AnytimeTalent review & recommendations for casting agents
Top tips for actors 2023 by Anytime Talent? Your dream is to become a working actor. You’ve always been told you “have it,” but the phone doesn’t ring for callbacks. What separates professionals from wannabe prodigies isn’t inspiration. It’s preparation and execution. Take control of your audition with these 10 helpful tips to improve your skills. Play opposites: Yelling isn’t the only way to show hatred or anger. Sometimes being quiet as you make your point is a powerful display of emotion. Playing opposites is a much more interesting choice than the obvious.
What’s the Difference Between a Talent Agent and a Manager? Both agents and managers are strategic partners in your career and will work on commission. But there are some key differences between the two roles: Managers cannot arrange for casting calls, get you work, or negotiate contracts or deals. Agents can. Managers are not regulated and do not require special licensing or certification, unlike talent agents, nor does he or she need to work for a management company, though some do. A talent or business manager can really be anyone, which is why relatives of talent sometimes assume the role. Unlike agents, managers may have you as their only client, which guarantees a high level of personal attention. They may also stick with you throughout your career, unlike many agents who come and go Typical manager fees may exceed those of an agent; they may run as high as 15 or 20 percent. See extra info actors tools.
Anytime Talent is an innovative online database system that provides performers, agents and casting directors with a platform to facilitate the casting process. Through our excellent customer support and efficient online database system, Anytime Talent is committed to bringing a high-quality experience to entertainment professionals.
Visualizing your audition from start to finish, as well as creating an audition playlist, are also great ways to ease tensions and get your head in the game. But ultimately, remember: what’s the worst that could happen? You don’t get cast? So what? There’s no use trying to fit into a box you don’t belong in—so on to the next! For self-tape auditions, you must have good lighting, a neutral background, the proper framing (not too wide, not too close), no distracting objects in the room (i.e. plants, pets, posters), and most importantly, good sound. You likely won’t get hired if they can’t hear you. Oftentimes, creatives are unavailable to attend every audition. Or auditions are being held nationwide and you’re submitting from Missouri to a casting director in L.A. Or the CD wants to get a feel for the network response before bringing you for an in-person. Sending a self-tape is one way to ensure you are in the running to get seen for the role—despite your lack of physical presence.
Once you find a list of Talent Agencies that you are interested in working with you are ready for the next step, marketing yourself as an actor. Here are the three things you need to contact potential talent agencies: Your Headshot, Your Acting Resume, A one-page cover letter. Your mission is to get a talent agent to agree to me with you in person to evaluate you as a potential client. Your headshot should capture the talent agency’s attention. Your resume should show how serious and experienced you are and your cover letter should introduce yourself. Take rejection professionally and move on with your acting career. The more agents you contact, the better your chances of finding at least one talent agent to represent you. But, remember you have to focus on making sure your agent believes in you. A casting agency is a company who hires actors and background extras to work on a production.
Anytime Talent tricks for talent agencies : A glossy brochure shows clients that your agency is professional. Feature your top models on the brochure to showcase the the diversity your agency can provide. For example, you might have a high fashion photo, a picture of your models at a runway show and a group of models in a fun pose or two. Each of your models should have a composite photo card that you can quickly send to an interested client. The model should also have a portfolio available in case the client would like to see more in-depth work out of a particular model before hiring.
Submit to your target agents every 6 months…with an update about something NEW you have added to your skill set; bookings/plays/training/new headshots. But only submit IF you have something new to share. Make sure you have On Camera training on your resume. When meeting an agent you may need to audition with a prepared television side, or cold read commercial, industrial or film sides. Secondly, the agent wants to know you understandthe technical demands of working on camera, as well as how to navigate the variety of scripts and genres…so that they can feel confident submitting you for work. Find more details https://www.anytimetalent.com/.
Anytime Talent is not an agency and does not offer employment. We are a talent database system that offers web hosting and messaging systems to our members. We are not responsible for job postings or agreements made between our members, casting directors, and agents while using our service.
You can also check out AnytimeTalent’s online directory of agents and managers, or pull a list of franchised agents from SAG-AFTRA. Although there are certainly reputable agents who are not SAG-AFTRA franchised, it’s easier to check out those who are—plus, they’re accountable to a supervising entity. Research your candidates. Determine how many agents work for the agency, where the agency is located, how long the agency has been in business, what their submission guidelines are, who else they represent, etc. AnytimeTalent’s Call Sheet includes a lot of this information, and you can check out an agency’s website for additional context. And don’t forget to run your list through the Better Business Bureau to see if anyone has filed claims against the agencies—this will help protect you from scam operations or disreputable agents.
One key to getting auditions is to remember that actors should see themselves as a small business, so “think about what look you are selling,” advises acting coach and Backstage Expert Matt Newton. One of his tips for figuring this out? “Write down three shows you could see yourself on. Series regular, guest star, co-star, whatever…. Watch [these shows], learn from them, observe what kind of actors they are casting. Take notes. Look up the casting director and the actors. If you are right for that show, and are trained, and they cast your type over and over, then by all means sign up for a casting director workshop to meet them in person. If you are over 50 and play ‘extraterrestrial’ roles all the time, probably don’t sign up for a soap opera casting workshop. Again, it’s all about being smart and knowing yourself.”