liberti who is a VO Pro by starting with his INTRO TO VOICEOVER 3-week class. From there based on what interests you, there’s a wide variety of different VO areas that you can learn about from commercials, animation, promo, audiobooks/narration and more. I would also recommend that you take a complimentary actor program consultation with David Rodriguez. He will be able to give you even further details: https://www.actorsconnection.com/about/program-consultations/