We get questions daily from actors eager to land roles on main TV exhibits like Succession, Yellowstone or Stranger Issues. They wish to know easy methods to e book their first function movie roles, or get invited to audition for prime administrators. If you wish to e book these roles, (and even be requested to audition!) and to kickstart a life-long performing profession you’ll need to, firstly, LAND AN AGENT!
Until you’re a fortunate son-of-a-famous-so-and-so, otherwise you randomly occur to be greatest buddies with Steven Speilberg, it’s unlikely you’ll get a private referral to an performing company. For those who’re a mere mortal like the remainder of us, your approach of getting an performing agent goes to start out with a chilly e-mail method. It’s how 99% of actors get their rep. On this article, we’re breaking down precisely what to ship in your pitch!
The right way to Method an Appearing Agent for Illustration
Electronic mail is the primary approach you must method an performing agent. Brokers are tremendous busy! They typically don’t have time on your cellphone calls and, in any case, they might want to see your performing belongings earlier than they resolve whether or not or not they wish to meet with you. It’s normal process and an indication of respect to ship your pitch by way of e-mail. An agent’s time is efficacious. Whenever you e-mail your submission, it means they will reply each time fits them.
Secondly, and that is essential, brokers count on you to e-mail them! Brokers can and do signal shoppers from chilly e-mail approaches. Clearly, it goes with out saying to not be a pest or ship 100 emails a day with “REP ME!” in all caps and daring (determined, a lot?) however take confidence from the straightforward incontrovertible fact that that is the trail that most individuals comply with with a purpose to safe illustration.
A last phrase earlier than we dive into the nitty gritty of what to incorporate in your method. In case your pitch e-mail goes unanswered, or if an agent responds however doesn’t give you illustration, by no means take it personally. That is present enterprise, not present private! (Not my greatest ever joke, however hey, they will’t all be winners) You’ll be able to at all times comply with up with the company, or apply once more later.
Persistence completely pays off on this trade, so by no means take a non-response or a well mannered decline as a ‘By no means!’, it’s only a ‘Not but!’
Making ready to Pitch an Agent for Illustration
Earlier than you pitch, you’re going to want to ensure you’ve received your geese in a row. There’s no level in emailing whenever you don’t have every thing you must be a critical candidate. You’re solely losing your time, and worse, your potential future brokers’ time!
A lot better to speculate the time up entrance into creating a robust set of supplies, than to leap the gun since you really feel as if you’re working out of time or that you must get repped ASAP. Belief me, good issues take time and are well worth the wait.
You’ll completely want:
For those who don’t have both of those but, you’re not prepared. Go work in your supplies, then come again when you recognize you’ve received a killer package deal. It’s best to solely ship supplies that you simply’re actually happy with.
Additionally, you will wish to contemplate:
- If relevant, an up to date casting profile
- Your ‘pitch’, we’ll dive into this under.
Crafting the Chilly Electronic mail to an Agent
I’m going to imagine right here that you simply’ve already researched a listing of brokers to method, as we advise in our article about getting an performing agent. So, for those who haven’t but, go learn it first then come again right here!
You’re additionally going to want to get these brokers’ emails by some means. Some companies will record an e-mail to ship requests for illustration to. In any other case you could find brokers’ emails by way of IMDbPro or typically even out of your performing mates (simply ensure you don’t point out who gave you the e-mail with out their data, solely use somebody’s identify for a referral with their specific permission!).
How lengthy ought to my e-mail to an agent be?
We wish to maintain the e-mail as brief and candy as potential! Take into consideration the emails brokers are getting daily. They aren’t sending 1,000+ phrase emails to their shoppers, producers or casting administrators. They’re sending typically about 75-150 phrases tops. That’s what you have to be aiming for. Brokers are extra more likely to have interaction with transient content material, as a result of it’s non-demanding on their time and a focus.
This is smart, proper? How do you’re feeling when somebody sends you a large e-mail asking you to do one thing for them?Yep. Precisely.
How ought to I method pitching an agent by way of e-mail?
There’s no onerous and quick guidelines right here, however primarily based on interviews we’ve finished with actually a whole lot of trade professionals, we’ve received a great grasp on what brokers are searching for. Beneath we undergo a short record that ought to show you how to craft a tremendous e-mail that will get opened and browse!
- A punchy topic line. Don’t be that one who’s e-mail topic simply says ‘Submission Request’. Make it partaking, or private! There’s nobody proper approach to do that, however we’ve heard of actors utilizing their casting kind + current credit, a logline, and even simply ‘Hello [Agent’s Name]! The objective with a topic line is to get your e-mail opened, so make it impactful.
- Make it private + present your character. Which means no generic ‘to whom it might concern’, okay? Simply… don’t. You’re asking an agent to place a variety of time and vitality into contemplating representing you, the least you are able to do is analysis their identify. As your self: why do you wish to work with this company over one other company? Take the time to place a little bit of your character and specific your real curiosity into being repped by this company. This exhibits that you simply’re not simply blasting out to each company in existence. Even one thing easy like, “Hello [Agent], Noticed your shopper [Name] in [Project] and completely cherished it! Big congrats to you each.” Is a real, private contact that exhibits you’ve got taken the time to find out about them and perceive a few of their enterprise. Additionally, don’t be afraid to inject your character! Within the trendy period of Chat-GPT and AI assistants, actual connections minimize via the noise.
