How to Become a Movie Star Agent
A talent agent's primary function is to network. Agents represent any number of professional artists, including actors, writers, directors, producers and musicians. They are responsible for connecting clients with studios, production companies, and record labels. In conjunction with entertainment lawyers, they facilitate a wide spectrum of entertainment deals. Essentially, agents are middlemen who makes things happen. They earn an industry standard 15 percent for their services. With an undergraduate degree and completion of an agent training program, you can become a junior agent in three to five years. Further advancement depends on your skills thereafter.
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Things You'll Need
- Four-year degree from an accredited college or university
- Minimum one-year experience in entertainment industry
- Computer literacy
- Preferred business, law or relevant graduate degree
Instructions
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If you are an undergraduate student, intern in the entertainment industry. Your school's film and/or arts programs can provide information and direction on internship opportunities in Los Angeles and New York.
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As an undergraduate student, join university organizations specific to entertainment and connect with your alumni association upon graduation. USC and UCLA offer comprehensive development programs and councils while Ivy League schools offer industry-oriented social networks, e.g. Ivy Entertainment, Ivy Plus Society, Ivy League Assoc. of Southern CA, Harvardwood, etc. These organizations will connect you via socials and mixers.
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If you have already earned a four-year degree, find an entry-level position in the entertainment industry. Online job sites such as Craigslist, Mandy and LinkedIn offer base level job searches. Review temp agency opportunities on studio websites: Sony Picture Studios fills positions via Corestaff, 20th Century Fox offers jobs via Foxcareers.com and Warner Bros. with Warnerbroscareers.com.
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Target an entry-level position at these agencies: United Talent Agency (UTA), International Creative Management (ICM), William Morris Agency (WMA), Creative Artists Agency (CAA) and Endeavor Talent Agency. Their websites list current openings.
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If you cannot find work at any of these agencies, secure a weekly copy of the UTA Job List, which inventories all business-based job openings in the industry. The UTA Job List is an insider's resource and is exclusively available to industry professionals. If you don't have such a connection, use the web-based alternative: www.utajoblist.blogspot.com/.
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Gain at least one year of experience in the entertainment industry. Agencies require paid or unpaid industry experience of all agent candidates, whom they groom with an agent training program.
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Expand your network. Meet industry professionals by attending events such as American Film Institute Fest, L.A. Film Fest, Slamdance and Sundance. Seek smaller venues such as the Venice Film Festival, the Los Angeles Short Film Festival and Docuweek.The same can be done in New York with Tribeca, Avignon Film Fest, the Big Apple Film Festival and the New York International Film and Video Festival.
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Meet actors. Attend film premieres listed in "Variety" and the "Hollywood Reporter," required reading for any industry professional. Attend student film premieres at American Film Institute, the University of California Los Angeles, University of Southern California, New York University and Columbia to discover and connect with new talent. Their websites announce such events.
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With industry experience under your belt, apply to each agency's talent agent training program. This can be done online at each agency's website by contacting human resources. If accepted, you will begin either in the mail room or with administrative tasks. This role graduates to covering agents' desks and developing your own set of contacts.
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After your initial year, you can progress to hands-on experience under a senior agent mentor and earn agent status by the end of your second year.
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