What Happens If An LA Agent or Manager Wants To Represent My Child?

Every year acting/modeling showcases are also held throughout the country that bring in Managers and Agents from Los Angeles to see the kids. Showcases are also held in California where kids from out of state fly in to California to be seen by Agents and Managers here.

Daily I get asked by parents "what happens if an Agent or Manager from LA wants to represent my child? Now pay attention because this is critical info that many showcase companies won't tell you because they are too busy taking your money and preying on the stars in your eyes.

Typically here is the way it REALLY works. You either submit DIRECTLY to a Manager or Agent OR:

1) You will attend a showcase or seminar. 

2) Your child showcases their  talent by doing a monologue or commercial they have prepared.

3) If agents and managers are interested they will give your child a callback to see them again, typically on final day of the Showcase.

4) At the callbacks,  you will speak to the agents and managers one by one. Likely they will ask you if you plan to move to LA, or be in LA during pilot season for 4 months,? Or they will want to know if you will be coming to stay in LA for 4 months during episodic season September - November?

5) if you say no there won't be very much they can do for you as 99% of auditions will be in Los Angeles. Here you are thinking, I've heard they can put my child on tape for auditions. Well the truth about that is very few roles ever get cast by out of state tapes. More likely you may go on tape for  several projects and as casting gets to know the  children that tape, they will want to meet some of them in person when they come  to LA to stay for a few months.

Fyi kids on go on tape for bigger roles in Film and TV.
Commercials, Co-Star roles and smaller roles in films are always cast in person and THESE are the projects that typically hire new people like your child.

6) If you are serious about pursuing acting with your child 99% of TV and Film auditions take place in LA. So if you are  planning on being in LA for an extended period of time Agents and Managers will ask you to come back out and meet with them again, often to introduce you to other agents in their office. Some agencies make signing decisions as a team. If they like you enough they will sign a contract with you then.

7) You will be asked to create online profile with the casting websites; LA CASTING, ACTORS ACCESS and CASTING FRONTIER. You will most likely be asked to shoot new headshots that are appropriate for the LA market.

8) When you are here in LA for 3-4 months, they will be submitting you on projects. Maybe you will get some auditions, maybe you won't. Maybe you will book some jobs, maybe you won't. No one knows. Every agent and manager just takes a chance if they think your potential can make money for them.

Why do you need to be in LA for LA auditions? It works like this: An agent or manager sees a possible role that might be right for your child. They submit your child's picture. If casting wants to see your child they will ask you to come in with only 1-3 days notice. If you get a callback it could be the following week. Will you fly home in between? Your agent / manager will be submitting you every day- what if you get an audition this Tuesday and another one on Friday, then no auditions for 1 week and then another audition on Wednesday and a callback on Friday then no auditions for 2 weeks and then a callback the following week... are you planning on flying back and forth every week? No.

Agents and Managers expect you to be here for auditions they get you. And the truth is we don't know how many auditions you will ever get. Most people are not going to uproot their entire family for the possibility of having some auditions. People who do this are the ones who realize that their child is extremely special and want to pursue acting professionally for many years. They understand the best place to do that is in Los Angeles as there are more opportunities here, PLUS they have the financial means, or type of jobs which allows them to move here, or be here for extended periods of time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZDrHCst7ic

If you are planning on coming to Los Angeles for 3 months so you can get an Agent and Manager in Los Angeles who can also submit your child for projects here in California

There are 3 options of when to come:

1) Summer:  June, July and Aug

2) Episodic season: Sept, Oct, Nov

3) Pilot season: Feb, March, April

9) VERY IMPORTANT Whether you live here in LA, or wherever you live, acting is  skill that has to be mastered. You should always be working hard building your child's resume by doing student films, short films', webseries and theater. I highly suggest you read my ebook HOW TO BE A STAR RIGHT WHERE YOU ARE to learn the many ways you can build your child's resume and experience right where you live. You can find it at http://www.secretsofahollywoodtalentmanager.com

My company WAW ENTERTAINMENT talent management in Los Angeles is always looking for talented & beautiful kids ages 6-14 for Film, TV, Webseries and Commercials. If you live in Los Angeles or plan to be here for 2-3 months between Feb-July or Sept-Nov. submit Headshots, Resumes and a personality clip to wawentertainment@yahoo.com If I am interested I will contact you.

Please include: Photos of your child, age, height, weight, city and state you live in and a 30 second video of your child talking about something important to them. Sports, friends, school, food, movies etc. You can record the video on your iPhone, upload it to You Tube, mark video as unlisted and include the link in your email to us. If we are interested we will contact you. We want to get an idea of their personality. We look forward to reviewing your submissions.

There are vultures in this business preying on the dreams of parents and children who are entering show business. You can rely on me and my blogs to always guide you in the right direction. I would also like to suggest you get your information from these reputable sources as well: CHILDREN IN FILM, BIZ PARENTS and HOLLYWOOD MOM


Typically these showcases are all very expensive ranging from $2,000-$17,000 and there are LESS expensive ways to do this. Really those kinds of prices just make me see red. Instead read my e-Book "HOW TO BE A STAR RIGHT WHERE YOU ARE."  Spend $21 on the book and save yourself thousands of dollars - and learn how to submit your child to the EXACT SAME AGENTS AND MANAGERS at the expensive showcases. Don't get ripped off.

I have been to showcases to see kids and happen to ask parents... "So by the way, how much did you pay to be here?" I have heard $14,500 I nearly fell on the floor!!! The sad thing is the group of agents and managers at the big $$$ showcases are the SAME EXACT AGENTS & MANAGERS at the smaller $500 showcases in LA at places like ACTOR TRAINING IN LA or TALENT TRAINING AND PERFORMANCE STUDIOS (one of my companies) that take place several times throughout the year. A parent could fly to LA, with their child ($1,200) rent an apt for 1 month, (1,200) do four weeks of acting classes 3-5 times a day ($900) and pay for the showcase ($500) = $3,800 and meet the same exact agents AND get 10x better training.

OR they can simply send their kids headshot, resume and 1 minute personality clip to those agents by email (FREE) and if the agents or managers are interested, they can fly out to LA and meet with them.

BE SMART and INFORMED otherwise trying to get into this business can be very costly and get you nowhere.

You can download the eBook from here: http://www.secretsofahollywoodtalentmanager.com

For further information about Show Business read more of my blog posts and watch the 300+ Insider videos posted on my You Tube channel SECRETS OF A HOLLYWOOD TALENT MANAGER.

Wendy Alane Wright
WAW Entertaiment
WAWEntertainment.com
Secretsofahollywoodtalentmanager.com