Talent agent
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A talent agent is a person who finds jobs for actors, musicians, models, and other people in various entertainment businesses. Agents make their money by making a percentage of the money that their client is paid. There are different regulations that govern different types of agents that are established by artist's unions and the legal jurisdiction in which the agent operates. There are also professional organizations that license talent agencies. Some large talent agencies include William Morris Agency, Creative Artists Agency and International Creative Management.
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[edit] Acting Agents
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Actors may be interested in working theatrically (stage, film or television) as well as commercially. Agents will handle all types of acting work while others may specialize in a particular area. There are agents who just do television, there are agents who just do voice-overs and there are agents that might do film and television. Typically, the larger the agency, the more specialized their agents. An agent is responsible for getting you auditions. For that, they will take a standard 10% to 15% fee (of the gross of what you get paid for the job) when you get the job. The exciting thing about having an agent is that if they are good they will have a number of well established contacts that may come in handy when getting you an audition. Also, agents have access to Breakdown Services. Breakdown Services allows them to see many roles that casting directors are looking for. These are not made available to the general public.
[edit] Music Agents
In the music world, booking agents are different from managers. Booking agents are the people that actually book shows for the artists they represent. They make all of the arrangements with the people promoting the shows. The booking agent presents the promoter or producer of the concert with a performance agreement, which is the contract that stipulates the artist’s requirements, including but not limited to lighting, sound, meals, hotel accommodations and transportation. For concert buyers, they work to find the right artist that will fit in the need and budget that is available.
Many of the major booking agencies won't represent a client unless they are already signed to a major label and have national distribution of their music. Because of this, artists on independent record labels often seek representation with an independent booking agency. Some independent agencies in the US include Bigshot Touring, The Billions Corporation, Eclipse Booking, Front Porch Productions, Glacial Booking, Ground Control Booking, Inland Empire Touring, Kork Agency, and The Windish Agency.
Bars and clubs that specialize in presenting live music on a regular basis often employ an individual to assemble the schedule of events. These people are the venue’s buyers, and should not be confused with the booking agent, who presents their roster of available acts to the buyer. Booking agents may also have contacts known as free-lance promoters. These are individuals that agree to produce a concert by locating a venue, providing a sound system and assembling a staff. Producing a show in this manner, at a location that is rented out for a single evening, is called “four-walling,” as it entails renting a venue and receiving no additional services or technical equipment other than the space itself. This has often been the only available option for underground musicians lacking enough popular appeal to gain access to more conventional performance venues (see: Punk Rock).
The cost factor of having a booking agent has to be weighed against what they can do for clients and buyers alike. Some agents represent several different types of artists, while others represent artists in one main area/genre.
[edit] Writer's Agents
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Please help improve this article or section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion. This article has been tagged since January 2007. |
[edit] Scam Agents
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Please help improve this article or section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion. This article has been tagged since January 2007. |
Unfortunately there are many people in the entertainment industry who try to take advantage of new comers. Remember that you should never give an agent money upfront. Be wary of agencies that can charge you a fee and get you pictures or sign you up for acting lessons. Agents may suggest that you get new photos or may recommend classes but should never sell you on them or sign you up for them.
[edit] References
All You Need To Know About the Music Business: 6th Edition by Donald S. Passman
Acting Is Everything: An Actor's Guidebook for a Successful Career in Los Angeles by Judy Kerr
The Los Angeles Agent Book by K. Callan
