I have a short question that I hope SAM and some of the others on this board will reply to...

What are some good boutique agencies (theatrically) for a young actor (I play 18-25) with a small resume (only two roles in major studio motion pictures - lead and supporting -, a few leads in small indies/student movies and no TV credits) but some good training (strasberg, chubbuck)?

When I say a good agency, I mean in terms of the people being personable and professional and the agency having enough clout to get a 'new development' type actor like me through the door of the CD offices...

Maybe some of you out there are in the same boat and happy with your representation or were with a small but good agency before moving on to the big ones, so let me know

I'm happy to give you a random list of names that will mean nothing to you but first, let me make something clear. Your question doesn't make any sense. There's no such thing as a a great boutique agency where every single employee is personable and they all treat their clients with the same priority. Every actor will have a different experience at the same agency.

That said, here are a few:

Pakula King
Stone Manners
Talentworks
GVA
Geddes
AEF
House of Representatives

Yep. There are a ton of smaller and lesser known agencies that will say that they will meet with you personally and help you develop your talent as a selling point to get you to go with them. The truth is, they're just as busy as the large agencies, submitting and pitching clients to casting directors.

Great list, but I always thought Stone Manners was a "B Agency" with Gersh, Gage, and Paradigm.

Point taken. I didn't mean to suggest everyone at the agency must be personable and professional. Yet, clearly, there are agencies who are small and willing to take on clients who are starting out and also have a great reputation for the way they conduct business. Ergo, casting directors like conducting business with them. And their actor clients as well.

I understand, of course, that it's not as simple as saying so-and-so agency is full of douches and this one is full of lovely human beings, but in the way that other posts on this board warn people against certain agencies, I'm sure the opposite can be done as well.

Your list was great, thank you very much.

Any other input on smaller, 2nd or 3rd-tier theatrical agencies? A list by a knowledgeable hero would be awesome, but it's not expected.

I just feel ready to start gearing up for theatrical auditions here, but also feel stupid doing 200 mailings.

Are there any specific resources, books, pamphlets on parsing the agency list that anyone would recommend?

I am: entry-level, asian, character looks, decent starter resume, role (deleted) on Oscar nom film, and commercial experience, and good chops.

I wouldn't consider Gersh or Paradigm to be a "B" Agency. They are definitely in the top ten and they will find you when the time is right. Diverse, Don Buchwald & Associates, Defining Artists, Global Artists Agency and the Kohner Agency are really good theatrical agencies. I would add these to SAM's list as well.

I'd like to submit to Geddes Agency, however, they don't list on their website which agent is in what department. Does anyone know who I would address a cover letter to for adult commercial & adult theatrical? Thanks!

quote:

Originally posted by ELDORADO59:
Great list, but I always thought Stone Manners was a "B Agency" with Gersh, Gage, and Paradigm.

In no way does Gage belong in the same sentence as Gersh or Paradigm, or even Stone Manners. Not that Gage is bad, but they are in no way on that level.

And ocactor, for Geddes, address to Richard Lewis and say you are looking for across-the-board rep.

Again, LADelight thank you soooo much! I must sound like a pain having two different threads asking the same question about different agencies. It's just that I know that when you write a cover letter, you address it to the specific agent and not to the entire department. Thank you!

One last question..when I put in my cover letter "across-the-board representation", would I include both my theatrical & commercial headshot(s), or just my theatrical?

For the record, here are the people who run this town. They have multiple offices and departments. Their lists are made up of mostly A-List talent.

CAA
ICM
Endeavor
UTA
William Morris

Note - There is a possible merger in the works between Endeavor and William Morris.

The very next tier would include:

Gersh
Paradigm
Innovative

After that, you have boutique companies like:

Buchwald
Talentworks
Diverse
Abrams
Kohner
Stone Manners
Metropolitan
GVA
Pakula King

Moving a little lower:

House of Representatives
Geddes
Gage
Defining Artists
AEF
Coast to Coast

And then, there's everyone else.

(For those of you who asked, yes - I work at one of these companies and over the years, I've worked at several of them.)

SAM,

I came across this annual article from LA Business Journal awhile back. It ranks the agencies by size, revenue, # of agents:

http://www.allbusiness.com/mar...tising/265632-1.html

Is this a generally accepted ranking system? It seemed like a while back, Gersh edged into the top 5 or 6. Do industry insiders have their own way of ranking? Who decided all this and how subjective is it?

Lonnie - As far as I can tell, that list is based on literal size which has no basis in reality. Who's better? Ten bad agents or eight good ones?

My list becomes subjective as you get towards the bottom. The top agencies haven't changed in years. They're the best based on power. They represent star actors, directors, writers, producers, showrunners, and below the line personnel. They also have packaging departments, reality departments, sports divisions, etc. Other changes that effect broad ranking is the inclusion of a lit department or having an office in New York.

And by the way, I forgot to add Peter Strain and IFA to the boutique section.

Why does everybody spell my name wrong? BOYS spell it with an "e". It's soooo much cuter without it. Even when it's right there no one spells it right. One day when I'm a star I won't have this problem anymore.