How to find and submit to agencies

So you read THIS POST and decided you want to try out getting your kids in some commercials or modeling jobs. Maybe you have an older child who would really like to start working in the entertainment industry. What’s the next step?

The next step is to find a potential agent.

An agent is the person who works as a middleman between the client or casting director and the talent. Having a good agent is vital because this is what will book you or your child the most work and ensure you are only working on reputable projects. Agents work to diversify the types of talent they have (race, body type, age, different abilities) to satisfy the needs of their local markets and give their clients a large pool of people to pick from.

The two key factors are:

1. Finding an agent you work well with.

2. Finding an agent who has good business sense and strong client relations.

First go online and google the casting offices in your area. They will usually have a website. Somewhere in that website will be a list of the agencies they work with. This is the perfect place to find reputable agents. You can find a great resource page for the San Francisco Bay Area agencies HERE.

Once you have a list of the local agencies, go to each website and find out how to submit talent or what their submission process is.

Next, READ AND FOLLOW DIRECTIONS EXACTLY. Different agencies may have slightly different submission procedures, so you need to read the instructions carefully and do what it says. For kids it usually requires a few snapshots and their measurements. For adults you likely need a professional headshot, a full body snap shot and a resume. Submissions are usually by mail and some may be online. Just do exactly what it says. It will likely say on the agency’s website how long to expect to wait to get word back.

Things to keep in mind:

1. Do not submit to agencies who request you to pay them, EVER.

2. When taking photos of your child to submit, use natural light with no flash. Dress them in solid or mild patterns without logos or characters. Keep their hair simple and take any clutter out of the background.

3. I do not advise signing contracts with agencies who do not want to meet you face to face.

4. Do not get over-nervous or feel intimidated by an agent (or anyone in this industry) You are the one who is hiring the agent. They will get percentages (10-20%) of the jobs YOU work. It is you who are paying them to represent you and not the other way around. Have manners and be nice of course, but there is absolutely no reason to feel withdrawn.

So that’s the first step. Submit yourself or your child to reputable agencies in your area. I will follow this up with another post on what to do once they contact you.

Let me know if you have any other questions.

The girls on set last week. Ella decided she wants to do shoots once in a while now.

The girls on set last week. Ella decided she wants to do shoots once in a while now.

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21 responses

  1. Thanks so much for posting this! My daughter has been asked for an interview, I would love to know what to do for the interview.

    • just search for talent agents in your area. When you find a few submit to them and see what happens. Let me know how it goes!

  2. hi
    your blog is great. I already had pictures taken of my daughter. we are new to our area and having trouble finding reputable agencies. can you give me an idea of what to do next? she is almost 6 and very fun loving. she really wants to do some modeling.
    thanks!
    Jen

  3. Hi I am 23 yr old mother and I absolutely love your blog and your girls are gorgeous. I am thankful i stumbled across your page just by googling. I am interested in getting my 2yr old son involved in this process but I live in the inland empire area (so cal) and I have no idea where to start because google can sometimes be a puzzle. I just want to try it because his personality is amazing so to get some feedback by an agent would be great. Is there any other way I could go around finding agencies or an agent you may know this way to reccomend.

  4. This are some great posts I can not for some reason find the link to the next post. I looked in archived posts and missed it.

    Thanks allot

  5. I love your articles and I am asking for help getting my grandsons into commercial, movies and the likes… I am looking for a legitimate agency in Springfield, MO area. 65806 Can you please direct me?

  6. Do you have any commentes/ opinions base on JRP? John Robert powers? I took my son and they said he was perfect and a at a good age, his 4. But they wanted us to pay up front $1600, or we could give a down payment of $650. I’m just worried because all i read was bad reviews and not one positive. Thank you.

    • Never, ever, ever pay an agent to represent your child. They only make money if your child makes money. This is a scam.

  7. Thank you for the details steps and advise on what to look for and too stay relax. Keep given golden nuggets we parents need this information. Thanks much cj

  8. Thank you! This is really helpful but, it’s hard here in New York i’ve been checking since many say it’s a scam. I submitted a couple of pictures but only got one response back and he asked me if she has been in a runway before and i answered no he never got back to me after that.

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