I am a SAG actor who recently moved to Los Angeles. I’ve been here for two months now and am in the process still of looking for representation. I’ve read your book and I know what you feel about paying managers upfront. I have a situation with a management company. They are not scam artists and the organization is run by two former actors. One of them also runs a casting director workshop business and is highly connected with the casting directors in LA. They want to work with me and everything about them sounds great but the $65 a month management fee.

If I book a role they will waive the fee. They claim that the fee will help pay for their overhead expenses. I just wanted to get your opinion on this. I know I’ve been warned never pay upfront but these people are legit and were very honest with me about the fee and all. There’s a part of me that says no but then there’s a part of me that says why not since I’m already paying money for submissions and classes. What’s $65 more to have someone push for me to get in the door. Any advice you can give me would be great. Thanks.

Ahh… it certainly must be tempting to concoct rationalizations for what “management companies” like this are doing.

Do you really believe that you will “have someone push for [you] to get in the door” by paying this $65 monthly fee? A manager’s passion for choosing to represent a particular client comes from knowing the actor is talented. A manager’s drive for pitching his or her clients comes from knowing that he or she will earn a commission when those clients book work. If your manager is earning money every time he or she signs a new client — and is guaranteed to earn something EVERY MONTH that the actor DOESN’T book work — what makes you think he or she will want to WORK HARDER in order to maybe get paid? Think about it!

Do nothing… get paid $65 per month for every actor you “sign.”

Hustle, make pitch calls, help your “clients” get auditions and IF they book work… get a 15% commission on that.

Considering that MOST auditions do NOT result in bookings, why would a “management company” like the one you’ve described have any interest in helping its clients get auditions at all, since they’re paid MORE for doing NOTHING?

You mentioned in your email that you “know what [I] feel about paying managers upfront.” Let me be sure you understand that it’s not simply a matter of “what I feel.”

From the Talent Managers Association’s Code of Ethics:

With the exception of reimbursements for monies advanced, no fee may be charged or collected for profit at the expense of a signed client by any Personal Talent Manager from any Artist for:
a. registering or listing the Artist in entertainment industry or other publications or registries
b. letter writing
c. photographs, film clips, videotapes, or other reproductions of the Artist’s likeness or performances
d. any other charge or fee of a similar nature.

From the National Conference of Personal Managers’ website:

Most importantly, NCOPM members never accept a fee from a client on the promise of attempting to obtain engagements for the client.

From Mark Sikes’ column:

You never pay an agent or manager ANYTHING other than a percentage of the money you earn as an actor. It is imperative that a reps’ interest in you is financial. If you don’t work, they don’t make money. By paying them other monies, you remove one of their main motivations for getting you work. At the end of the month, they’re getting paid either way. What about you?

Now, here’s a major beef I have with this particular type of “management company.” For the company you mentioned, I’ve been able to verify a client roster of at least 20, just using IMDb as a source. (Of course, they’ve submitted more actors than those 20 listed on IMDb through breakdowns I’ve released. And when I Google the company’s name and/or phone number, another 50 or so online resumes come up, with not-yet-on-IMDb clients happily listing this company as preferred contact.) So, let’s split the difference, stay conservative, and say 35 actors are paying this monthly fee of $65. That’s a cool $28K going into the pockets of these “managers” for the privilege of having their logo on your resume. Oh, and that logo? It’s not impressing anyone in casting. Why not? BECAUSE WE ALL KNOW YOU CAN PAY TO HAVE THIS COMPANY MANAGE YOU. That means their pitch calls mean nothing. Oh! What am I talking about? They don’t MAKE pitch calls. Why would they? They earn $65 per month for doing NOTHING for you.

Remember: You are not responsible for paying your representatives’ rent while they’re submitting you for work! Their investment in office supplies, messenger fees, phones, faxes, subscription to Breakdown Services, are all their business expenses and that’s their investment in you. That’s precisely why it’s so difficult to get an agent or manager! They’re going to lay out a great deal of money because they believe you can work in this industry. And then, when you do work, they will receive their commission. It’s their payment for having believed in you, for having invested in you. It’s a business decision! And they limit their risk by signing enough actors of enough different types to (hopefully) keep someone on their roster out there and working at all times.

