July 01st, 2016

I love this question because the answer is yes AND yes.

There is no best way, but there is a smart way to create a strategy to get an agent or manager and to keep them working hard for you.  

How to use workshops and seminars to get an agent or manager to sign you.
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Doing good work in a workshop or seminar repeatedly (in a tight period of time, say 6-8 weeks) will get you noticed by an agent/manager or casting director.  But they're not likely to sign you unless you book something big.  They'll freelance you if you use the 3 month targeting strategy I talked about in my last newsletter. 

If you missed it, click here now to see how to build the kind of relationship in workshops and seminars with agents/casting directors/managers that get you auditions.

How to Use Great Press to Get Representation
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The other alternative is to book something on your own and create a marketing strategy to get them out to see your show.  

Here's the kicker: no one's going to sign someone in a  show that hasn't been reviewed by the big media outlets in town.  

Get one great New York Times review and you can use that to get signed.  The NYTimes is the single most powerful review in the world.  Broadway shows and TV shows are cancelled if they get bad  NYTimes reviews.  So follow the money: find a great theatre that's known for getting fair, good reviews from the New York Times and keep auditioning for that company until you get a decent role that shows what you can do.  

Once you get the role, create a kickass marketing strategy to make sure every industry person sees you in the show and gets a copy of your NYTimes review.

How to Self-Produce to Get an Agent
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Well, this process is essentially the same as the one above with one minor difference: you have to raise money to self-produce.

Once you've raised the money, you can take the time to write a script or pay someone to write it for you.  

How I Raised $100,000 in 30 Days When I Had Never CrowdFunded Before
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I self-produced 3 workshop productions of my latest play, _Good Bread Alley_.  I had never raised money by crowdfunding ever.  I did some research, hired a Kickstarter coach and I raised $100,000 in 30 days to produce my latest play Good Bread Alley at New York Theatre Workshop.   

I've outlined how I did that in the [How to Raise 100K in 30 Days Webinar available here.](http://www.thedreamunlocked.com/classes.html?link_list=2345321)

Once the project is done, you have to get produced at noteworthy theatres or released at a major film festival in order to get on agent/manager radars.  

**Remember, these agents/managers sign folks who have demonstrated both talent and their ability to make money.  Booking work or being in a project are clear signals that you will eventually make that agent/manager some money.**  

**Talent alone is no indicator of that.  **

**Your business saavy, however is...**

And here's the biggie about making your own work.  

Why You Still Need to Self-Produce Even if You Have Representation
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Once you have an agent/manager, they cannot fight to get you in auditions unless you're actually in a show or on TV or in theatres where industry people can come and see your work.  

Work begets work which is why you see the same actors over and over again in various projects.  

So, you need to self-produce, so you're always in a project industry folks can see you in.  Only actors who are already in projects work consistently...it's because they get more auditions because they're already working.

So you should self-produce because: 

**1. So that you're always working **
**2. People have a place to see your work a lot and then call you for auditions **
**3. So you can get on-camera credits on IMDB**

Generally, on-camera work is the money-making work, so i f you have no on-camera credits, then no one will sign you.  It's impossible to tell what your work will be like on-camera until we actually see you on camera.  

And that's the barometer for signing a client.  

Does the camera love this actor and does this actor love being in front of the camera?

So, the other reason to make your own work is that you need on-camera credits to get taken seriously as an actor and get agent/manager meetings.  If you write or option a writer and produce a short film, then you will instantly have credits. 

So, a quick review.  

In order to get representation:
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**1. You need to target agents/managers for 6-8 weeks in seminars and build relationships with them, not just audition.**
**2. You need to make your own work so folks can see what you can do before they call you in for an audition**
**3. You need to make your own work, so even once you're signed, you're still a working actor and your reps need to be able to say that to casting directors when they're fighting to get you an audition.**

Questions! 

Please ask in the comments below! 

Love, Light & Power, 

April & TheDreamUnLocked Team

P.S. Have you signed up for the FREE teleclass: 

Star-Maker Blueprint: How to Get an Agent Who Gets You Auditions 

now to save your place on Tuesday, 6/28 @6pm (EST)

Can't make that time?

We'll send you the recording!

​CLICK HERE NOW TO REGISTER! 

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