Hi, fellow creatives. If there has been one piece of advice that has been a staple in the business as long as I can remember (at least for acting), it has been this: No agent, manager, agency, etc, should request money up front; rather, they get paid a % of the actor's pay, AFTER the actor works. But there are enough agencies that want money up front, that it makes me wonder if that age-old wisdom is still fully true, in ALL circumstances. Usually these agencies say that the up-front money goes toward a specific cause, such as putting their logo onto our headshots, or paying a separate website company (that they are supposedly not affiliated with) to set us up in their acting database. Life would certainly be simpler if I could just immediately bypass all such companies, with no second thoughts. But Is that how we really should look at them: that they are simply illegitimate if they request ANY money up front (for ANY purpose at all) ? After telling 1 man about an agency that wanted about $25 to do an initial actor assessment, he said that it is similar to a college having an application fee of $25. He said it is not necessarily wrong; but that fee just weeds out people who are not really serious about going to the college. Plus, he said that the college must do a lot of paperwork and time and effort for each applicant, thereby justifying the application fee. So can the acting agency fee be looked at in that same light? Please tell the Stage 32 actors the answer to these 2 questions: 1) If any agent, or agency, or manager, or other entity representing actors, wants money up front for any purpose at all, are they automatically NOT legitimate, and to be avoided? 2) And are there ANY justifiable fees that can be requested up front? THANK YOU !
Acting : Agency wanting money up front ~ is that NOT legitimate in EVERY CASE ?? by David Jaster
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1) Yes 2) No
Please note I'm not an actor. Off the top of my head, the legit fees in this general ballpark that I can think of are Casting Director workshops, classes, coaching sessions, demo reel production, etc. In LA, there are "open calls" at commercial talent agencies, and that means a totally open call with zero fees. Actors come early, pick up a copy of the commercial copy, and line up to audition. That's the legit way to have a "cattle call." No fees!
Again, not my area of expertise, but if the agency is SAG-AFTRA Signatory, you may be able to report them or at least speak to the Guild about their practices. The Guild is very protective of its members' best interests.
Hi David. We are so vulnerable as actors when we go after our dream that many of us become easy targets. We are told over and over that we can't get anywhere without an agent, and we can make bad decisions out of desperation. The truth is that we have to use our own judgement, which can be very difficult. An agent's job is to fill a roster with as much diverse talent as possible, know the market and casting agents in that market, and send the most appropriate talent to auditions. The agent makes their money when the talent gets paid for their work. Personally, I would never pay a fee up front. I don't care if it's even ten dollars. Administration fees have always been the reason to charge people extra money. It doesn't mean they aren't legitimate, it just means they want more money.
short and to the point, acting is a lifestyle and a change, much like buying a car or home. you want to do as much research as you can on any agent or other party that is involved in you life/career. So that being said. Don't buy a house (agent) without knowing as much about the person or company as possible. I have found look at sites like LinkedIn and the better business bureau as well as their Facebook and twitter pages. It may seem obsessive but in the end you will end up with a mansion not a cardboard box. Best of luck.
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Straight from SAG-AFTRA's website: http://www.sagaftra.org/professional-representatives/agency-representati... When and how much should I pay my agent? No franchised agent may charge a rate of commission higher than 10%. In some cases, an agent must negotiate your fee above the minimum scale, or in other words, "scale plus 10%" in order to collect commission on a job. This rule may vary according to the local area in which you work, or the collective bargaining agreement you are working under. Always check with your local SAG-AFTRA office for specific rules. An agent may only receive a commission when and if you receive compensation for your employment. Agents may not charge up-front fees of any kind. They may not require you to attend a specific school or use a specific photographer as a condition of representation. If the agent does have some suggestions on these subjects, you should be supplied with a list of several schools or photographers.
But I don't know if the Agent whom David is referring to is SAG-franchised.
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Thanks for your comments, everyone.