Any individual seeking to establish a career as a working actor faces major battles on many fronts.
The primary battle the actor faces is the continuing struggle to find work - and all that struggle entails - the proper preparation and training, the struggle to be seen by the people who are truly involved in the hiring process, also including, but not limited to, achieving legitimate representation to help in gaining access to these people.
Another major battle the actor faces is against those I refer to as "The Profiteers". Their ads and solicitations are everywhere. They look too good to be true - and invariably they are. Individuals such as these are always found in situations where many people compete for few "prizes". These "Profiteers" take advantage in such situations by charging usually exorbitant sums for promises on which they cannot deliver - and for services that they are incapable of providing. They prey on the desperate and the frustrated - and the actors life, unfortunately, is often one of desperation and frustration.
These are not the only battles the actor faces - but they are the best areas in which to begin any discussion of actors and their careers.
OTHER POSSIBLE FUTURE DISCUSSION SUBJECTS INCLUDE -
"Getting Seen By The Right People" - The "do's" and "don'ts" of presenting yourself to the right people - those who can actually help you get work.
"How To Spot The Scammers and Profiteers - And How To Avoid Them" - also,
how to find the individuals who can legitimately help you.
"Checking The Credentials" - of the people who are seeking money from you (for their advice - or other services they claim to provide).
"How The Internet Can Help You" - and how it can also work to your disadvantage.
Your questions and opinions on these - and other such subjects - are invited. Let's hear from you.
Copyright 2007, Eric Klass Consulting. All rights reserved.
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
"Finding The Right Agent"
There is a lot of information "out there" regarding agents. Unfortunately a lot of this information is not kept up to date - or is just plain wrong.
A case in point -
My partner, Mike Belson, retired from the agency business in June 1994, and at that time Belson & Klass Associates became The Eric Klass Agency - until I closed my office in April 2006. That, now in January, 2007, I still receive pictures and resumes addressed to The Eric Klass Agency is understandible. That I still receive pictures and resumes addressed to Mike Belson at The Eric Klass Agency is not. Not only is there misinformation out there, apparently available on a large scale (Mike still gets lots of envelopes) but this misinformation apparently states that, not only didn't Mike retire 14 years ago, but that he now works for me!!! (A fact I remind him of every time we speak).
My conclusion:
Verify your facts before you contact people. Things like the correct spelling of their names, their addresses, etc. Also, use an envelope that looks like it might be interesting to open (nicely and neatly addressed). Don't write things on the envelope - like "Seeking Representation", etc. Believe me, they already know what these envelopes contain - and it's not pizza. (More on these envelopes and their contents at another time).
And now, back to the chase...
So, be skeptical of the information you see. My personal advice is to check with people familiar with the day to day dealings of various agents. I think the ideal people to speak with about agent recommendations for you, are people you know who work in Casting. Casting Directors and their staffs work with agents on a daily basis - so if you have such a friend, ask them for their advice.
At last - a meeting with an agent!
As an agent, whenever I would interview an actor for possible representation I would want to know things about them, other than what I had read in their resume, and seen in their picture - how they saw themselves, what they hoped to achieve as actors - essentially their "view of reality". I would briefly tell them about myself and my "view of reality", as it pertained to the people I represented, the business, etc.
I always tell actors that all they can expect from an agent is a common bond of understanding and a willingness of both parties to enthusiastically work hard on making the relationship successful. There are no magic formulas. There is only hard work.
(More on this subject at a later date)
Copyright 2007, Eric Klass Consulting. All rights reserved.
A case in point -
My partner, Mike Belson, retired from the agency business in June 1994, and at that time Belson & Klass Associates became The Eric Klass Agency - until I closed my office in April 2006. That, now in January, 2007, I still receive pictures and resumes addressed to The Eric Klass Agency is understandible. That I still receive pictures and resumes addressed to Mike Belson at The Eric Klass Agency is not. Not only is there misinformation out there, apparently available on a large scale (Mike still gets lots of envelopes) but this misinformation apparently states that, not only didn't Mike retire 14 years ago, but that he now works for me!!! (A fact I remind him of every time we speak).
