Agents Vs. Managers
Comments(0) What is the difference between a Manager and an Agent? That is a very common question in this business.There are quite a few confusions about it.
THE AGENT: An agent’s job is to submit you for any casting productions that have put out a notice of casting a certain roll that you are fit for. They submit you and the casting director will communicate with them to call you in to audition or to book you. Agents start building reputations for submitting good people that fit descriptions listed on the breakdowns. (The breakdowns are an inner industry list of productions casting calls. You must be an agent or manager to receive the list.) The more qualified and professional the talent around an agent is the better the agents reputation builds and the more ability they have to pitch their talents for a casting director to take a look.
The sole purpose of an agent is to submit you for work. The more experienced your agent the more calls you will be sent on. The more professional and current the materials you supply to your agent are the more they send you out. The more you book and the more callbacks you receive, the more attention they will give you.
Most agents take 10% for union jobs and 20% for non-union jobs. Agents that work with commercial print take 15 to 20%. These are averages and they change with each agency. Agents receive that percentage for anything they have submitted and booked you for. So, what if you submit yourself or your manager submits you? You should still pay them a percentage for anything that falls under their contract. That means if you have a commercial agent that has been working with you and your friend Bob pulled some strings to bypass the audition process and you booked a commercial directly you would need to give that agent their fees. But, if you were booked for a TV show via a friend or manager you would not need to pay your commercial agent for that because that is out of the realm of work they seek for you.
Every agent or agency has a board that governs them to prevent a lot of the scams that occurred in the industry in the 70s and 80s. You can receive a list from SAG of all of the agents that they have given their thumbs up on. Those of you in LA that are not union can pick one up in the lobby of the SAG building on Wilshire. If you are union you can login to their website.
THE MANAGER: Now, a manager has a different job than an agent. True they can submit you for jobs just like agents do, but their job is much bigger. They help shape your career a lot more. By helping you shape your headshots to match casting, goals and so forth. They help you get agents that will work for you. They promote you. Not just off the breakdowns, but via their own channels that they have developed in the industry. They spend more time going over contracts and the business needs of the industry. They help with your schedule, your agents, your PR, your style and your connections in everyway that you can imagine. A great manager is priceless.
The tricky thing about managers is that they are not supervised by a board or association. They can ask for as much of the cut as you will agree to. They can be incredible or horrible. You need to really be able to pick your manager correctly. Most managers have three to five year contracts because of the time and energy they invest in your career. They usually take 10 to 20% of whatever monies are earned. That includes money for personal appearances, commercial, theatrical and any other monies you make from the entertainment industry. If you book a commercial through your agent and they are owed 10% of a job and your contract with your manager is 20% then 30% of the money will be paid to your staff. And they are your staff. So hire them well.
Not everyone starts off their careers with a manager. I personally am for a manager, but I am for a manager that you can TRUST. There are so many scams out there you really need someone who has proven themselves worthy by the work they have done with others. My daughter has a manager that I knew for a while before I signed her on. She has experience and clients of note. I like her and I trust her judgement. These things make for a good relationship with a manager. You will need that because those relationships will last a lifetime.
I suggest that if yoiu are looking at a manager and you like them but they have no one of note you should keep your contract on the minimum number of years so that you do not lock yourself in with someone who will not really earn their fees.
To Book Call Jessica Pettyjohn 818-237-3044
