PLEASE CALL MY AGENT FIRST...

Houston, Texas - The Independent Film Scene [IFS], or "film industry" (if it means that much to you), can be a gritty world for an actor who is struggling to learn the ropes about what it takes to work in front of a camera during a production. What might impede progress or success is the fact that most Indie actors refuse to take leading roles when their openly handed out to them; most starting actors that have only filled the roles of an extra or "just a guy in the background" have a lot of doubt in their abilities and this can damage the expected growth of their capabilities and real experience in the field of acting.

Seasoned film directors and casting agents have an eye for what sells and usually a particular script will send off a vibe for a new actor that's required to complete the initial plan for the plot and get the entire film project started on the right foot. So often more than not, the director and his team will start looking through tons and tons headshots. When a good script is approved for production, a search will begin to find a talented lead. They won't be looking for what can just be seen in someones acting credentials, but there's also a search for a certain look in a part; with a certain spirit that can been at first glance, perhaps it's something in the eyes or the smile. 

At the beginning phases of casting, actors aren't graded on the format of their headshot; the team only wants to be sure that the actor presented in the headshot is someone who can walk through the doors of an audition with complete confidence. If the director and his team feel that the looks fit and the actor is malleable, then the right actor has been found to start production even before an audition needs to be arranged.

Many will agree that the way an actor looks can make a director of a project actually go out of the way and reach out for a particular actor to fill the role. With the existence of Facebook and LinkedIn, directors have direct access to actors information and headshots in a matter of seconds. There's a lot of information to sift through, so to make immediate contact with an actor can prove to be the best "bite" than an actor can have in their career of working with new production teams. At this point, the director certainly doesn't care about your resume or the lack of your abilities; he wants to meet up with you, feel your interest through contact and see if you have the same caliber personae as your headshot, to see if you can help with his image of the film to launch in the right direction.

This is not the time for an amateur actor to hesitate or doubt their own abilities or throw down the old, "you need to contact my agent first" pitch. Actors should do their research prior to making a big final decision, but always respect the initial contact as a positive thing with all of the hard work you've put into your Facebook or LinkedIn page.

Think about this for a moment; and we are speaking about amateur Indie film projects, not local commercials or roles as extras in some feature film where no one will ever see you in the film, a high percentage of new actors believe that there is a career in acting, but almost 98% of new actors have to maintain a real job working 40 hours a week to live comfortably, pay the bills, and do acting gigs on the side for lunch money. The other 2% of these new actors who "claim to be making it" in the movie industry, and unless they are a real leading actor in a film or television series, are probably lying about their success and have outside jobs, making a living outside of the acting world. Some of those same actors develop jobs to help "assist" other actors break-in to the acting world, claiming that their ingredients of success are easy to pass on and they can guarantee that their hands-on training or contacts "in the business" can guarantee results if they pay for their services.

This is from a local Houston-based

acting agency whose notorious for 
having favorites in their clientele.

Always keep in mind that some agents can do tricky things to keep your 'planned' career anchored down with very little movement. Make no mistake that some agencies have their favorites, and those with crisp, sharp looks often get the better gigs, even though you may be more experienced for the part or even more talented. It's a funny thing, but if one of their favorites bring in heavy cash flow more often than not, they will be chosen for submission even if you were the original contact for a project. If you find yourself struggling to get work from your agent while others "get the gigs," then perhaps you should consider dropping the agent and managing your own career; you know that it is possible to do that until a better agent comes along.

Consider this blog as fruit for thought. I always suggest that new actors should always start off their careers in theater arts and hone their skills; especially if you want to know the in's and out's of production, direction, performing under pressure, etc. Yes, it's a whole lot tougher to work in theater and win the big leading roles, but the experience in just watching whats going in the pre-production, operational side of each new show is more experience than anything you'll learn as an extra in a film production. If any acting agent tells you different, then you need to start looking somewhere else to earn good paying gigs; especially if you need the cash without giving away a third to an acting agent and still having to pay taxes on the rest!

Good luck in what you decide to do!

...Ride Easy!
D. R. Quintana