A good way to start your career off right is by finding a good agent to work with. The best way to go about this is to reach out to the actor’s unions like SAG-AFTRA and ask for a list of franchised agents. It will be in your best interest to work with a franchised talent agency because any agency that is non-franchised may be more likely to be a con artist rather than a legitimate agency. You certainly don’t want to lose money on something that will end up delaying your progress in your career. A real agent or talent manager will never ask you for up front money, they get paid when you do.
Once you have found a list of talent agencies that you have an interest in, in Charleston, South Carolina it is time to take your next step and start marketing yourself as an actor or actress. You will need to have your headshot, your acting resume and a one-page cover letter. Your mission at this point is to get a talent agent to agree to meet up with you in person to be evaluated as a potential client.
Your headshot should be done well so you capture the agency’s attention. Your resume should show how serious and experienced you are and your cover letter is your introduction. Always make sure you have the correct spelling of an agent and the agency along with the correct mailing address. To improve your chances of getting an agent quickly, you should mail your package to every union-franchised agency. The best time to wait is ten days, then start contacting each agency asking for a meet and greet.
If an agent wants to meet you in person in Charleston, South Carolina, then you are one step closer to reaching your dreams. To prepare for the interview you will want to make sure that you know how to get to the talent agent’s office. Nothing looks worse than showing up late to a meeting. Make sure you dress professionally but don't go too crazy because you do not want your agent to typecast you for specific roles. The talent agent will most likely have a copy of your package, but be sure to bring copies just in case. The purpose of the meeting is to give the agent a chance to determine if you can make it as an actor, so be ready to perform for the agent. That means you should have a monologue prepared to recite at a moment’s notice and be prepared to do a cold reading from a script that the agent hands you.
The biggest thing you should do at your interview in Charleston, South Carolina is to ask the agent questions during the interview. It is important that you have all the information necessary to make an informed decision for yourself. Here are seven questions you should ask during your interview:
Who will represent me from your agency?
How many clients do you currently represent?
What kind of actor do you see me as?
Are there other actors that are similar to me on your current roster?
How would you direct my career?
What kind of work have you gotten in the last six months for your actors?
What do you expect from me?
How do you prefer your actors to contact you?
Do not get frustrated though, you have completed your interview now; that is the hard part. Though you may find there are hundreds of talent agencies out there but when you are applying to get represented you may be faced with a ton of rejection letters and declined. When you think about it, actors like Kevin Costner, Angelina Jolie, John Travolta and Brad Pitt may have faced the same struggles when finding a talent agency to represent them when they first entered the entertainment industry. Honestly everyone gets rejected by agents because agents are never sure who will become the next A-list actor.
Typically, agents will say no to you for two reasons; they may reject you because you look too much like the other actors that the agent represents and another reason may be that they do not believe that you currently have enough experience or training to justify representing you. Take rejection professionally and move on with your acting career. The more agents you contact, the better your chances are of finding at least one talent agent to represent you. You also need to be willing to put in the effort needed to make your agent believe in you in Charleston, South Carolina.
