Some of my friends have asked me how I got to work with the agency I am currently with, so I thought I'd blog about it here to share the wealth:
1) First, I decided it was high time and that I deserved to have one. And not just anyone, a good one. Its typically easier to get a commercial agent then it is to get a legit agent, and although commercial work is not my ultimate goal, I'm certainly open to the idea of doing commercial work these days. Whateva pays the bills....
So, before I went and spent money on taking classes, or a "one on one," (a one on one is where you pay about $30 to meet an agent/manager/casting director)......I decided to do a mailing, (most economical route first) since I've had some friends who had luck in doing so. I dont recommend doing huge mass mailings often, (too time consuming and expensive) but I think targeted smaller ones cannot hurt every now and then.
2) I decided to mail to the 4 biggest agencies in New York - the agencies that have both a commercial AND legit dept. I had a really kick ass cover letter. I had things to talk about. (I'd recently almost booked a Pantene commercial my manager sent me out on) I told them about my "almost" booked work, my film work, some recent callbacks that I'd had and some namey auditions I'd been out on. All that stuff will help your cause. Sometimes you can be so busy that you forget how much you've really accomplished until you sit and write it down. All the "close calls." Instead of getting frustrated about not booking a job, turn that callback into ammunition for getting an agent or updating a casting director. Close calls turn heads!
3) Luckily, I have a manager. So I got her involved. I had her review my coverletter and give feedback. Then I put together a "press kit" for myself that included: a nice folder with my acting reel, 3-4 different headshots, my comp card (modeling card) and my manager's biz card. I addressed them all as though they came directly from my manager, with the coverletter attached to the outside of the folder.
4) And we got some interest. I came in, met with one of the commercial agents I'd mailed to, then had a second meeting with their entire commercial dept. Now I am signed with them.
The only thing I can say about meetings with agents: not to want it too badly. To go in, be yourself, have certain questions ready to answer such as:
-- what have you been up to lately?
-- which casting directors already know you?
-- review your resume in case they ask questions about specific projects
And generally, just be real and upbeat. Don't talk about or even hint about "how hard" it can be at times. No one wants to hear about that. (And sure, it can be tough, but then there are the ups too and you have to train yourself to focus on the ups instead - chin up!!) And dont "talk down" something you did like its no big deal. You dont need to exaggerate either, but just keep it genuinely positive.
Sidenote: Look amazing! Like you are going on a hot date or to a screening where you know you'll have your picture snapped. Hair and makeup in check. Get plenty of sleep. Do some yoga before. Buy a new outfit if you can - whatever you can do to feel really good about yourself.
5) I really love my commercial agency - and after a few months together, I asked my commercial agent if he felt comfortable passing my info onto their legit dept. I was lucky - he was incredibly supportive, so I put the same kit together for him to pass on that I'd originally sent to him in the first place. He was even kind enough to give me feedback on my letter before handing it over. He wanted to be sure that their legit dept saw me as a film and theater actress - so he advised me NOT to talk about my commercial or modeling work. (to this day there is still some snobbery about commercial actors not being good legit actors, which is not the case of course)
6) This legit agent called my manager when he received my package, I had a first interview, then recently a second one (again, refer to the advice above for holding this sort of meeting). We havent signed anything, but we are working together for a while to "see how it goes."
Some further advice about this:
--if you are writing a coverletter and feel like you have "nothing to talk about." What's that about? Give yourself time - BE PATIENT. Keep at it - keep self-submitting yourself, keep getting involved in readings, friend's projects, different organizations. Keep doing it! You'll soon gather a body of work, you'll get auditions and even callbacks and then YOU WILL have things to talk about.
--"I dont have a manager yet to help me out:" Just write the letter and send it in yourself. BUT - in a few days (I'd say no more than a week), call and follow up. Don't be afraid to do this - these people put on pants the same way you do each morning. They are not super human. You'd be surprised at how nice these folks can be. You are simply making a business transaction. Another good tip: place your material in a brightly colored envelope. So when they say "hmmmm.....I dont know if we got it yet," you can say "its in a bright red envelope."
Another sidenote: It may seem like this worked out so easily for me, but I've met with agents I would NEVER want to be with. One actually said to me, "who the fuck do you think you are, Naomi fucking Campbell??" (ok - this is a rare occasion and I was new to the city....this agent is known to be crazy!!) Another told me I wasnt "pretty enough." (that's when I learned to actually put some effort into my makeup/hair/wardrobe) And you bet that hurt! But hindsight, I'm happy NOT to be working with that agency, and it freed me up so I could be with the one I am with - and they are 1000 times better!
I hope this helps and that the above didnt scare you. You gotta get used to getting knocked down and getting right back up again. Being able to laugh about it all and not make it any more important than it really is. Cause in the grand scheme, its not that important. Having close friends and family is what's REALLY important.
There is no right or wrong way to go about these things. You have to find YOUR WAY. Relax. If you are committed to this work as a lifestyle, you'll find a way to do it. And its different for each of us. It sounds so cliche - but you must always be true to yourself and do what feels right for YOU.
;)
Good luck!
