Is Your Acting Career Ready for the Management Upgrade? Read This First!

There's a lot of talk about getting a manager when your acting career begins to succeed; but is that the route you should take?  At the New York Acting School for Film and Television, we have seen and supported many actors at the various stages in their career. 

Have you been acting for a while?  Do you feel your acting career is ready for management? We want to make sure that you are safe and supported in a way that feels good to you and actually opens doors to new opportunities. 

So before you consider management, consider this!

• A manager's main focus is to guide the actor's career and make connections for them; and although most of the best managers out there are former agents, the two have very different roles.

• It's sad to say, but most common scams in the entertainment industry involve people who call themselves managers, as this is not an occupation regulated by any of the actors unions. These greedy people will often promise the newcomer fame and fortune, but only for an up front fee, or will require you to get new head shots and update your portfolio (which can very expensive, totally useless... or both). Of course this is not true of all managers. But you should always be cautious and do your research before signing with a management company. Find out the names of other actors they represent and ask those actors about their experiences with the manager or company in question.
• As we've said above, management companies usually offer their services in exchange for a 15% commission, though it can sometimes be a little more. A legitimate manager will never ask for money up front. So if the ask for it upfront, run!
• A manager should never, under any circumstance, ask you to remove your clothing or engage in sexually explicit "scenes".
• If an acting manager is legitimate, they likely won't approach an unknown actor. Of course that's the dream - to be discovered, but it's just not likely. A successful manager is already busy with experienced clients, and you'll have to work pretty hard to get their attention.
• A manager should be well connected in the casting community and entertainment industry in general. Once again... do your research. See who they know and who knows them.  This alone, will do a lot for you. 

In short, we desire your success.  Acting is a great career, but be sure you are prepared to take the classes, meet the people and do your homework!  The New York Acting School for Film and Television wants to see you succeed! Call us today and let us know how we can further your dream.