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How Do Talent Agents Get Paid – Copyright © 2023, Los Angeles Times | Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | CA Notice of Pickup | Do not sell or share my personal information
You don’t need an agent to trade. But here’s how to look for one, when the time comes, and how to make sure they’re a good fit.
How Do Talent Agents Get Paid
When Fatima Reedy was 19, she moved to Los Angeles from Utah to perform. She had no connections and no representation – just a dream. After auditioning for about a year, she was approached by two white cops.
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“They basically told me they would only sign me if I permanently ironed my hair and if I more or less conformed to, in my eyes, … their white clients,” she said. “I was like, ‘I’m black, I can’t lose my hair, I can’t lose my curves, I can’t lose my curls.'”
She didn’t want to keep auditioning for the sassy black friend trope and grew frustrated that they hadn’t sent her for leading roles. She later realized she was the only person of color on their list.
When they broke up, she feared her career was over. But looking back, Reedy said she wanted representation so badly she hadn’t thought about the agents’ race, past clientele, and ultimately whether they were a good fit for her.
Actors and many other performers will reach a stage in their career where they need representation from an agent, a manager, a lawyer or other professionals. Choosing the right representation is important – and so is choosing when to engage representation. To help you navigate these questions, we spoke with Reedy, as well as Jaia Thomas, an attorney who founded Diverse Representation, and WME talent agent Yasmine Pearl — who has represented artists like Marsai Martin, Rita Ora, and Zayn Malik in her 14-year career. career.
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A manager oversees the day-to-day operations of your career, while agents help find and secure opportunities, bookings and auditions.
“A lot of people think … they need representation like they do now,” Thomas said. “And the truth is, not everyone is necessarily ready for representation.”
“I spent months researching and creating a list of reps when I first moved here, and I probably sent over 200 emails,” she said. “I called every agency and … I was told every time, ‘We don’t take calls unless you’ve been referred.’ I got maybe five replies from my 200 emails I sent.”
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“I think that’s an important question for talent to think about,” said Thomas. “Am I ready for representation? Do I have the projects? Do I have the momentum? There is a lot that can be done without “an agent”.
Thomas also explained that over time, you might want to consider an attorney to handle contracts, provide redlines, provide feedback, and handle intellectual property on scripts. Most people also don’t need publicists until they become more established, she said.
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The school an agent graduated from is unimportant, Thomas said. Rather, it is their expertise and history that comes first.
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“First of all, it’s important to understand what type of customer an agent represents,” said Thomas. “Do your due diligence by just looking at their list of current clients to make sure that … you fall into that job or there’s some kind of synergy.”
Reedy said in retrospect she wishes she had asked her former agents how many black clients they represented and inquired about the kind of roles they envisioned for her.
Thomas said an advantage of black cops, lawyers and professionals is that they’ve overcome so many hurdles and can relate even more to black clients who have had to do the same.
“I’ve met black talent who said, ‘To succeed, I need white representatives.’ I heard someone say they would rather have a Jewish lawyer than me as their lawyer,” Thomas said. “But the good thing is that there are clear examples in Hollywood now of very successful black talent with black representatives: Lena Waithe and her black manager, Issa Rae and her mostly black team, Marsai Martin and her black agent and black publicists.”
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Different agents have different work styles: hands-on, hands-off. So Thomas emphasized setting expectations, discerning whether your personalities are a good fit, and talking openly about your goals to see if that agent can help you achieve them.
Pearl said she sees representation as a partnership. As an agent, she wants someone whose work excites her.
“If you understand an artist, you can advocate for them on a different level,” she said. “If I were an artist, my question [to an agent] would be, ‘What drives you? What kind of artist do you like?’ I enjoy representing diverse individuals, unashamed voices, and I think that speaks to my character and who I am.
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Performance unions like SAG-AFTRA have a list of licensed talent agents, and sites like Backstage offer resources like the “Call Sheet,” which features thousands of top casting directors, talent agents, executives, companies, schools, and more.
You want to see what each agency specializes in, whether commercials or television, and what types of clients different agents work with.
Thomas initially started Diverse Representation – an initiative to raise awareness and the number of African-American lawyers, agents, executives and publicists working in the sports and entertainment industry – because while most of her clients are black, they often find out came to the conclusion that she was the only black person on her clients’ team.
When Thomas asked her clients why, they often told her they didn’t know where to find the black representation.
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Now Diverse Representation serves as a free database of black agents, where aspiring creatives can submit their profiles and attend showcases.
Thomas said some junior agents actively visit these showcases, in addition to other open mic nights and festivals to find new faces to add to their rosters.
For many people who pursue entertainment as a career, it takes years to get yourself where you make money from your creative work. To make money in the meantime, there are always waiting tables. But more and more people are turning to platforms like TikTok, Twitch, and Patreon.
Thomas said it can be challenging to get in touch with representatives from larger agencies, such as ICM or Paradigm, as they are inundated with hundreds of questions every day. If you’re just starting out, it might be easier to get in touch with representatives who have boutique agencies or submit inquiries through the smaller agents’ website.
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“If there’s a specific agent you’re interested in, try to find out if you have a mutual connection with that agent… to help broker that introduction,” she said.
“I want to get to know talent. This company is driven by talent,” says Pearl. “If someone emailed me and said, ‘Hey, I just finished this great short film. I either wrote it, I directed it or I starred in it and I feel like it gave me a great element of comedy. gives, mixed in with a bit of drama.”I’m going to click on the short. …And if I think this person is great, I’ll email them back.”
She said it’s important for entertainers and creatives to know that representation changes on every level as you grow in your career.
“Until you get representation, you do the work to get noticed by reps, put your name on the map, create content, put yourself out there at festivals,” she said.
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Reedy recommends bringing a list of questions to show you’ve done your research and mean business.
“It’s standard practice to show up with a headshot and resume,” she said. “In terms of wardrobe… I think it’s important that people present themselves as their own brand and their own style, so the agent knows what they’re getting into. I don’t show up in a suit because… I don’t want to show myself in the business field if I’m not competing for business positions.
Echoing Reedy, Thomas said you should “appear as yourself in a professional manner.” And preparedness is key. Bring materials, she said, that showcase your creative product. For example, writers should bring a sample of their work; actors must provide a reel and headshot.
“Ask around if you’ve never met with a rep. Ask some of your friends who may have done that and get their feedback on what worked and what didn’t,” she said.
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