i need help finding an acting agent?

Question

My mom doesnt support me with my choice of acting being my career so i have to do all agent searching on my own. i'm 15 years old and i dont know where to start, i live in L.A and i've been scammed twice by agencies so i don't want to be caught in another scam. where can i find a REAL agent?Also i was thinking about joining The Acting Corps. does anyone know if that will help me get into the industry? im willing to give up all my free time

Answer 1

To avoid being scammed you have to understand the business and what's accepted practice and what's not. Scammers prey on ignorance and dreams by telling you what you want to hear. You HAVE to be smart.
So, first, go get a copy of How to be a Working Actor by Mari Henry and Lynne Rogers (the 5th edition is out this Oct). It will explain all aspects of the business to you.
Second, get a copy of the Ross Reports and you can submit your materials to agents to specialize in representing children. All the agencies listed in the Ross Reports are legit (as in they won't ask you for money).
If you're just starting out, you do need to get some experience though as mentioned above, so you may want to wait to submit to agencies. Do some plays at your school or local community theatre and sign up for some classes. Second City, the Groundlings and Beverly Hills Playhouse (to name a few) are all well respected for giving solid training.
Regarding The Acting Coorps, I'm not familiar with it, but just realize that there is no guaranteed "in" to this industry. The best way to help yourself is to make your self the best actor (by getting solid training and experience) and the most marketable (by keeping yourself fit and healthy).
Good luck.

Answer 2

it all depends on how marketable you are as an actor/actress. Any reputable agent (one that's worth handing your career over to) will not even look at you until you have some experience, with good reviews. So, how do you get experience without an agent? Be your own agent. Right now is the best time to break into the business because of so many independent productions. It only takes one good part to get you noticed. (look at John Heder he was only paid $1000 for his role as Napoleon Dynamite. because of THAT role he NOW has an agent and is working on major studio productions.) If you do not know how to handle your own career, then you are a shady agents heavenly dream. as with all things, learning how to be an agent for yourself will take time, but each time you are rejected or cast, it all adds up to personal experience. and that's how you succeed. So, how long does it take to find an acting agent? as long as it takes for you to become your own agent. when it comes to the point that you are successfully getting called for audtions, getting cast in parts you want, and are able to negotiate what you want, that's the time when a really good agent will come into your life. They will basically take that what you started and work with that. Hope this helps. Acting is a business, and you are the marketable product.

Answer 3

It is understandable that your mom is not supporting you when you keep getting scammed. All you have to remember is that a reputable agent will not ask you for money--ever. The next thing you have to know is that agents are not just sitting there waiting to make you a star. They only want to most talented, most attractive clients and they are very pickey. So at 15, you had better try to get in the next school play and as many other plays as you can. If you have real ability, your mom will recognize it and perhaps change her mind.

Answer 4

Talk to your mom about it. My mom and dad doesn't really like the idea that I want to be an actor, but they are supportive of me. They asked me to do what I can first (finding classes, looking for auditions,..), and when I need their help just ask them. You are 15 years old, and you still need your parents to take you places and sign stuff. Agents don't ask you for money or ask you to use their photographer. They may recommend someone to you. You should start getting more experience and building a strong resume first.
Good Luck!!!

Answer 5

You have been burnt twice by fake agents and you are looking for a third? Hey, send the money to me! At least I'll be honest about not doing any work for you.

You're suffering from the same misperception of show biz that hurts so many people. Your chances of breaking into the biz are near zip, zero, bupkus. I'm sorry if that seems harsh, but I want to give you a big shot of reality so you don't get burned again.

Here's the real deal. Directors who need a 15 year old character for a show will, 99.9% of the time, go one of two ways: 1. They'll go get Miley Cyrus or some other kid who's already got a big show biz resume--one of the ones whose parents were in the biz (like Beely Ray) or whose parents schlepped them to every audition when they were 2 years old--directors like experience. OR 2. They'll hire someone 18 years or older who looks 15 (with or without makeup) and thus they'll avoid all of the child labor laws. You don't match either of those profiles. And with Mom not supporting you, you are WAY out of the loop--many directors audition the parents as well as their kids.

Now, it's not all lost--you still can have a future in acting. But you have to work at it, and it will take a long time.

Right now, the other advice you've had here--get in your school plays and drama club--is good. Also look for opportunities in community and college theatres--call and ask them if they have roles for a female approx. 15 and if you may audition--if they don't, ask if you can help out with props and costumes or other tech. stuff.

Meanwhile, polish your performance skills. Study dance and voice; learn to sing with a legit and a belt. See if there are acting workshops for teens (in summer usually, maybe at a local college or community center).

Also, dedicate yourself to school, especially history and literature. Read a lot of classic drama--make Shakespeare and Williams into fast acquaintances.

