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Getting Started:  Guide to Breaking into the Entertainment Industry for Parents and Aspiring Talent

Written by Executive Publisher Gregory James for the Palm Beach Film Office (www.pbfilm.com)

GUIDE TO BREAKING INTO THE MODELING AND TALENT INDUSTRY AND NOT GET SCAMMED

Are you an aspiring talent or a parent of one, but do not know who to trust or determine what it takes to be a success? Well you are not the first person to be in this situation. Actually, most aspiring talent and parents of talent really don’t understand what it takes to break in the entertainment industry. Well this helpful guide will hopefully outline a few points to help, meanwhile address several of the most common myths and pitfalls one might face when trying to break into the entertainment industry.

Like any career, modeling or acting takes training and experience to be successful and that does not happen overnight. With proper instruction, training and guidance an aspiring talent can be successful even in the smallest markets. Most aspiring talent do not understand what it takes to be successful and look for the easy way to fame and stardom. The problem is that there are a number of companies or individuals who prey on a person’s dreams and sells them what they want to hear.

Okay, you are still interested in pursuing a career… GOOD! A career in the performing arts industry can benefit you or your child in all stages of life. No matter if you become the next American star. Life skills such as confidence, achievement, interviewing techniques, public speaking skills and all around positive self esteem are just a few of the benefits of pursuing a career in the entertainment industry. We have listed 8 steps to help you in your pursuit of a career or questions to ask yourself when meeting people who say they are an industry professional.

1) Be cautious, but open minded! – Most parents want to help their child, but really don’t understand the entertainment business. Because of this lack of knowledge and understanding, parents think everyone is a scam. Now in some cases you might be right; however with a little research and reference checks, you might find a program or agency that really can help you and your child.

2) Do your research – Hello Mr. Internet, now it is easy to see what other people say about a company, if you do your research or check with the Better Business Bureau (BBB). Please note that the BBB is a good resource; however there are other resources to check such as Rip Off Report or PGDIRECT.com. Please also realize though that anyone can post statements on the internet. If a parent or talent is uneducated on the business dealing of how the industry works, their viewpoint of a possible opportunity maybe different than the reality.

3) Understand your marketplace and your market – Okay so you are 5’3” and you want to be a top model and walk the runway in New York, Milan or Paris. Most likely this is not going to happen. However, there are other ways to have a successful and rewarding career. First, you have to be honest with yourself and do your homework and try and determine your market and marketplace. Your market maybe that you are a commercial talent and with proper training and focus, you can still appear in magazines and commercials. Most talent that has a good All-American look, good smile and an outgoing personality can have a successful commercial print and acting career, no matter how tall you are or how much you weight.

4) Set goals and a timeline – One of the most common mistakes made by talent and parents is not having set goals or a timeline to accomplish those goals. If your child plays a sport or musical instrument, you would have them practice each week and maybe even hire a personal coach or trainer to help develop their skills or talent. By setting simple goals and a timeline, your child will feel the element of accomplishment, which will motivate them to continue to develop their talent.

5) Take action – With a little research and by trusting your gut feelings, you should be able to find a reputable acting coach, school, class or workshop in your area. Set a goal to add one (1) element to your child’s resume every 90 days, whether it being a class, school play, dance class, gymnastics or playing an instrument. At the end of one year, you can show them what they accomplished and they will feel empowered by their accomplishments.

6) Evaluate each opportunity – Every industry or field has good and bad people and the entertainment industry is no different, but there are good, talented people who can help you or your child. Trust your gut! Explore the opportunity, understand the benefits, commitment and costs and go home and discuss the opportunity. When a company or person pressures you that you need to make an immediate decision, they most likely don’t want you to go home and research their company. If your child has potential and you do your homework, you will find the right people to work with in your area.

7) Be committed – Success in this industry does not happen overnight. Be committed to your desire and become familiar with the resources in your area, starting with the film commissions web site.  Like any industry, one needs proper training from a respectable source or business. In time, with commitment and practice one can develop their talent, no matter what the skill or industry.

