I'm brand new and don't know ANYTHING about the business. Your knowledge is appreciated.

1. What types of projects should one pursue to build a resume if one has no agent?

2. How does one go about getting these jobs?

3. How does one make contact with an agent? In person? Mail? E-mail?

4.From what I have read around this forum some people are SAG before they even get representation? I know I'm misunderstanding something about this.

Thank you

1. Starting out, you have great opportunities to build your resume and reel with student films. USC, AFI, Chapman, and Pasadena Center for Design are the best ones. NYFA, LA Film school, and pretty much every UC and CSU suck.

2. You must join Actors Access and LACasting whether you like it or not. When you get an agent, you will have to join both of them anyways so they can submit you to casting directors for major projects.

You're only going to see SOME projects on ActorsAccess and LACasting. ONLY the major film/tv/commercial projects can be seen by agents and managers, hence the reason why they're so important.

3. Search through the Secret Agent Man section for lists of top Commercial and Theatrical (film/tv) agents.

Go to Samuel French and get CALLSHEET (NOT Keith Wolfe's books). This book will tell you who the agents are, their addresses, and if they accept mailed headshots and resume or emails.

4. If you don't have an agent, you can get into the Union either by:

-Getting lucky and finding a commercial on your own on LACasting where you book it and become union eligible.

-Getting lucky doing extra work and get 3 SAG-AFTRA vouchers. You chances are better on films.

-Either book a SAG-AFTRA NEW MEDIA project or produce a SAG-AFTRA NEW MEDIA project with at least one union actor in it.

Thank you very much!

Sorry to revive this old thread. How does one "get an agent?"

Refer to Step 3 above. Get several headshots and resumes and mail them in large envelopes with a CONCISE cover letter.

Hopefully most of the agencies will like what they get from you and call you in for a meeting.

At the meeting, it's more about them getting your personality but anything ranging from presenting a monologue, a scene, or a cold read can happen.