When you're a junior, start looking for college theatre programs that offer a bachelor of fine arts (BFA) degree. Your school counselors can help, but also ask for opinions from people you've met in community and college theatre productions. You want to identify 3 or 4 programs: 1 or 2 that are long shots (the most wonderful programs--Yale, or Maryland); 1 that's almost for certain (like a good California state university); and one that's 100% certain (that's your safety net--maybe even a community college). Don't rely on the reputation of the university as a whole--Wright State University in Ohio, for example, is a lower-division university but has one of the top BFA programs in theatre.

Early in your senior year, you apply to each of those programs. You'll not only need to be accepted to the college, but to the program itself--you'll need to send your resume (with a list of all the shows you've helped in, and all the training you've had), and for the top schools you'll need to travel there for an audition (at your own expense).

Once you're into the best BFA program you can manage, you'll receive all the training and guidance you'll need to make it into the business. It will still be a hard slog after you finish the degree, but this is the way that 99% of professional actors get into the business (and the remaining 1% gets in by becoming famous at something else first--sports, modeling, rapping, etc.).

No reputable, honest agent will consider you until you have professional credentials--and once you've got those, you won't have to pay money up front.

So the question is, are you up for the hard work and sacrifices it will take to make a legitimate acting career (with no promises of stardom)? Or is it just a fantasy about suddenly getting a big break (which never happens anymore)? Up to you to decide, but at least I've given you the straight story--unlike that fake Disney-creep above.

Answer 6

Wait until your 18 and audition with Seymour Butts or Max Hardcore. LOL. Just kidding dont stupe yourself low.
As the previous poster said
Join an amature thearte group or the school play. To help with you developing characters and such. Good Luck.

Answer 7

Hi,

If you do a search here on answers you will see other answers to this question, as it comes up usually a couple of times each day. I answer this question a lot and so instead of writing the same or similar answers over and over again, I have created an ebooklet that will give you a lot of intormation as to what you need to do to get started. Just go to http://www.actingcareerstartup.com/acs-blog.html , sign in on the right side of the page and you can download it for free. It's called: What It Takes To Become An Actor.

The second resource is about getting an agent, although, if you have no training yet, then I doubt that you are ready, but here it is anyway: http://www.actingcareerstartup.com/how_to_get_an_agent.html . It takes you through a process that I used to get two agents and a personal manager in a short period of time in New York. Using the same process, I also got casting directors to actually start calling me in directly for auditions. Doing what I suggest should keep you away from the scammers. One more thing with regard to agents. You might want to check out www.backstage.com. They have information about scams, how to avoid them, who to report them to and the types of scams to look out for.

It's too bad that your parents don't want to be involved, because I would highly recommend that they are.

One more thing. Here is an answer that I gave to a girl about your age not too long ago. She told me that she was having trouble convincing her parents to support her acting career. See if it might help you too:

Hi,

what do you think would really make your parents start to take you seriously and support you?

Do they know what actors do? REALLY? Do they know what it's like being an actor? Do they know what you really have to go through to become an actor?

Do YOU know the answers to those questions? Do you know what it's like and what the issues actors face, what it's like to work on set, what your chances are of just getting work, how hard you'll have to work, how much you will have to invest of your time and energy to study, to do mailings, to write cover letters, to submit yourself for auditions, to prepare for auditions, prepare your monologues, bone up on your cold reading skills, take specialization classes, travel, etc.
Do you know what the average earnings are of an actor these days? Do you know how many days on the average an actor works.
Do you know what it takes to become an actor and do you have what it takes?

Have a look at the following links:

http://www.actingcareerstartup.com to see some of the issues actors face while trying to get work.

http://www.actingcareerstartup.com/working_as_an_actor.html to see what it can be like day to day looking for work.

http://www.actingcareerstartup.com/a_working_actor.html to see what it was like for me once on the set of an independent film.

That’s just a start. I strongly encourage you to talk to other actors, both working and struggling as well. It will help you in your education.

That's a lot of questions I know and I asked them on purpose.

Why?

Because if you can start to answer all those questions, maybe you will be more convincing. I know you're young, but you have to get started sometime. Some teenagers have someone who is an adult and who supports them in their goals. You don't so you can either keep butting heads with your parents or being afraid to approach the subject, or you can start to find out things for yourself.
In other words, the more information you have, the more informed you are about what you say you want, the more you can talk about it intelligently and demonstrate that you know what you are talking about, the greater your chances of being able to convince them to support you. If they havejust as much information as you do, then you are on an equal playing field. They are your parents. They're bigger. They're older. They have the money. They win! At least until you’re out of the house or until they no longer foot your bills!

Is that the way you want it? No? Then get a move on and start doing your homework! :-)

Does doing your homework mean that you will get what you want in the end? Not necessarily. Your parents are certainly taking into consideration your best interests. But even if you don't get them to support you, you will know a lot more than you do now about the profession you say you want to pursue.

Good luck!

Tony
ceo
http://www.actingcareerstartup.com

Answer 8

Local theatre schools will probably have an agency and you don't have to join their school.

Answer 9

did you ask you ask friends for the name of their agent?