Signing with a talent agent is not easy these days. They receive so many submissions every day and have limited rosters. However actors should be submitting to all of the agencies at least once a month, considering how elusive an interview with an agent can be. For the most part, actors generally do not have the luxury of picking and choosing the agent of their choice, rather should be happy to get an interview with any licensed Screen Actors Guild (SAG) franchised agency or Association of Talent Agents (ATA) member. There may be quite a few agencies that are not licensed and/or bonded, charge upfront fees for representation, require talent to take classes at the agency, and require actors to pay exorbitant fees for photos and resumes at the agency. These types of agencies are considered "non-legit" or "scam" agencies, due to the fact that these practices are either illegal or extremely frowned upon in the entertainment industry, depending on what state you live in. Read Child Actor LA Scam prevention tips to find more.
One good way to at least be seen by agents is to study acting with a good acting teacher. Often the acting teacher will have agents come in to watch the students perform scenes. Cliff Osmond is widely accepted as one of the very best acting teachers, and he does have talent agents and casting directors come to his scene study classes at the end of each cycle to view the polished two-person performances. Before signing up, just ask the acting teacher if they do indeed have guest agents come in to the classes to watch performances. Also, doing live theatre is great for several reasons. Developing your craft, adding theatre credits to your resume (which both agents and casting directors love), and inviting agents to see you perform. Just make sure to send free tickets. You would be surprised to know how many actors send invitations via postcard, but no tickets!
Many actors have a misconception that signing with one of the top agents should be a top priority. There are four talent agencies that are considered "top-tier" powerhouse agencies. These four are William Morris Endeavor (WME), Creative Artists Agency (CAA), International Creative Management (ICM), and United Talent Agency (UTA). These agencies represent the cream of the crop talent which includes actors, writers, and directors. The problem for the vast majority of actors, is that these agencies do not represent non-established talent, and accept new clients through industry referral only.
Casting directors might hire you even if you don't have an agent, but it is less likely that you would be called in the first place. Agents get the breakdowns and are able to submit their clients to a lot more projects than you can yourself. Generally speaking, casting directors usually do not like to negotiate contracts directly with talent. But they will hire you for scale without having to negotiate your fee.
To learn more, visit here: https://childactorlaclasses.weebly.com/