8) Believe in your ability - The truth is that with a little common sense, research and hard work and most importantly desire, a person can be successful in time in this or any industry, no matter what the age.

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THE MYTHS OF THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY

No Experience Necessary: Many of the myths about the modeling and talent industry is that one does not need to invest or have experience to get work. Name one other industry that this principle would apply… Exactly, you can’t! Common sense tells you that the more experience you have in a field should help you climb the ladder faster to the next level. When you come across those ads that say “no experience necessary” this should be a warning sign.

I need to be tall and skinny: Yes, that is true, but only for fashion talent. Most fashion agencies do require you to be minimally 5’9 for women and 6’0 for men. However, most successful talent do not meet those requirements. If you are one of the ones that do not, your life is not over and actually the world is at your doorstep. Considering the amount of companies that want to sell their All-American product to All-American families, the fact is that there are many more commercial talent agencies in the United States than fashion agencies. So, if you have a good look, great smile, outgoing personality and with some proper training, you maybe exactly what that casting director is looking for.

Need a Portfolio: Based on your look, age, height (for fashion talent) and desire, you are not required to invest in professional images or training to get an agent, however it can make a difference. In the state of Florida, no licensed talent agency can, as a condition to obtaining employment for an any artist, require the artist to subscribe to, purchase, or attend any publication, postcard service, advertisement, resume service, photography service, modeling or acting school or workshop! However, modeling is based on selling an image, so if you do have professional images, it can help.

Getting an Agent: Many aspiring talent when trying to get an agent go about it the wrong way… The #1 mistake a talent or parent can make is to make ASSUMPTIONS! You mail out a package, don’t follow up and assume they did not like you. WRONG! Did you mail the package to the right person in the New Faces Division? Did you spell that person’s name correctly?

It is important to point out that a talent agent’s job is to get work for the talent they represent. The time they spend on the phone with you takes away from the time they spend on the phone with a client, so it is important to approach an agent or agencies the proper way. These days many agencies post their instructions on how to apply with their agency on their web site. Obviously if they only represent talent whose minimum height is 5’9” and you are 5’5, you can imagine that the chances of becoming represented by that agency are slim.

We have attached a FREE 4-page PDF document titled: MODELING – The Things You Need To Know. This PDF will provide you additional information about how to go about contacting an agency, getting an interview and how to prepare for an interview.

NOW I HAVE AN AGENT, THEN WHAT! Once you do have an agent, then getting work will be based on how good your portfolio is and what your resume says about you, both in the training and experience columns. Most people then expect their agent to do all the work, which is one of the greatest mistakes a talent can make You cannot sit back and wait for the work to roll in and the majority of time it doesn’t. Being a represented talent doesn’t mean much if you never get work. Being considered a professional talent means that you earn a minimum of $25,000 or more in one given year. It is important to recognize that both clients and casting directors rarely hire talent that doesn’t have proper training or experience. The reason is that their neck is on the line to make sure the talent can deliver. Companies spend a lot of money to produce these projects and what if your key talent freezes or is unprofessional. There is more at stake than the money the talent gets paid.

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IMPORTANT INDUSTRY RESOURCES

Unions:

Research a modeling agency, talent agency or modeling school:

Performing Arts Schools or Training Camps:

Helpful How-To Books and Directories:

The following titles are industry resource guides published by Peter Glenn Publications and are available at www.pgdirect.com

Model and Talent Directory: An annual directory that lists legitimate model and talent agencies all over the world. Each agency went through an approval process to be listed.

Model Markets of the World: The author interviewed over 200 top agents in 60+ markets all over the world. Each market is broken down by season, marketplace, type of talent represented for the market.

The Wizards of Editorial (Audiobook): Created by the woman known for discovering Cindy Crawford, this audiobook is a great resource about the business of the industry and is a helpful guide to parents and talent about what to watch out for as one pursues a career.

