Why should I sign with an Exclusive Agency

Why should I sign with an Exclusive Agency?

Since the Remington Agency was awarded our SAG franchise, and elected to convert to an exclusive agency, we have had many, many people ask what benefit they can get from going with an exclusive agent. And why we chose the present time to do it. They were happy with things just the way they were!

First off, it is important to understand that the entertainment industry is driven by Southern California. “LA” sets the standards by which the entertainment world revolves. LA has been “exclusive” for many years; any actor who has ever tried to gain representation there can tell you that! Simple math tells you that an agency makes money when actors work, and the more money an actor earns, the more money the agent earns!

One of the most important benefits of exclusive representation is the power it gives the agent to negotiate higher than minimum rates for their actors. If a production company wants a specific actor in the Las Vegas market, which has so many non-exclusive agents, there is no chance any agent can negotiate a higher wage. If agency “A” says they have the actor, but they want scale plus 20%. The production company then goes to Agency “B” and says they want the actor, but don’t want to pay scale plus 20%, as offered at Agency “A,” so Agency “B” says, “We can get the actor for you for scale plus 10%.” Then the producer smiles and goes to Agency “C”… eventually, the producer gets whoever he wants at flat minimum scale! And that’s why it is unheard of for non-contract principals to be paid higher than scale in Las Vegas, and why LA seldom has to settle for scale.

The actors have done this to themselves by signing up with every agent they can, to try to nail down any audition they can get. And the Las Vegas industry has allowed this situation to perpetuate and grow roots. Agencies just starting out have little to offer against this backdrop, and the production companies want to discourage turning Las Vegas into another LA, since it will raise their costs of production. So, the industry continues to try to hold down wages for the actor, the lowest common thread and the easiest target.

I fully understand how a starving actor or model would want to sign with as many agents as possible, knowing that some opportunities are only given to one or two agents at a time… and if you are not signed with that agent, you are not going to get the call! I understand it, because I was once a starving actor!

The trick is for the agencies to band together and share information about castings and auditions. Of course, on the surface, that sounds absurd. Why would competing agents want to share such information, when they could keep the audition a secret and allow only a handful of their clients know about it?

The answer is that by sharing this information, all participating agents will be able to send only those people who meet the criterion set by the producer or casting director, instead of throwing everyone they have at the casting, in the hopes that someone will get the part. By sending the right people, the participating agents will impress the casting director with a smaller number of applicants, all of whom are qualified to do the part in question. It makes us all look good, and will help avoid wasting your time by sending you out on calls for which you are obviously not what they are looking for. This increases agency profits and reduces your wasted time on auditions that are not right for you.

However, some agents have taken another track to increase profits, at the expense of their clients. According to SAG regulations, no agent may collect a commission for extras or background players. But, in Las Vegas (and only Las Vegas for some reason), SAG has allowed SAG franchised agents to become background casting agents. By doing this, the agent then collects a fee from the producer for providing bodies for a set, instead of collecting from the actors themselves. Often, this means that while non-union background players may get as little as $50 per day for working on the set, the agent may collect a fee of up to $40 per person they provide! Even if you are working background for SAG minimums, a $40 fee paid to the background provider is outrageous… the money should be going to the talent, not an unscrupulous agent!

So, if you work background, make sure your agent does not collect any additional fees or commissions from you. This is a clear violation of the rules, and should be reported to SAG or a reputable agent, immediately! If you are doubt, call myself or Dina at Remington, or Tena Houser at the Lenz Agency. Or, if you are sure a violation has occurred, contact SAG directly and file a complaint.

Also remember, being signed with an exclusive agent does not prevent you from working through another agent, or obtaining work on your own, for background work, or work not directly covered under your agency contract. In most cases, this covered work is limited to print work (for models), speaking or featured roles for movies or television, or television commercials.

Another reason that an exclusive agency contract is beneficial to you is that often, with production companies and casting directors who are used to working the LA market (most of the ones we get in Vegas are in this category), if they see the same headshot being submitted by multiple agencies, they will often discard that person altogether. We have seen this done numerous times, regardless of the person’s qualifications! The producer thinks, and rightfully so, that it is highly unprofessional for an actor to be represented by multiple agents, and does not want that person associated with a professional production.

All SAG agents are limited to specific “territories” or geographic boundaries. California agents are not allowed to represent actors in Nevada, and Nevada agents cannot represent people in California… unless they have a branch office in the other state (with appropriate licensing), or have what is known as a “correspondent relationship,” with a franchised agency in that state. The separate agreements between correspondent agents may vary, but in the case of the Remington Agency, for example, our “sister” agency has agreed to represent all our clients in LA, and we agree to represent all their talent in Nevada. So with your exclusive contract here in Nevada, you also get plugged-in to the LA network, providing a number of much more lucrative opportunities.

This “sister agency” agreement provides all our talent with direct LA representation, and increases our Las Vegas talent base so it is more attractive to production companies and casting directors here in Nevada, too. Again, everyone wins!

To sum this up, you’ll get more money, waste less time on inappropriate auditions, and promote yourself with a more professional packaging for your talent with an exclusive agency agreement. Plus, you’ll give your agent more power in negotiations on your behalf, and in helping to re-direct the growth of the industry in Las Vegas. Exclusivity is truly a winning situation for everyone, especially you, the talent!

Also, while it is true that Las Vegas has been an “open” town for many years, featuring many non-exclusive agencies, the landscape here is changing! In addition to Remington now being exclusive, so are the Lenz Agency and several others. We see the value of the “LA way” for our businesses as well as for you, the actors and models!!

And since there is a lot of confusion, here in Las Vegas, about which agencies are SAG franchised, which are just background casting, etc., I am including the list, forwarded to me by SAG. Some agents have misrepresented themselves as SAG agents, when they are not, while others have been listed as both, which makes it difficult for the talent to distinguish a genuine acting opportunity from a background offer from these types of agents. And some background casting agents often pose as actual talent agents, which makes it even more confusing. So I hope this list will help clear things up a little.

So before you sign with anyone, or respond to any offer for castings or auditions, check the list below, so you will know who is who, and what they have to offer.

From Hrair Messerlian, Nevada S A G Executive Director

AGENTS

Baskow& Associates

Jaki jaki@baskow.com

Rochelle rochelle@baskow.com

Best Agency

Kari kgrooms@best-agencies.com

Classic Models, Inc.
Jeff bookings@classicmodelsltd.com

Jeff jeff@classicmodelsltd.com

Envy Model & Talent Agency

Kelly talent@envymodeltalent.com

Lenz Agency