My conclusion:
Verify your facts before you contact people. Things like the correct spelling of their names, their addresses, etc. Also, use an envelope that looks like it might be interesting to open (nicely and neatly addressed). Don't write things on the envelope - like "Seeking Representation", etc. Believe me, they already know what these envelopes contain - and it's not pizza. (More on these envelopes and their contents at another time).
And now, back to the chase...
So, be skeptical of the information you see. My personal advice is to check with people familiar with the day to day dealings of various agents. I think the ideal people to speak with about agent recommendations for you, are people you know who work in Casting. Casting Directors and their staffs work with agents on a daily basis - so if you have such a friend, ask them for their advice.
At last - a meeting with an agent!
As an agent, whenever I would interview an actor for possible representation I would want to know things about them, other than what I had read in their resume, and seen in their picture - how they saw themselves, what they hoped to achieve as actors - essentially their "view of reality". I would briefly tell them about myself and my "view of reality", as it pertained to the people I represented, the business, etc.
I always tell actors that all they can expect from an agent is a common bond of understanding and a willingness of both parties to enthusiastically work hard on making the relationship successful. There are no magic formulas. There is only hard work.
(More on this subject at a later date)
Copyright 2007, Eric Klass Consulting. All rights reserved.
Monday, January 22, 2007
A Footnote To My Earlier Post
As a "consultant", I charge a one-time fee of $150 with no additional or hidden costs - or sneaky "kickback" things - like referrals. For that, the actors get a one-on-one private meeting with me (which usually runs about one hour) regarding them and their specific situations, along with my opinions and suggestions as to the best way for them to best navigate their way through the business - in particular with regard to the way actors are financially abused today - along with the many other "roadblocks" actors must overcome - just to be seen.
That fee also gives them the right to call me (at no additional cost to them) with further questions which might occur to them the next day, the next week, etc. - sort of an "extended warranty".
In these sessions with actors, I can also be a lot more frank and blunt and specific about things (that I might consider to be extortion, fraud, false pretenses, etc.) than I ever could be on line.
My point in laying out these questions was (and is) to let people know that someone like me is very aware of what they go through on a daily basis, and - if I may be very blunt - that there are ways of dealing with (and getting around) the bastards out there who are trying to "stick it to them".
Eric Klass
Copyright 2007, Eric Klass Consulting. All rights reserved.
That fee also gives them the right to call me (at no additional cost to them) with further questions which might occur to them the next day, the next week, etc. - sort of an "extended warranty".
In these sessions with actors, I can also be a lot more frank and blunt and specific about things (that I might consider to be extortion, fraud, false pretenses, etc.) than I ever could be on line.
My point in laying out these questions was (and is) to let people know that someone like me is very aware of what they go through on a daily basis, and - if I may be very blunt - that there are ways of dealing with (and getting around) the bastards out there who are trying to "stick it to them".
Eric Klass
Copyright 2007, Eric Klass Consulting. All rights reserved.
"Getting In Through The Front Door" - Tips On Your Picture And Resume
Over the many years that I owned my own talent agency, I personally opened, and looked at, every picture and
resume that had been sent to me. Over that period of time, I formed definite opinions as to what I thought worked
to the benefit of the actor - and what didn't.
Your picture and resume are such an important part of your life as an actor, that whenever an actor comes in to
see me in my capacity as a consultant, it is the first subject that I discuss with them.
The unfortunate fact is that most pictures and resumes immediately wind up in the "recycling bin" - or are immediately
disposed of by the dreaded "delete key".
The fact remains that your picture and resume are the most direct way of introducing yourself to people who can help
you get acting work.
What can you do to get your envelope opened, and its contents read by the right people?
What kind of picture, and how many different pictures should you include in your submission envelope?
Your resume - what I think helps, and what I think turns people off.
Your covering letter - what I think are the most common mistakes actors make with it - and how to avoid these mistakes.
