Talent Agencies-What do I need to know?

Do you want to be on television or in the movies?

There are lots of film and television roles available in Toronto, Hollywood, Vancouver and New York to name some of the major production centres in North America. The problem is, how do you get to audition for these roles? You've taken local acting classes and you've starred in some local productions. How do you take it to the next level? How do you get there?

Well, you could go to university level theatre schools and get your degree in acting. It would probably involve three to four years of your life, or you could enrol in one of the reputable three-year college programs. After you graduate, you would need to get an agent.

An agent; depending on how reputable they are, would be able to open doors for you, that you can't open for yourself. They would handle getting you auditions with major movie and television studios.

They would handle the financial and legal details for you. An agent works with you to get you work, because the more money you make as an actor, the more money the agent makes. The agent takes a percentage of your earnings in the 10-15 percent bracket, depending on different factors such as what type of acting your are doing.

Now, you don't need an acting degree to get an agent. If you don't want to spend three or four years in an acting school, you can simply submit your photo and resume to various talent agencies in a major city nearest you. If you have the right look, you might get lucky and land an agent.

I am over-simplifying the process here. Sometimes you have to audition for an agent. Sometimes you don't.

Where do you find a good agent? Good question. First question though should be; why do you need a good agent? Because a good agent can get you a job. They have connections. A bad agent can't because they don't have those connections. You also need a legitimate, reputable agent that the film and television industry wants to work with. They also have to be an agency that the actor's unions want its members to work with. How do you know what these agencies are? How can you find them?

Easy. You can look in Canada for ACTRA approved agents or in The United States, you can look for SAG-AFTRA approved agencies. That will take some research, but it is well worth the time. Our company; Bottle Tree Productions has compiled a list of these union-approved agencies in Toronto and Hollywood. The agencies we have listed work primarily with young people.

Hollywood Agencies for Children and Teens


Toronto Agencies for Children and Teens