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INDUSTRY TERMS & DEFINITIONS

Acting Class – instruction in television, commercial, video, motion picture or theatre acting that a model may receive on a regular basis if the model is interested in acting.

Actor – anyone who portrays a character in a movie, television program, commercial, play or video.

Advertising Model – a model that does commercials, print ads and live promotions.

Ad Campaign – a series of advertising activities designed to promote a product, person, place, event, service, company or store.

Agency Book – a collection of headshots or composites of modeling talent. It can also mean a model’s portfolio whose cover has the agency’s name or logo displayed on it.

Agency Card – a card displaying a model’s photos and personal statistics, used to promote both the agency and the model.

Agent – an owner or employee of a model or acting talent who acts as a business representative for the model or actor. An agent is normally responsible for obtaining interviews, handling bookings, and negotiating fees on behalf of the model or actor.

All-American Look – a fresh, wholesome appearance typical of an all-American boy or girl as requested or directed by a client.

Casting Call – a notice, request, or invitation from a producer or casting agent to submit one or more actors/models photos, composites or demo tapes for review. It also may mean an invitation to appear in person for an interview or audition.

Child Model – a model who is under 18 and therefore considered a minor by law.

Commercial Talent – a talent that does work in commercials, radio ads or print ads for the purposes of advertising a product, service or company.

Composite/Comp Card – a card, sheet, folder or glossy photo on which two or more photos of a model or actor are displayed. Composites are used as promotional pieces to be given to prospective clients. A comp card is a smaller sized composite usually 5 x 8 with photos on both sides, also given to prospective clients.

Fashion Modeling – a field of modeling in models work for designers, manufactures, department stores, magazines, catalogs and fashion houses for live, photographic or video modeling of clothes and accessories.

Full-figured Model – a model hired for or specializing in the modeling of larger-sized garments and accessories.

Hairdresser – an individual who shampoos, cuts, colors, sets and dries hair.

Head Shot – a photograph of the head, usually a frontal view of the face and includes the hair, neck and shoulders.

Mark – the designated location on a set or stage where a model or actor begins the acting, speaking or modeling. It will be indicated by a small line or spot on the floor or ground.

Petite/Petite Model – a model that is smaller than average height usually 5’4” or under.

Specialty Model – a model hired for assignments requiring a specific look, skill, or special physical feature.

Tearsheet – a page or sheet torn or cut from a magazine, newspaper, catalog, brochure or other printed work. For a model a tearsheet is a visible example of and proof of work done in the professional marketplace. It is also called a clipping or cut-out.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

This helpful guide was written by Gregory James, who is the Executive Producer of Sound Tree Entertainment and the Publisher of Peter Glenn Publications, a 55-year old entertainment publishing company. Sound Tree Entertainment is a full service production company that works in all areas of films, television, music concerts, print and fashion show production. Gregory has been in the entertainment industry for over 20 years and has produced projects for such companies as CosmoGIRL, ELLEgirl, Rampage, Universal Studios and MasterCard. Gregory also produces the performing arts Talent Camp at Universal Studios (www.TalentCampatUniversal.com) each Summer in Los Angeles along with Casting Camp with several major LA-based casting directors.

Under a division of Sound Tree Entertainment, Gregory exclusively manages some of today's top casting directors including Joey Paul Jensen (Soul Surfer, Cory in the House, That's So Raven), Jason La Padura (The Event, Camp Rock, High School Musical) and Brandi Brice and Dana Gergely from Brice/Gergely Casting (Suite Life on Deck, A.N.T. Farm).Additionally, Gregory has produced concerts in Florida for such stars as Disney's Mitchel Musso (Hannah Montana, Pair of Kings), Radio Disney Next Big Thing winner Jasmine and Anna Margaret (Star Struck). 

Sound Tree Entertainment and Peter Glenn Publications are based in Delray Beach, Florida.  For more information, visit www.SoundTreeEntertainment.com.

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