Management and Representation

Management and representation in the entertainment has become a necessity. It has become a sign of making it, or getting your foot in the door, especially in the film industry. From an actor’s stand point, most casting offices will not even look at you if you do not have some form of representation. Larger scale productions do not even have open casting calls, rather they send out casting notices to specific agencies. For the same reason why actors work hard and strive for an agent or manager, studios looking to cast their movies or TV shows are looking for quality and a certain caliber. Agents and managers represent a certain assurance that no one is wasting their time.

But I don’t mean to paint a negative light on managers and agents. Their standard 10 to 15 percent does not come with out its benefits. Once under the guise of management, you have an extra set of eyes and ears on the look out for you. Because after all, they don’t make their 15% if you don’t make your 85. Essentially you don’t do any work until they’ve done most of theirs.

Owning part of my own production company, my relationship with a prospective client or actor’s management and representation comes down to negotiation. They want what’s best for their clients, and to some extent for themselves. This negotiation process ensures everyone is taken care of.

My network, here in Orlando, has led me to have many conversations of the pros and cons of managers and agents. Mostly coming form up and coming actors who are at the mercy of their agent’s willingness to send them on top tier auditions. Agents with a smaller scale of clients will often be sending many young actors out for the same role, hoping that something sticks, and this is the part where it becomes a little tricky, when your benefits aren’t being weighed as much as your manager’s.