And - most importantly - what I think are the best ways to "get through" to Casting Directors, their "assistants, "associates", etc. - in their capacity as paid employees of the casting process - rather than having to pay to be seen by them in their extracurricular activities as self-proclaimed "teachers" in the so-called "cold reading workshops" that seem to be everywhere these days.
Eric Klass
Copyright 2007, Eric Klass Consulting. All rights reserved.
resume that had been sent to me. Over that period of time, I formed definite opinions as to what I thought worked
to the benefit of the actor - and what didn't.
Your picture and resume are such an important part of your life as an actor, that whenever an actor comes in to
see me in my capacity as a consultant, it is the first subject that I discuss with them.
The unfortunate fact is that most pictures and resumes immediately wind up in the "recycling bin" - or are immediately
disposed of by the dreaded "delete key".
The fact remains that your picture and resume are the most direct way of introducing yourself to people who can help
you get acting work.
What can you do to get your envelope opened, and its contents read by the right people?
What kind of picture, and how many different pictures should you include in your submission envelope?
Your resume - what I think helps, and what I think turns people off.
Your covering letter - what I think are the most common mistakes actors make with it - and how to avoid these mistakes.
And - most importantly - what I think are the best ways to "get through" to Casting Directors, their "assistants, "associates", etc. - in their capacity as paid employees of the casting process - rather than having to pay to be seen by them in their extracurricular activities as self-proclaimed "teachers" in the so-called "cold reading workshops" that seem to be everywhere these days.
Eric Klass
Copyright 2007, Eric Klass Consulting. All rights reserved.
Monday, January 15, 2007
About Eric Klass
I was an actor's agent for more than thirty-five years. For thirty-two of those years, I was owner of my own talent agency in Beverly Hills, California (Belson & Klass Associates, later, The Eric Klass Agency). Prior to my moving to California in 1974, and opening my own agency, I had run the New York office of Peter Witt Associates, a very prestigious independent New York agency.
Clients of mine over the years have included Sir Anthony Hopkins, Robert Duvall, Don Johnson, Ed Begley, Jr. and Eli Wallach - among many others.
My former partner, Mike Belson, and I never sought fame or notoriety for ourselves at our agency. Our clients were the focus of our attentions. When Mike Belson retired from the agency business in 1994, I continued on alone - until April, 2006, when I, too, decided to retire from the agency business.
One thing that I have seen change dramatically over the years is the increasing financial victimization of actors. In other words, more and more these days, actors have to pay to be seen or auditioned - often by people involved in the hiring of actors. It makes actors lives a lot more difficult - and a lot more costly.
As a working actors agent, it is very difficult to speak out about such perceived injustices - out of fear of reprisals - particularly toward one's clients. Now, as a "former talent agent", I am able to vigorously address this issue - along with other such issues which face actors these days.
I will be posting further on similar subjects of interest to the actor in the near future. Meanwhile, I will be happy to reply to any questions or comments you may have.
Copyright 2007, Eric Klass Consulting. All rights reserved.
Clients of mine over the years have included Sir Anthony Hopkins, Robert Duvall, Don Johnson, Ed Begley, Jr. and Eli Wallach - among many others.
My former partner, Mike Belson, and I never sought fame or notoriety for ourselves at our agency. Our clients were the focus of our attentions. When Mike Belson retired from the agency business in 1994, I continued on alone - until April, 2006, when I, too, decided to retire from the agency business.
One thing that I have seen change dramatically over the years is the increasing financial victimization of actors. In other words, more and more these days, actors have to pay to be seen or auditioned - often by people involved in the hiring of actors. It makes actors lives a lot more difficult - and a lot more costly.
As a working actors agent, it is very difficult to speak out about such perceived injustices - out of fear of reprisals - particularly toward one's clients. Now, as a "former talent agent", I am able to vigorously address this issue - along with other such issues which face actors these days.
I will be posting further on similar subjects of interest to the actor in the near future. Meanwhile, I will be happy to reply to any questions or comments you may have.
Copyright 2007, Eric Klass Consulting. All rights reserved.
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