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Thanks for the emails about your favorite on-camera instructors. I welcome some more! Who is it that you love to study with, for on-camera technique? If you could give a plug to your favorite on-camera acting instructor, who would that be? And, perhaps most importantly, why is your favorite instructor so amazing? Again, thanks for the info!

Wanna be sure your tools *and* your mindset are in peak form? Let us get you in gear with some FREE training right now!

Rock ON!


Bonnie Gillespie is living her dreams by helping others figure out how to live theirs. Wanna work with Bon? Start here. Thanks!


Originally published by Actors Access at http://more.showfax.com/columns/avoice/archives/000701.html. Please support the many wonderful resources provided by the Breakdown Services family. This posting is the author’s personal archive.

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5 Comments

  1. Lisa M. November 8, 2015 at 8:51 am

    I am a member of SAG and let me just state they did not step in when I was ripped off by a so called Pay to Audition Agency in New York City. I attended a “workshop” offered by The Actors Green Room, a seedy operation owned and operated by a woman known as Jen Rudolph, a so called actors guru. In any case, the workshop was being run by CSA Member Ross Meyerson of Tucker/Meyerson Casting. It was a typical workshop, where he had us do an audition at the end of class, but there was a twist, if you were chosen to be one of his favorites, he would ask for your contact information, and guarantee to call you in for another audition, and the best part was you only had to pay $30. Which a portion would be split with the Actors Green Room. Of course they don’t publicize this because they know it’s illegal, but actors are still paying to achieve the dream of fame. I immediately contacted SAG who responded with “we really can’t step in unless it’s an agency we have direct contact with”. I even called the Casting Society of America, and they too would not do anything accept they suggested to report the matter to a State Authority. What an outrage. I pay member dues and this is how I am treated. SAG is probably profiting from this somehow and refuses to help its own members out of sheer greed. Who can I turn to for help, when even my own union has been bought.

    Reply
  2. Bonnie Gillespie November 8, 2015 at 12:40 pm

    Good news, Lisa! There’s a law in the State of California called AB 1319. It strongly regulates how casting workshops are run, how advertising is done, and the (very liberal) refund period for your protection.

    Now, I know. You’re thinking, “How is that good news? I’m in New York!”

    Ahh… well due to the successes of actor protection under AB 1319 in California, New York has a law pushing through the system right now that will similarly protect actors in the way you’re hoping. Give it time to get through the system! Help is on the way!

    Reply
    1. Anonymous February 21, 2017 at 4:10 pm

      Sorry to hear that Lisa. Everything having to do with Jen Rudolph and her croonies is so fishy and absolutely a scam. I really believe Actor’s Green Room should be out of business. She charges for the most ridiculous classes and if you pay enough money to go every week (FYI it’s a lot of the times CASH in her pocket for certain classes), then maybe you will be featured on Twitter and be “in the mix” – ridiculous. I really hope all the legit casting directors stop going to her studio. It’s just disgusting

      Reply
  3. Anonymous March 11, 2021 at 10:22 am

    Yeah, AGR is a major scam and not safe. There was a big blow up last summer where allegations of women being sexually harassed by like 2 coaches came forward after Jen posted that she knew something was up with one of them a year before she was publicly apologizing. I left the group a week or so later but it was bad. I’d be careful and be safe.

    Reply
  4. Anonymous July 2, 2021 at 8:28 am

    I heard and watched what was going on with AGR, and have heard about the coaches. From reading the hundreds of posts, I saw a lot of women talking about having issues with two men with allegations of sexual misconduct plus her $2,000-$10,000 for coaching/Programs which some friends said were useless to them, I decided to leave. Not only does it seem scammy and my agents said you should never pay someone such ridiculous amounts of money for “what exactly?” but also she had a half hearted apology about knowing this person had been inappropriate and yet didn’t report the person. Then when this happened, a blow up of people emerged. The fact that this many people had issues is a warning sign! And the fact that she never addressed it until it was about to explode in her face makes me question her character. I heard they were really good friends, so, maybe why nothing was done. Either way, I’d say based off of my agents info, to stay away, regardless of the coaches, she clearly is in it for money, not for people

    Reply

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