I have the incredible privilege to interact with tons of actors and industry decision makers every day. This gives me an incredible insight into what’s going on in the industry.
The same pattern emerges over and over again.
Actors are either looking for their first agent or looking for a new agent.
It’s almost as if having “the right agent” is considered the magic pill that will solve the problems inherent to being an actor.
They will get you into those exclusive auditions that you have never been able to get into before. They will introduce you to the movers and shakers in town, and your career will take off like a rocket overnight.
In reality, whether you are signed to WME or Buddy Joe The Talent Agent, your agent is only part of the equation and there are things that 99.99% of them will never tell you.
In many cases, having an agent could even end up hurting your career more than anything else.
Here’s why...
When an actor signs with an agent, it’s usually an incredible relief.
As actors, we are creatives and want to work on our craft, perfect our skills, and spend as much time as possible pursuing our passion.
So, when we get to off load the “boring stuff” to someone else, it is incredibly liberating.
Now that we have an agent, they will take care of sourcing auditions, market us to the industry, negotiate our rates, introduce us around town and do everything else that we want no part of.
All we have to do is sit back and wait for the phone to ring. Nearly actor I have ever known, has done this.
Think back to the agent (or agents) you signed with and it will seem as if they almost encourage you to do this.
At the end of the day, if an agent wants to take you on as a client, they will want to make it seem as if you can just put your trust in them and hand over the proverbial keys to your career. They’ll take it from here, while you just come along for the ride and show up on set to do your thing.
This can actually kill your career before it even has a chance to get off the ground.
The reason is that, no matter how well intended your agent’s actions may be, at the end of the day they have dozens of clients and careers to manage and there is always a fresh face at their door wanting to be signed.
It’s not entirely their fault. The agent-actor model is simply broken. You have one career and one chance to fulfill your dreams.
They have an almost unlimited number of chances, because they simply sign another client, then another, then another.
There are far too many flaws in the system to go into here. Besides, it would be much more productive to talk about the solution.
The #1 thing your agent is NOT telling you, but that is absolutely crucial to your success as an actor is: they need your help.
Times have changed and having a powerful, connected agent doesn’t mean what it used to.
Your career and your destiny are in your hands...and that is a very good thing if you play your cards right.
More on this in a sec.
I’ve known actors signed to elite agents that never opened a single door for them.
Casting Directors are looking for more than just talent. Today, it’s about being a well rounded and marketable person off set too.
Audiences will show up at the box office or tune in to a show for actors they genuinely like as real people.
Your agent could be submitting you to everything you are a fit for, but if you are a polarizing personality or if there are other red flags that come up when casting does their due diligence on you, chances are, you won’t be getting called in as often as you should be.
Not to mention, your bookings will be inexplicably few and far between.
I get emails everyday from actors that are dumbfounded at how other actors with far less experience are being selected for roles they also went out for.
Invariably, it’s because the other actor was more visible to the industry and that makes them more relatable and more likeable.
I built this to help you out with that.
The old way of “fake it ‘til you make it” is long gone and what CDs are dying for are actors that are genuine.
In the age of social media, that’s what really matters because a façade will only stand for so long before the truth comes out.
If you are difficult to work with, all it takes is a tweet from a costar to get the public and the industry to turn their backs on you.
Luckily the opposite is also true, and careers have been made from a single post.
This is the way in which you should be helping your agent.
They may be submitting you to projects that you are a perfect fit for, but hundreds of other agents are doing the same thing for their own clients too.
If you don’t have a way to differentiate yourself, you are likely to get lost in a sea of submissions. Come up with ways that you can stand out and rise above the crowd.
Meet with agent as often as possible to strategize this. Everyone’s career goes through stages, and it’s important that you and your agent are on the same page and working together to keep your career moving from one stage to the next.
You and your agent are partners and it’s important that you carve out time to strategize on your next steps.
It can be difficult for your agent to make the time to do this, since they tend to have dozens of clients to service.
Even so, if they can’t make time to do this with you at least every 3 months, it may be time to find a new one.
If you feel like you and your agent could be a great team, then communicate with them and let them know that you need this. If they agree that you two can work great together, then they will make the time.
Regardless, whether it’s your current agent or your next agent, remember to help them!
Give them the tools they need to make you a success.
When your industry reputation matches your goals, and you have the ability to deliver stellar performances on set, all while being highly visible to the industry, the sky does not even begin to describe the limit.
Our mission at Boost My Star is to top level the entire industry by giving hard working, dedicated actors like you every possible advantage to help you succeed.
When you succeed, the entire industry wins. That’s why I hope to...
See you at the top,
Scott