I wanted to share today what I have witnessed and learned about approaching an agent for representation. I have seen everything from a thank you note to an ice bucket with milk and 2 dozen chocolate chip cookies as a gimmick to be noticed but here are six things agents LOVE from your submission!
- A really, really good demo that you can back up. If you send them a professionally recorded demo and you actually have the talent and training to back it up. They want to interview you. Oh, don't worry they can tell if the production doesn't match the talent and if they take the time to interview you and have you read for them in the booth, you should be able to bring it!
- A complete resume. Yes, they want to know where you are from, where you went to college, what acting experience you have, who you have studied with, and what your goals are. Although I have never seen an agent say "She went to Berkley? I can't possibly take her on, I have heard them say "There's nothing here about who they are". Please, do not lie or over embellish your life, you will be found out.
- A client or manager referral. This is a key to getting an interview IF they like your demo and sometimes even if they have never heard it, depending on their relationship with the "referee". If you have a friend who has representation in voice over and they are willing to either walk in your CD (which is pretty much obsolete, more on that later) or personally email your demo to their agent for you, you have a great opportunity. This is a definite plus. If you are pursuing voice over acting then your manager should have relationships and a positive track record with voice over agents. Agents like to trust managers to bring them "work ready" talent.
- You did your research. I have seen submissions arrive in the mail to people who have not worked at the agency for over ten years. I have seen voice over demos arrive in the mail addressed to the On Camera Department agents and the accounting staff. I have seen demos arrive in the mail addressed to people who have never worked at that agency. I don't care how you do it, find out the names of the current agents and the correct address. Here's a tip: The receptionist is usually very busy so when you call to get names and their submission policy, be polite, be quick and don't "chat them up", a very nice "thank you so much, have a great day" is appreciated. A check of the agency website will sometimes have their submission policy.
- You Do Not Badger. Sometimes it takes awhile to get to your submission. Agents are working very hard for the clients they do represent. This doesn't mean they are not looking for the next big thing, they are always ready for that but they are truly busy. I have seen assistants go home over the weekend with a stack of CD's and email folders FULL of submissions. Yes, the assistant will filter out the actors he/she thinks the agents doesn't want to hear and then pass the good ones on. This is not agency wide but happens more often than not. If you've done step #1 here, you have a good chance of making it through. Do not call every day or every week to see if they have listened to your demo, they will get to it eventually. If you do this - they will remember your name for all the wrong reasons. You will not get feedback of any kind, so don't ask. By the way, the receptionist is not the one to try and charm into representing you. That is as far as you'll get on the phone, Do not ask to speak to an agent.
- You sent a thank you note. I heard an agent say the other day that she actually got a little teary eyed after reading a simple thank you note from an actor who submitted to her. She of course, got an interview. A hand written thank you for listening note is a positive imprint and of course, the polite thing to do. Sending cookies or candy or flowers or fruit baskets does not get you an agent. A little tip, do NOT put glitter or other stuff to fall out of your thank you note. Who wants to clean that up?
I wanted to finally mention that audio CD's have become a thing of the past. An Mp3 is what agents want. So, if you have permission to send them an MP3, make sure your resume' is in the body of the email, not an attachment, no one wants to download your resume and make sure your contact information is current. Keep your email below 5MB, no one wants to download ton of content. Don't spend a dime on making elaborate CD's. They are no longer industry standard.
Finally - DON'T STOP LEARNING, DON'T STOP SEARCHING, DON'T STOP CREATING, DON'T GIVE UP.
Love,
Lauren
AND...Don't forget! For your free 15 minute consultation call me at 323-985-8648
Reading this brought back a lot of memories! :-)
ReplyDeleteLol Yeah Shelley!
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