Agents and managers are people, believe it or not, they want your child to succeed in this business. But remember the bottom line, it’s a business so they also want to make money. This interview is a chance for them to get to know your child and find out a little about their personality. After all, it’s going to be the agents job to market your kid to casting directors so the more they know about your child the better.
Just like everything else in this business there is no one-way for the interview process to go down. Some agents may ask to see a monologue, some provide a cold read upon arrival, some just check out your child’s prior footage and don’t require any reads during the interview. In the case of a young child who doesn’t read they may ask a few questions to get the child talking. In the case of an older child they may require a bit more from them. If this is your first agent interview experience, ask questions at the time of the scheduling; should we prepare anything, what should we bring? Also, do your own research online. Maybe have an age appropriate monologue prepared just in case. More often than not “just in case” precautions seal the deal. It’s always better to be prepared. Bring a few copies of your child’s head shot with their resume and your contact information stapled to the back.
Typically, you’ll arrive onsite for the interview, I keep calling it an interview, call it whatever you want, a meeting, a powwow, whatever, just remember it’s really going to become a two-way conversation, the parent needs to ask questions and “interview” the agent just as much as the agent is “interviewing” the child and their family.
There are two ways this could go down, either way the agent will expect you (the parental figure) to wait in the waiting room while they take your kid back and talk to them. Then they will come back and potentially have time to chat with the parents, or maybe not, here are some alternate potential outcomes;
- “thank you” we will be in touch within 1-2 weeks. Translation; you don’t get to ask questions now but if we want to represent your child we will call you and then you can ask questions.
- “thank you, do you have any questions for us?” Translation; ahem, that’s your cue mom or dad to bust out your list of Q’s.
- “let’s go back to my office and talk…” Translation; this could be just to answer questions in private or it could be the coveted offer of representation.
I know, I just said “two ways” and listed three options. That’s what happens when your trying to write an informative blog post with children running around you like wild animals, you forget basic math. Anyway…. point being, don’t panic whatever the outcome. Just a “thank you” doesn’t mean “no”. Seriously, it doesn’t. They probably taped your child’s “interview” and want to show other agents for a mutual agreement, or maybe they want to review all potential tapes at the end of the week, who knows! Signing on the spot isn’t the norm either, but it happens. Don’t expect any specific play out of events but be prepared for as many iterations of the scenarios above as you could dream up in your worst groundhog day nightmare.
Guys, write down your main questions before hand so you you don’t feel overwhelmed when you get in the room, should the agent have actual free time to chat you up. I’m not an agent but I would expect a well prepared parent, even one who knows nothing about “the business” but has taken the time to at least appear organized in the given situation would win brownie points. Just my two cents that no one asked for, but I give anyway because I’m bossy and OCD both, mixed equally.
Thanks all! I know this one took like six million days to get posted but I’ve actually been busy acting, which is so weird because usually I am just busy thinking of acting or wishing for the opportunity to act but not really doing any acting at all. So it’s been very exciting here these days. Hopefully I won’t slack so long again and get back to posting, unless I will be acting then that is a legitimate excuse, right? Ok, be back soon! Let me know if this was helpful or whatever.