I was incredibly lucky when I first started acting and found an agent right away. The agency I signed with has been my agency for the last 18 months and I don’t see leaving them anytime soon. They have gotten me some great auditions in that time and I have booked more than a few of them.
You Don’t Need an Agent Right Away
For the first six to eight months, my acting goal was to build my resume with credits and get enough footage to put together a reel. Even with an agent, I wanted to have good materials for my casting site profiles, my social media and for my agent to have for submitting me to projects.
During that time, I spent everyday submitting to anything and everything that I could on Actor’s Access, Casting Networks, Backstage and Facebook. I got auditions, filmed the auditions and then booked a role. And then I booked another role. And then another and another. By August of 2023, I had landed over 10 roles in feature films, short films and even a music video and commercial. By this point, I had a decent resume and reel.
So even with an agent on my side, everything I did up to this point was from self submits. I was getting auditions from my agent, but I wasn’t booking. And looking back on those auditions, I wasn’t very good. It took more classes, a self tape audition class and a change to my mindset to really get good at auditioning.
I didn’t need an agent to build my resume and reel and as a new actor, this is probably where you will be the first few years. Book as much as you can on your own and build your resume and reel.
You Do Eventually Need an Agent
I have an actor friend who recently got an audition for a guest star role on Will Trent. My other friend loves Will Trent and asked how he could get an audition for the show. Both are actors, but the difference is, one of my actor friends isn’t represented and will probably never see or get an audition for that show. Most auditions for principal roles in SAG movies and shows will only come through an agent.
Casting directors will send casting calls directly to agencies they have relationships with. The agency will submit actors in their roster that fit the role. If their actor is chosen, they will receive an audition invitation which will be passed on to the actor through email or one of the casting sites. These casting calls will never be publicly posted and are only seen by agents and the actors that are chosen to audition.
Where Are You?
Finding representation isn’t easy and could take years. At the end of the day, agents want to know that they can make money by representing you. If you’re regularly booking on your own, or if you have a look that fills an agency needs, it increases your chance at finding representation. I wrote a post on knowing if you’re ready for an agent here. I also wrote a small blurb on how to find representation once you are ready.
Simon Shih 