The Actor's Guide to Everything

Do I need a REEL for film & television?

Can a MANAGER negotiate my contracts?

Can I have more than 1 REPRESENTATIVE?

How or should I FOLLOW UP after an interview/audition?

How can have a successful INTERVIEW?

Is it better to FREELANCE than to sign with a representative?

Can I just drop by any REPRESENTATIVE or CASTING office?

How can I NETWORK effectively?

When do I need a PUBLICIST?

What is TAX DEDUCTIBLE?

How do I find a THERAPIST?

What should I put on a REEL?

When should I join the UNIONS?

What's the difference between an AGENT and a MANAGER?

Do I need a special ACCOUNTANT to do my taxes?

How do I get REPRESENTATION?

How much does it cost to join SAG, AFTRA and/or AEA?

WHAT can I be doing when I am not AUDITIONING?

How do I stay in touch with my AGENT and/or MANAGER?

How do I get paid when I have a REPRESENTATIVE?

Isn't NETWORKING just going to parties?

What is FREELANCING?

What is a PUBLICIST?

What are the BREAKDOWNS?

ACT I - GETTING HERE
ACT II - GETTING STARTED
ACT III - GETTING AHEAD
TO BE OR NOT TO BE: UNION VS. NON-UNION
REPRESENTATION
ARE YOU READY?
AGENTS/MANAGERS
OTHER REPRESENTATIVES
COVER LETTERS
INTERVIEWING
NETWORKING
MARKETING
TAKING CARE OF YOURSELF
EARNING A LIVING BETWEEN ACTING JOBS
HOW DO I KNOW WHEN IT'S TIME TO GET OUT OF THE BUSINESS?

OTHER REPRESENTATIVES

Not all representatives are agents or managers. Some big name talents have no agent or manager. They either negotiate their own contracts or they have their attorney do them. Here are a few people who look out for your best interests.

Publicists

A publicist can come in very handy when you are working on a high profile job, such as a lead in an Off-Broadway or Broadway show, a series regular on any TV show, a recurring role in a high profile TV show, a lead or a supporting role in a studio picture, a lead in an independent film, to list several examples. A Publicist can be helpful when you really do anything that commands publicity; some examples are when you get nominated for an award (Emmy, Tony, Oscar), become the Guinness Book of World Records record holder, are a Miss America contestant, get on the cover of a national magazine, or are a renowned martial artist. The idea of a publicist is to promote you when you are doing the project, not after the project has ended. Some publicists can cost several thousand dollars a month. Their general duties are to widen your publicity beyond what the producer of your show is doing, i.e. lots of radio shows across America, talk shows, magazines and newspaper stories, invitations to high profile events such as charity benefits and openings of shows and or art galleries.
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Accountants

An accountant is not the type of representative you would think of, but he/she can be instrumental in keeping your finances in order. It's best to find an accountant who has experience working in the entertainment industry as there are lots of nuances that they would be familiar with.
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Receipts: These are an instrumental part of keeping track of your finances. It's difficult for anyone other than your accountant to know exactly what is deductable for your acting business . My suggestion is to buy good accounting software. I prefer QUICKEN, because it is super easy and categorizes all of your receipts. If you don't want to go the software route then it is important to get a receipt for everything that you purchase and on it write what it was for so at the end of the year you are able to add up how much you spent in different areas and why.

Lawyers

Lawyers can be very pricey. Sometimes they charge and hourly rate and sometimes they will take a percentage of your salary. Make sure you get all of the pricing up front.

There are pluses and minuses to having a lawyer on your team. Any actors who don't have an agent or a manager use lawyers to look over their contracts. If you go this route please make sure you find one that has a lot of experience in the entertainment industry.
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