About 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).
Question QUESTION: My name is Carla but the question is in relation to my 4 yr old daughter named Kyrah. A few weeks back I sent her pictures to Model Search America and Kids Talent Network. I have already researched both companies and looked on the Better Business Bureau. A year ago I mailed my daughter's pictures off to three different agencies two being in Dallas, TX. I have not heard back from them. Model Search America called me and said that per our phone interview and them talking with my daughter, she qualified to go to Vegas in December. It was going to cost my husband and I approximately two thousand dollars to get her there and attend the conference. We could not afford that. A week later Kids Talent Network called me. I talked with coordinator there and felt comfortable talking to her. She said that they deal with the top agencies not the mom and pop agencies. My question, is this the way to go now...through networks instead of the agencies. That is what I am being told. Kids Talent Network said it would be $480 but I could pay it off within a three month period. They said they would go ahead and get Kyrah's portfolio started. I want to make sure I am doing the right thing.
ANSWER: Hi Carla,
Short answer: A talent agent does not charge an upfront fee to represent talent. Period.
They are paid by a percentage of the actor's paycheck (10% or 15%) once the actor has auditioned, won the job and has done the job. The agent bills the production company who bills the advertising agency, who bills the client. (It typically takes 1-3 months to get a check from your agent, who deducts their percentage.)
There are many scams out there where they have their photographer take "portfolio" shots for a high fee and promise a job. No real agent would guarantee you a job, nor would they take on a client without auditioning them or at the least, meeting them to determine if they are suited to the field. If someone is bad, that would make the agent look bad and unprofessional.
How they meet the letter of the agreement with these is they get the talent a local mall fashion pageant runway modeling job or some other useless gig and voila!! they promoted the talent and cannot be sued. Usually, no jobs surface beyond that.
In Texas we have laws against requiring talent to take classes or get photos from an agent to be represented.
Good luck!
Taylor
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QUESTION: Thank you for the previous response. I was told by Talent Network at the beginning that they were not an agency, they're just a network that agencies call when they are looking for talent so that's why they charge because they are doing the leg work.
Answer Hi again, Carla,
I have some property in Brooklyn, NY that I have been waiting for the "right person" to happen by, to practically give it away for a small sum in return. It's a bridge that I let the city of Brooklyn use at no charge. The locals call it the "Brooklyn Bridge", but I prefer to call it "Taylor's Windfall Bridge"....
Seriously, agents do not do things that way. There are what they call "Breakdown Services" like Actors Access that agents sign up for (and their talent) which send out a "breakdown" or a general description of the "type", age range and sex of the actors needed for a project, with a brief synopsis of what the project entails. The AGENT then sends an electronic submission of eligible talent that fit to the casting people via the system. Then the talent is called through their agent to audition. You must have an agent to do this (sorry, people without agents) and you MUST fit the part. So, without an agent, they wouldn't be much help...at least not with legitimate, paying gigs.
