You’ve taken your fair proportion of courses, you’ve got some efficiency expertise below your belt, and also you’re lastly able to take the subsequent step in your appearing profession: getting an agent!
Earlier than you start submitting, comply with these 5 steps with the intention to set your self up for as a lot success as doable!
5) Do your analysis
All brokers and businesses do comparable issues to assist their actors get work. Nonetheless, every company has its personal really feel, persona, and manner of conducting enterprise that may be higher suited to some actors than others.
Consider it like shopping for a automobile. All autos will in the end get you the place you wish to go. Nonetheless, the journey may be a bit totally different based mostly on the automobile you select. A quick, shiny, fancy, new sports activities automobile and a used, dependable, SUV every have their very own execs and cons, and entice totally different consumers due to it. It’s as much as you to do your analysis and work out what appeals to you, in addition to what you need and want most out of the automobile you’re shopping for. The identical precept applies to businesses!
Earlier than you start submitting, spend a while on every company’s web site. Learn up on the individuals who work there. Take time to look over their roster, and attempt to get a greater understanding of their company as an entire.
Know somebody represented by an company you’re enthusiastic about? Attain out to them and ask about their illustration expertise! If this good friend is a trusted colleague, ask them to place a superb phrase in for you subsequent time they communicate to their agent. A private suggestion can go a great distance!
- Examples of issues to contemplate and inquiries to ask when researching agencies
- What’s your actor to agent ratio?
- Are your actors represented by all the group, or do they simply have one level agent?
- Is your company SAG/AFTRA franchised?
- How lengthy is your commonplace contract settlement, and are you unique?
Bear in mind, an company can by no means ask you for cash. Steer very away from any “company” that asks you to pay them upfront!
4) Get Skilled Headshots
Apart from good coaching, a top quality headshot is likely one of the most vital profession requirements an actor ought to put money into.
You don’t essentially want skilled headshots when submitting to businesses. Nonetheless, anybody who’s severe about changing into a working actor will want a top quality headshot earlier than they will begin auditioning.
You need your headshot to convey one thing about you and your persona. You need folks to take a look at your {photograph} and say, “Wow! I wish to meet this particular person!” As a result of, in any case, your headshot’s job is to get you within the room.
When you’re trying to get headshots, be sure you take a look at this record of Chicago Headshot Photographers. Browse the headshots on their web site to get a way of their work and discover what you want.
3) Spruce Up Your Resume
A well-formatted resume, crafted with thought and care, is one thing you need to be proud to place your identify on…and is one thing that ought to look skilled sufficient for an agent to place their identify and brand on too!
Your resume is a written snapshot of you as an actor. It ought to exhibit your earlier appearing expertise, your coaching, and some other related abilities or experiences you are feeling set you aside. Earlier than you start submitting your resume to brokers, be sure that your resume formatting is right and follows trade requirements.
Bear in mind, brokers will not be solely trying to get a way of your appearing abilities, they’re additionally trying to gauge your degree of professionalism. The actor/agent relationship is a enterprise relationship before everything. Brokers not solely must know that you could act, however in addition they must really feel assured that you just’ll current your self and their company professionally on auditions and on units.
Unsure in case your resume is as much as par? Take a look at this complete information to renew formatting, which has all the data you’ll want to make sure you current your self as professionally as doable on paper.
2) Brush up in your small discuss
Brokers who’re enthusiastic about studying extra about you after your preliminary submission will more than likely arrange an in-person assembly – at any time when that’s secure and possible to do once more! This may permit the brokers to get a greater sense of you as an individual. It can additionally assist them gauge what you’re vitality is like within the room, and see if there may be potential for a working relationship between you and their group.
Bear in mind, all brokers search actors who’re genuine in themselves and their relationships. Actors who’re genuine in particular person additionally are typically genuine of their work!
As with every “job interview”, you need to be prepared to speak about your self. Do some self-reflection with the intention to assist you to really feel as ready and excited to speak about your self as doable!
- Instance inquiries to journal about and assist you to brainstorm!
- “Inform me about your appearing journey up to now, and what impressed you to pursue this profession”
- “What sort of labor are you most enthusiastic about doing? Movie/TV/Theatre? Why?”
- “What media most excites you proper now? What’s one TV/Film/ you might see your self appearing in proper now?”
- “What are your objectives for the longer term, and the way do you hope your agent may help you obtain them?”
1) Allow them to meet you thru your work
Virtually all businesses will ask that you just share a monologue with them with the intention to get a greater sense of your work.
As with all appearing, however particularly this sort of “audition”, an important factor is that you just deliver as a lot of your self to the fabric as doable.
Bear in mind, brokers aren’t watching your monologue with the intention to forged you in a play; they’re watching it with the intention to be taught extra about you. Allow them to get to know you thru your work!
Discovering a monologue that you just love and that reveals you off nicely is not any small feat. When you need assistance, take a look at a few of these sources on discovering and performing monologues!
Whereas signing with an agent can actually assist you to additional your profession, it’s not the one manner for actors to get work…particularly in Chicago!
Actors all the time have the choice to self undergo casting administrators, theatre corporations nearly all the time maintain basic auditions, and web sites comparable to League of Chicago Theatres are nice locations for non-union expertise to get work and construct their resume.
