I know many people have different views on this subject but I'm just wondering. I am a somewhat "newbie" actress (although i've had SOME theater experience in the past). I've heard managers are more likely to take in new talent if they see potential while agents can be rather picky. Please give your opinions. I would like to know :]

btw i'm fourteen almost fifteen!

I would say to try and get an agent first and if you are successful, you have no need for a manager.

Even with little experience?

At 14 years old going on 15 years old you are still a minor. You would really benfit from having a Manager before having an Agent. Why because you need to be guided through this process first. Before you approach an Agent without guidence and blow your chances find an adult actor with experience to help guide you. After all that is the job of a letgit Manager. Attend actors meet and greet events with your mom or dad or any adult actor and ask other actors questions about the correct photos, what to look out for etc. Hope I have helped.

Valerie

Why get a manager if you have nothing to manage? I believe that managers are for performers that are consistently and are at a place in their careers where they really need a manager.

You want an agent that is going to work for you, submit you for projects and really work to get you in the door.

Also, managers can take whatever commission that they want. Agents can only take 10%. Print agents take 20%.

There are managers that try to take a piece of every bit of money that you get even per diem if you were to go out on the road. That doesn't seem to be quite right to me.

OK...some background on me, I was a talent manager and in fact was on the board of directors of the Talent Managers Association. I also owned a talent agency in Hollywood. Now I am semi-retired in Las Vegas.

Agents work in volume, for the most part they are very professional because they are state licensed and bonded. They need to take on a large number of clients as they are only working on 10% commission. Every actor needs an agent! It is against California law for anyone other than a licensed agent to procure work for an actor within the state of California or outside the state if the actor is from California. The exception is that you or an attorney can procure work for you.

A manager can be very good for you if you have the right manager! Anyone can be a manager, and many do just to get the breakdowns. A manager that tells you he can book you work is to be shied away from unless he can tell you the agent that he works with and you verify this! Managers affiliated with the Talent Managers Association or Conference of Personal Managers are vetted by their associations so are generally the upper crust. A manager will take a chance on un-tested talent that he feels good about, and most managers have contacts with agents, producers and directors. Managers are also very good at assessing talent and providing training information that is proven.

Bottom line, the best person you can have in your corner is you! You need to be constantly networking and meeting the right people. This is a tough business...and never forget that it is a business...with great rewards if you succeed!

And, always remember that their is a huge industry in LA looking at ways to seperate talent from their money!

This is one of those very tricky questions...which one comes first the manager or the agent? You are still young and your chances of getting an agent might be better for you now if you are undeveloped (meaning no recognizable TV, Film credits, IMDb page etc) because there is still time for you to build your resume. A lot of young adult and adult actors find it very difficult to get represented theatrically out here in California b/c agents are about making money at that time, and if you do not have a good amount of credits, they feel that you are going to take a lot more work and more of their time to try to get you into the room with auditions etc, and that makes their job more difficult. It would be easier to sell you to a casting director etc, if you had strong credits. When this happens, alot of people turn to getting a manager b/c they are more than willing to take you on as a client and will guide and mold you with your career. Managers are also good b/c instead of having 200 + clients (like an agent) they only represent anywhere between 10-15 actors and everyone is a different "type". No one would conflict with each other. Although it is said that only licensed agents are allowed to get you work, there are alot of managers in California that have really good relationships with casting directors that they are able to get their clients auditions. I know alot of people who have booked guest star and co-starring rolls without having an agent b/c their manager got them the work. Its a catch 22 and there isn't a right or wrong answer..but I say try finding an agent first, that's most important. If you are not successful in that category, then try looking for a REPUTABLE manager. You have to be very careful b/c just like LV Agent said, anybody can be a manager. I would ask your fellow actor friends for recommendations or use IMDb Pro as a useful tool when trying to find a good manager. I hope this helps =)

Bonnie Gillespie wrote a good article on the difference between managers and agents. Here's the link:

http://more.showfax.com/columns/avoice/archives/000374.html

In a nutshell, according to Bonnie, "a manager will advise you on your image, headshots, resumé format and content, acting classes, demo reel, website, personal appearances, and career direction"

An agent "will submit, pitch, and hustle to get you in the door with casting directors. They negotiate deals when you book the part, including getting you a bigger trailer, better billing, a higher rate quote, paid ads, your name in the opening credits, etc., work to bring you to the level of "offer only," at which time they will read scripts on your behalf and recommend your course of action.

