Answering YOUR Questions: Getting a Rep the SMART Way

My ray of sunshine friend Cara Saunders asks:

What is the best, authentic way to go about getting representation - agent & manager?

Cara, awesome question! Cara studies with Dallas Travers, too, and Dallas has some AMAZING resources--the most urgent of which is this free phone seminar, The Agent Equation. Click and sign up toute suite for her career-changing tips! 

Otherwise, what would MY action plan be?

1. Work backwards from your goal. With a subscription to IMDBPro, look at your target projects and the people who are getting cast in YOUR roles (guest star, recurring, supporting, etc.). Who are they and who's representing them? Which office's clients are getting the roles that YOU want? Great--put these offices on your short list (limit yourself to 10).

2. Look at their client lists. You want to go somewhere where you'd be a valuable commodity, right? Most talent rosters are visible on IMDBPro or on the office's home site. Are you seeing a LOT of you or none of you? Focus your energies on the ones who could use you most.

3. Look at their clients' chops. Click on the IMDB pages of their clients. Are these people WAY far ahead of you? Are they close to your level? This will help you judge if you need some credits under your belt, or if you may be ready for their roster. If you need more credits, maybe you want to focus on a lower-tier of agency--OR you want to oomph up your resume first

4. Go the whole hog. Time to focus on your target list--which means workshopping with/meeting them when possible, shipping to them regularly, and being ready to make phone calls to ask for meetings. Be consistent, be bold!

5. Be prepared for when you get in the room. Go in with a plan! Helenna Santos has this AWESOME agent kit that she created for agent meetings--it shows all her ships, how she sells and markets herself, and what people have to say about her, leaving reps confident that she's a solid person to represent. It's this beautiful, tidy folder with everything you could possibly imagine--basically, a Helenna press kit. [Crap, I really wanted to find it, but her videos are now archived here. I recommend all of them!]

6. Don't lose heart! I know that finding an agent can be a PAINFULLY trying experience; that it can be frustrating and seem endless. However, know that your time will come--and until then, all you can do is plant your seeds and trust that they will grow when they're ready.

7. Remember...you're your best agent! My manager is AMAZING. We have a stellar relationship and I honestly couldn't ask for anyone better. He's phenomenal, and I'm pretty sure he knows I think so. But there are honestly some times that I wish I could just call casting and pitch myself--and with him as my signed representative, I can't step on his toes like that. It's disrespectful and just doesn't work. HOWEVER! If you're representing yourself, you can do just about anything that you want to pitch yourself, making bold moves on your own behalf without having to worry about overstepping bounds. Appreciate the freedom of this position while you can!

Cara-Sunshine, you're phenomenal, and you are right on time, all of the time. Your perfect rep will be there for you in good time! In the meantime, I think these are pretty killer steps, don't you?

What do you other readers think? Please give me your feedback! :) Blog comments, FB, Twitter!

Ahoy, Mateys!
Jen