Careers: Acting, Performing, Directing/Talent Agents

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Expert: - 6/8/2007


Question
I have a question is it right for an agent to charge a one time fee in order to be featured on their site. One of my agents already got me jobs but they only charge 10 dollars but this SAG franchise agent is trying to charge me 100 dollars. I received their name from the SAG site and I am not sure if I should go with the one time fee or not.

Answer
Hi Marc,

Short answer: It's okay. Being an agent isn't always a payday. Even though agents submit electronically more than FedEx, there is still overhead costs that run very high. If this agent has a storefront (many agents work from home offices to cut expenses) that is rent/lights/staff/materials/phone bills and...website costs. They pay to host the website, pay for extra bandwidth if needed, hiring a webmaster to build and maintain the pages and after all that and more, they have to make a profit. No one wants to work for pennies. for all they do, they get a typical 15% of the jobs that the talent actually books. So, it makes sense that the talent supplies a few things, like great headshots and paying to have their headshots and resumes on the site is fair.
When I started, their was a $100. fee for being in the agency catalog...that was before the net came to full bloom. I still have one from '93 with my page right after Matt McConaughey's...we both looked like kids then!
Best,
Taylor

Careers: Acting, Performing, Directing

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Taylor Sheppard

Expertise

I can answer questions: on starting a career in acting, mistakes in acting, etiquette when dealing with industry contacts, finer points on how to act, and things to avoid in the field.

Experience

I have been a professional actor 21 years, with appearances in TV, Film and commercials. I have made good decisions and potentially damaging mistakes. I believe anyone who has a dream deserves to explore it, and I take their aspirations seriously. That being said, I do not pull punches. I try to be tactful, but I will not lie to someone, honesty is more effective. My last film role was in "Teeth" which was picked for Sundance in January 2007. It was sold to Lionsgate and Weinstein Co. for somewhere over 2.5 million. The role was "Mr. Griffith", a sex-ed teacher.

Organizations
Ciao Agency-Austin/Georgetown, Texas. (Formerly known as Donna Adams Agency. Matthew McConaughey was a good friend and fellow member. I also have belonged to agencies in three other Texas cities, but they have since closed.) TXMPA -Texas Motion Picture Alliance. Various other internet networking web rings as well as Actors Access. I was instrumental in advising actress Krista Allen on getting her career in acting started in Austin,Texas (we worked at the same Health Club in the early '90's).

Publications
Previously wrote on a now defunct website such as this one. I enjoyed helping new actors.

Education/Credentials
I have acted for 21 years. I studied under James Nelson Harrell as well as other talented actors at Southwest Texas State University. After college, I have taken classes with Julliard graduate Mona Lee, Bill Johnson, Van Brookes, Marco Perella and others in Austin Texas. I am constantly attending classes to maintain my edge and explore new directions. In addition to attending strictly acting classes, I have also taken business workshops with respected casting directors, such as Shari Rhodes ("Jaws","Close Encounters", "Raggedy Man".) Barbara Brinkley, Jo Edna Bolden and Donise Hardy, (Castingworks LA).

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