Submit, Showcase, and Network

Submit
So you’ve got a list of potential agents – how do you get their attention? The most common way to go about it is to submit your headshot and résumé, unsolicited, by mail. Most of these submissions get thrown away without even being opened – but it won’t hurt you to try.

Timing is everything here – although commercial agents look for new talent on a constant, year-round basis, your best chance with theatrical agents is to submit during the summer months, when TV shows are in re-runs and there’s not too much going on. Above all, avoid submitting in the winter, during pilot season – agents are swamped at this time of year, and it’s all but certain that your envelope will never even be opened.

Your résumé should be printed or stapled on the back of your headshot (click to read more about headshot and résumé presentation), and you should include a very brief cover letter. Enclose these in a manila envelope, closed with the brads but not sealed (a secretary or assistant going through stacks of submissions probably won’t even bother opening a tricky, sealed envelope).

Many actors, to protect themselves from shady dealers, prefer to use a pager, voicemail, or answering service for their professional needs (instead of providing their home phone numbers or addresses). You can find a list of good answering services in the Working Actor’s Guide (the actor’s “bible,” which can be consulted online, but is well worth the $25-$30 it costs to buy a hard copy).

You can download agency address labels here – or buy them from Breakdowns or Samuel French – but try to save time and money by targeting your mailings.

Showcase
One of the best ways to get an agent’s attention is by participating in industry showcases. These are basically mass auditions, in which a group of actors (ideally twenty or fewer) performs a series of monologues and short scenes before an invited audience of agents and casting directors. A good showcase will be about an hour long, and will feature you in at least two scenes or monologues – as in a standard audition, these should be brief (roughly two minutes in length) and should contrast in style so that you can show off your dramatic range.

Most drama schools and conservatories – as well as the more reputable independent classes and private coaches – will organize showcases at the end of term for graduating students, although only the most notable of these programs is likely to attract a significant number of reputable agents. Be wary of expensive classes that advertise glitzy showcases – they often aren’t what they’re cracked up to be; and once they have your money, there’s really nothing you can do about it.

The best types of showcases are those organized by professional showcase companies, a list of which can be found in the Working Actor’s Guide. These companies will generally charge you about $30 per showcase, and will offer you an opportunity to be seen by a group of bona fide agents – as well as to schmooze, network, and ask questions about their agencies and the types of services they provide.

Keep in mind that you probably won’t get an agent by doing just one showcase – you may have to do several before someone calls you in for an interview. If you’re serious about getting signed, this is worth your time and money.

Network
In the entertainment industry, like any other profession, networking makes the world go ’round. The most effective way to get an agent is to get a personal referral. This can be from your acting coach, from a friend or relative, or from any other industry contact you might have. If you have friends who are represented by agents, try to find a time when you can pick their brains about their experience – even if they can’t personally help you to get signed, they may be able to give you some advice about what type of agent is right for you. Use every contact that you have – this may involve wining and dining a few people whom you don’t know very well or with whom you only have a tenuous connection. Be tenacious – in other words, don’t be afraid to pursue these connections – but be respectful as well. Take your contacts to coffee or lunch, or set up an informal phone meeting, and ask a few well-planned questions about the biz before you start asking them to pull strings for you.

Continue: How to Get an Agent Part 4