It’s not what you know, it’s who you know

When it comes to the entertainment business, it’s all about “who you know”. The fact that someone has studied at a prestigious acting school or conservatory means absolutely nothing!…as bad as that may seem, this business runs on how well connected your inevitably are. I mean, of course talent is extremely important, but sometimes that gets slightly over looked if the actor auditioning is the son or daughter of an established director or producer…cough…cough…Bryce Dallas Howard…cough…Kate Hudson…cough, I’m sure you get my point. When casting already knows your last name, then there’s a big chance that you’ll be getting the role. Now, here’s where the agent comes in to save the day, just because the actor has a famous last name, doesn’t mean its game over just yet. If the agent has an impressive background, and a history of  delivering hard hitting talent, then casting directors tend to be more inclined in choosing talent represented by said agent. The thing about casting is that they want reassurance, they want to be reassured that the talent that they choose is going to be able to deliver in front of the camera; so if they trust the agent then they’ll trust the talent. So as an agent, you constantly want to be getting your name and companies name on the lips of every producer and casting director in town…so what does that mean? Well, it means sending a bottle of wine over to the production company or casting office every now and again, to keep them talking about you. The key is to keep your name on their lips all year around…especially for pilot season.