Acting Colleges

Top Actng Agencies, Casting Calls, Acting Auditions: What Does It All Mean?

Acting Agencies

If you want to be a professional actor, whether you are in London, Toronto, New York, Los Angeles, or Chicago, eventually you are going to need a professional agent that can get you in to see the people that do the hiring, IE....casting directors, producers, and directors. Let's take a quick look at some of the different types of talent agents. Mind you, some specialize and some will have some of these categories under one agency.

Child Acting Agencies

Some agencies will devote their whole organization to just children and young adults, while other will have a children's division. One is not necessarily better than the other. Both will/should be a licensed withe the state and the Screen Actors Guild. They are going to make sure you get head-shots and the correct work permits for your child. There are definitely a lot of rules that go along with having your child work as an actor and reputable agent will make the process much easier.

Places like the Abacus Acting Agency in the London area, have been working with kids for over 30 years. These are the kind of places you want to find.

Modeling and acting agencies: What's the difference?

Well, in theory, they do the same work.

1. Submit there clients for a project
2. Set up the audition if the person doing the hiring wants to see there client
3. Negotiate the terms of the deal if the client were to get hired
4. Rinse and repeat.

Now, this is the basic outline of what an agent would do. Modeling and acting are two different animals. The acting world is monitored by the Screen Actors Guild. These rules are put into place to protect the actor and really make sure that the process runs fairly for both parties. The biggest rule in the actor/agent relationship is that the agent can take no more than 10% of what the actor makes on any project the agent helps them land.

In the modeling world, though their may be standard rates or commissions (20%), there is no guild making sure people comply.

So it you ever run across an acting agency that is going to charge you more than 10%, move on. This means they are not sanctioned by the Screen Actors Guild(SAG) and you don't want to do business with them. Modeling wise, I would not work with an agent that is going to take more than 20%.

Acting terms you've heard, but may not actually know what they are.

Casting Calls - This is something that goes out to the agents from the casting directors letting them know what they are looking for for the project they are working on. The agent, in turn, will send all the people they represent that meets this criteria to the audition.

Cattle Call - Same as above, but this audition will usually allow people who are not represented in addition to the people that are send through an agency.

Acting Auditions - The 'simple' process that allows a film, TV, theater, or commercial producer find the right actors for there project. This process can be anywhere from one audition all the way up to 7 or 8.

Acting Agencies

London

Abacus Agency - Children and Young Adults
Surrey

Markham & Marsden - Actors & directors working in film, television, theatre & radio
London
020 7836 4111
markham-marsden.com

Independent - Formerly ICM London
London

Amanda Howard Associates
London

NCI Management
London


Acting Agents Toronto

VOX Talent - Canada's non union voice-over agency
Toronto
voxtalent.com

Characters Talent Agency Toronto
thecharacters.com

Fallis Talent Management
(416) 515-9904?

Melissa Le Talent Agency
melissaleetalent.com

Century Models and Talent Agency
centurymodels.ca

Carolyn's Kids
carolynskids.com

Endeavor Talent Agency Toronto
www.endeavorbackground.com


Top Talent Agencies in New York

Atlas Talent Agency New York
www.atlastalent.com

Paradigm Talent Agency New York
www.paradigmagency.com

Endeavor Talent Agency New York
Note: William Morris and Endeavor have merged to become William Morris Endeavor Entertainment.

CESD Talent Agency
www.cesdtalent.com

Agency Group
www.theagencygroup.com

Creative Artists Agency LLC
www.caa.com


Top Los Angeles Talent Agencies

AKA Talent Agency Los Angeles
www.akatalent.com

Metropolitan Talent Agency Los Angeles
www.mta.com

Endeavor Talent Agency Los Angeles - Powerful
Note: William Morris and Endeavor have merged to become William Morris Endeavor Entertainment.

RPM Talent Agency
www.rpmtalent.com

Creative Artists Agency (CAA) - This is the big time.
www.caa.com

International Creative Management - The big time, as well.
(310) 550-4000

Abrams Artists Agency - Very solid
(310) 859-0625

NTA Talent Agency - Good smaller agency
www.ntatalent.com

Coast To Coast Talent Group - Great group, I know one of the owners
ctctalent.com


Listen, there are 1000's and 1000's of agents out there across the world, but only a hand full that you really want to be associated with.

Advice: Get into a acting school or class or go to college to study this stuff. If you are good and throw yourself into it full-time, you have a much better chance of attracting an agent or someone that can introduce you to a good agent. This is especially true in these large markets. You won't be able to call CAA and request and appointment.

On the other hand, if you live in a smaller market like Detroit or Dallas, you will have a pretty good shot of the local agencies meeting with you even if you don't have a lot of experience. They have acting work and a lot less competition. It's just something to keep in mind.

Good luck!

Acting Agencies