When you get an agent, do you only pay them for gigs or do they get a paycheck?

Question

And how can I find an agent?

Answer 1

Agents work strictly on commission. When you get an agent they are working to help find you jobs and when they set up auditions for you and you book a job from that, you pay them 10% or whatever is stipulated in the contract. Even when you find a job on your own, it would be smart to ask your agent to help you negotiate the contract and pay them the 10% because they are much more experienced than you are in these things. Also, they are spending their time and money looking for jobs for you and while you work on the project you found yourself you may be unavailable to them to get work for which they will get paid. Paying a casting director is never part of the deal... that's a completely separate job. When your agent gets you an audition, it's with a casting director. That person is paid by the production that hired them to cast their show, not by you.

You don't find an agent until you are ready. Do you have the training? Have you gone to class for several months? A few years? Do you have a resume of roles that you've performed? Agents do not take you without that experience so get into classes, audition for local theatre productions, when you're ready add student and indie films to that and then go looking for an agent.

Depending on where you live, you can find auditions on backstage.com, actorsaccess.com, but if you don't live in a larger city your best bet may be to look up your local theatres websites directly. You should also do a web search for your state name and the word film and see what sites you get. Most states have film alliances, commissions, etc. trying to get the industry to film in their state. Those sites have lots of info, sometimes for residents on where to take classes and casting info for projects filming locally. Check out those sites.

When you get quite a bit of training under your belt and a decent size resume, then send your headshot and resume to legit agents. Look on SAG.org for starters. The agents on their site have all agreed to follow certain rules and put the actor first.

good luck

Answer 2

If your talking about a casting agent, then you do not pay them anything. Ever.

They find you work, take a commision and pay you the rest.
When they pay you is dependant on their individual practices and usually they pay per Gig.

As to finding an agent, consult people in your industry, contact you local Entertainment Union organisation for a list of possible contacts, go through the phone book, and then interview them.

You are asking them to work for you. You are employing them. They are not employing you. You can pick who you think is going to serve your needs best and them "hire" them.

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