Talent Agents

SAG Members - What You Need to Know About Your Agency Contract Before Signing It

What:

Screen Actors Guild National Agency staff will hold a bi-coastal educational seminar on general service agreements, or GSAs (i.e., the contracts that ATA/NATR agents have been using to represent our members instead of the standard SAG agency contract). These GSA contracts are signed outside of SAG’s protection, and it is imperative that members have a working knowledge of what these contracts say before signing them—your professional future and your income may depend on it. This educational seminar will be especially helpful to any member having trouble making sense of the complicated legal language contained in the contracts that their agents have provided them. We urge all SAG members to attend. The event will not be taped.

When:

Noon-2:30 p.m. (PDT) and 3-5:30 p.m. (EDT) on Monday, August 24, 2009 (RSVP required*)

Where:

Los Angeles:
James Cagney Board Room (first floor)
5757 Wilshire Blvd
Los Angeles CA 90036
Parking will be validated.

New York:
NY Boardroom
360 Madison Avenue
12th Floor
New York, NY 10017

Who:

The seminar will be conducted by National Director and Senior Counsel of Agency Relations Zino Macaluso and Senior Agency Manager Xochitl Cerda in Los Angeles. Members in New York will participate live via videoconference. You must bring your SAG membership card (paid thru October 31, 2009) in order to attend this event. No exceptions will be made. We strongly encourage all members who attend to bring a notepad and pen with them to these meetings.

*RSVP:

Performers interested in attending should immediately e-mail the Guild’s agency mailbox at agentquestion@sag.org. Please write SAG GSA Seminar—Reservation in the subject line. YOU MUST ALSO INDICATE IF YOU ARE PARTICIPATING FROM HOLLYWOOD OR NEW YORK. Only those members who have received confirmation e-mails from SAG may attend, so please act quickly as seating is limited.

Questions about upcoming events should be directed to the SAG Agency Department at (323) 549-6745 (Hollywood) or (212) 827-1445 (New York). Any performer who has to cancel a reservation is asked to notify SAG immediately so that members on the waiting list may be contacted. Thank you. We look forward to seeing you on Monday, August 24, 2009.

How Much Do Talent Agents Make?

Agents get 10% commission from your income after you work. Now figure if Bruce Willis' agent books him on a job, and Bruce makes $25,000,000 per film, then the agent gets TEN PERCENT after taxes. That would be roughly $1,700,000 for booking Bruce Willis on that job.

But of the hundreds and hundreds of Agents and Sub-Agents in the business, only a tiny fraction of agents make over a million bucks a year. Most agents make less than $30,000 a year, and many don't even make a living off of it, they have other means of finances that allow them to be agents.

There is a HUGE turnover of agents who are starting out within the first two years of becoming an agent because it is extremely hard to become a successful professional Theatrical and/or Commercial Talent Agent. The "average" annual income of a Talent Agent (including these sub-agents, associate-agents, etc.) is roughly $25,000 per year.

What is Commissionable by Your Agent?

Independent Agents

If your agents are Independent (i.e., not affiliated with either ATA and/or NATR), and therefore still franchised by SAG, then these agents (as well as the SAG members they represent) continue to be protected by and bound to the terms and conditions of Rule 16(g). Hundreds of SAG franchised agents across the country have maintained their on-going relationship with SAG, and continue to loyally serve SAG’s members pursuant to the requirements of Rule 16(g). Any standard SAG agency contract you sign with an Independent Agency may be filed with, and processed by, the Guild.

How Film and Television Shows Are Cast

The Film and Television Studios give the "green light" for movies and TV shows to be produced.

Then the production companies hire casting directors, who in turn send out "breakdowns" of the characters being cast.

These "breakdowns" actually are sent out by a service called "Breakdown Services" and are only available to licensed Talent Agencies.

Then the agents at these agencies submit photos, resumes, and sometimes "demo-reels" to the casting directors.

Then the casting directors call in the actors that fit the roles they are casting, usually many many actors are called in.

Then they narrow it down to the best actors who came in and "call back" these actors to read again for the director, sometimes the writer, producer, etc.. Then they narrow it down further, and sometimes there are 3 - 4 "call backs" before an actor is finally hired.

Do I Need An Agent To Be Cast?

Although it is possible to be cast on a show or film with out having an agent, it is very difficult. This usually only happens with smaller roles, and of course with extras. The studios usually only deal with reputable licensed talent agencies when casting acting roles.

In addition, agents are the only ones who receive the "breakdowns" of what roles are being cast at a given time. And in most instances, a studio or production company will not negotiate a contract directly with talent.

I have personally landed several acting roles by randomly sending in my photo and resume to casting directors when I did not have an agent, but it is not common to land roles in this manner.

However, I do recommend sending in to casting directors randomly because you never know if they will be looking for your exact type when they receive your photo and resume.

Important Safety Information

Do NOT incude a home address when sending out your photo and resume. I always recommend using a PO BOX.

Also, NEVER meet someone outside of a professional environment such as a studio, agents, or casting office. Do NOT meet someone at a restaurant, private residence, etc. You should ALWAYS let someone else know EXACTLY where you are going, WHO you are meeting, and WHEN you are going there.

And a parent or guardian must ALWAYS accompany minors. A parent or guardian should NEVER be out of eyesight of the minor, whether it be at auditions or on set.

Talent Agents

SAG Members - What You Need to Know About Your Agency Contract Before Signing It

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