These are some of the things managers and agents do. Please read the article for a more detailed explanation of what you should expect from a manager and an agent and how they would work together.

Do you need a manager? I think, if you are signed with a good agent across the board, and they are sending you out, probably not...that is, if you are in NY. LA is another story. But, if you can't get signed, it could be the help you need. If I was not a working mom, and had just one or two kids in the biz, I don't know that I would have decided to sign the kids with a manager. But, with that said, we love our manager and mgr has done well for my kids.

I should add that I am speaking from a NY perspective. The role of agents and managers differ slightly in LA.

Having worked with agents and managers on both coasts -- singly and in concert -- I find tremendous benefits in both.

I used to believe, as many in Hollywood, that "the only time you really need a manager is when you have so much work that you can't handle it all by yourself." In a perfect world, that's certainly a valid viewpoint. But I have many more reasons of my own that make having a personal manager a very good idea.

First, whatever technical differences exist between the east and their west coast counterparts I find negligible. All of my managers were able to successfully book and negotiate SAG and AFTRA contracts for me all my working life, although agents are normally delegated that task. Meaning, I've had equally good results working with personal managers alone, without the additional burden of an agent's 10%. Secondly, although managers can charge whatever percentage of your salary they can successfully negotiate, if your manager is handling the majority of the work load for you, their fee can often be a minor consideration when you factor in their potential boost to your career. Ultimately, the best working relationship for any actor would be a great agent and a great manager working together, but often unseasoned actors are relegated to the bottom of their agent's casting barrel, or are overlooked entirely. In the end, I'd rather be paying two commissions than NONE AT ALL.

Even in the best of times, agents and managers are "a necessary evil." But a good one can be a thing of beauty.

A manager can get you auditions just as well as an agent (assuming you have a good manager) correct?

That's correct.

However, good agents always cultivate long associations with casting directors and important production people that many personal managers simply don't have... thus, my suggestion of having both. The operative word here is: INDUSTRY CLOUT.

www.robertkim.com

quote:

Originally posted by fanmom:
A manager can get you auditions just as well as an agent (assuming you have a good manager) correct?

Technically in CA, I believe it's illegal for a manager to get you auditions---something about them not being licensed as employment agents. But from what I read, they often do.

quote:

Originally posted by Robert Kim Photography:
All of my managers were able to successfully book and negotiate SAG and AFTRA contracts for me all my working life, although agents are normally delegated that task. Meaning, I've had equally good results working with personal managers alone, without the additional burden of an agent's 10%. Secondly, although managers can charge whatever percentage of your salary they can successfully negotiate, if your manager is handling the majority of the work load for you, their fee can often be a minor consideration when you factor in their potential boost to your career.

What sort of SAG and AFTRA contracts did your managers negotiate? We're these starring roles in big budget FFs with heavy hitting producers? If I found myself in that situation, I am pretty sure I'd want an agent, who's had lots of experience negotiating with that particular producer, to be at the helm. That level of negotiations is not something I could see most, if any, managers brokering. I would caution fellow readers who might assume a manager could handle that level of negotiations. With that said, while most of us will never find ourselves in that situation, we can dream...and set ourselves up to be best represented should that happen. Thus, I don't think I'd cut the agent out of my team.

quote:

Originally posted by CSilvera:

quote:

Originally posted by fanmom:
A manager can get you auditions just as well as an agent (assuming you have a good manager) correct?

Technically in CA, I believe it's illegal for a manager to get you auditions---something about them not being licensed as employment agents. But from what I read, they often do.

Yes, CSilvera, in LA it is technically illegal for a manager to get you auditions. They do sometimes get clients FF auditions, not so much commercial auditions. You really do need an agent if you want to do commercials. Agents get the calls from the CDs and put the calls out to managers and their own clients. Very few managers, if any, would have the ability to get you in to all of the big ticket commercial and VO auditions.