- Be assured. As talked about above, you must solely be sending supplies that you’re happy with. Your supplies will converse for themselves. Use your e-mail as a place to begin for an ongoing dialog. As a result of actually? That’s precisely what it’s. There’s no have to over-explain your self or inform your entire life story, to record each class you’ve ever finished or bit half you’ve ever performed. That is your introduction, not your autobiography!
What ought to I embrace or connect in an e-mail to an performing agent?
This may rely a bit of bit in your stage of profession, and the kind of company that you simply’re making use of to. Once more there’s nobody proper reply, and various things work for various folks! There are, nevertheless, normal practices throughout the trade that can show you how to look skilled and stand out in a great way.
When you’ve got any current tasks which have filmed or launched, it’s nice to incorporate that in your pitch! Brokers are searching for actors who have already got momentum, so for those who can present them that the rubber is hitting the street, they’re extra inclined to wish to meet with you.
Electronic mail Should Have #1: Headshot
Use your fundamental headshot in your pitch e-mail. Keep away from any character pictures or different images. Although you will have 1-2 different supplementary images up in your casting profiles. That is your essence, and the brokers’ first introduction to you! Together with your headshot makes brokers shortly recall your face. It additionally provides them the primary vibe of what you’re like as a performer and particular person.
You want this to be a small model of your headshot, ie. not huge in file measurement or pixels. Make certain that is both an attachment or included in your signature. Keep away from together with it in the principle physique of the e-mail, as this may look a bit messy and take up an excessive amount of of the e-mail physique. One nice tip is to create an e-mail signature that has your headshot, identify, contact particulars, union affiliations, and hyperlinks to any casting profiles, related social media, or IMDbPro pages!
Creating this signature means you’ll be able to maintain the principle physique of your e-mail concise and clutter-free, whereas nonetheless together with all the data that can enable an agent to proceed discovering your work in the event that they’re .
Electronic mail Should Have #2: One clear hyperlink to a showreel OR footage of your performing
You want footage of your performing. No approach round it. It’s a fully non negotiable element of the pitch e-mail. Brokers are inclined to want a brief showreel (e.g., 50 seconds to 1-2 minutes with 1-3 sturdy scenes) over lengthy ones (4+ minutes). Once more, issues which might be transient usually tend to get engaged with! Keep in mind: you’re giving them a style of what you are able to do, not an epic journey via your total performing profession.
For showreels the length is greatest to depart folks wanting greater than leaving… to being an open e book. You already know, I feel you need the very best of the very best and the strongest work on the entrance. – Sophie Jermyn (Agent)
No matter you might be offering to the agent for his or her consideration as a pattern of your performing, you’ll wish to be certain that it’s apparent to click on on and easy to entry. Brokers don’t wish to obtain footage and recordsdata to their laptop, so offering a Vimeo hyperlink (not YouTube) or direct hyperlink to footage on a casting profile is the way in which to go. You’ll need this to be tremendous clear, and hyperlinked on to textual content. One thing that appears like this.
I’ve some footage from my audition for Sirens (Netflix, 2025)
OR THIS
Right here’s a hyperlink to my showreel.
Make certain all of your hyperlinks are working, and that none of your footage is password protected. If an agent can’t entry the file, they could simply transfer on (which is strictly what we don’t need!)
Electronic mail Should Have #3: A name to motion
Your e-mail should finish with a name to motion. That is one thing that makes it very clear what you’d just like the agent to do. For those who’re emailing them to ask them to characterize you, then the next step goes to be is a gathering. It’s not about getting them to say sure to representing you off this one e-mail, it’s about getting them to agree to fulfill with you to debate illustration. If an agent is , they’ll wish to meet you. So your name to motion may be:
I’d love to fulfill with you to debate illustration.
Ought to I ship my actor’s CV or Casting Profile in a Pitch Electronic mail?
That is probably a bit of controversial, however since casting profiles have grow to be utterly ubiquitous, the necessity for the CV has continued to dwindle. Along with your casting profile now itemizing all of your related credit, that hyperlink is way extra essential than attaching a PDF of a listing of labor you’ve finished. I refer again to the point out of the e-mail signature being an ideal place to place these hyperlinks, with a small part of your e-mail signature permitting you to cowl off hyperlinks to you Casting Networks, Highlight, Actor’s Entry, Showcast, and many others. with no need to waste valuable e-mail physique actual property or cluttering the physique of the e-mail with too many hyperlinks.
Actor’s Guidelines: Earlier than You Ship Your Pitch Electronic mail to an Agent
We’re nearly there! The ultimate step is to take a look at your e-mail like an agent would: Would I click on this? Do I do know their casting in 5 seconds? Does this actor really feel bookable?
I’ve put collectively a helpful guidelines so that you can ensure you’ve nailed the pitch e-mail:
- My topic line is punchy sufficient for them to open the e-mail.
- The content material is personalised and real (+ my character shines via).
- If I’ve a current win, or one thing that exhibits I’ve received momentum constructing, I point out it.
- The physique of my e-mail is <200 phrases.
- I embrace my headshot.
- I embrace a hyperlink to my greatest footage.
- I embrace a name to motion (ie. a request for a gathering)
And there you’ve got it! The whole lot you must craft an compelling e-mail that will get seen, opened, and critically thought-about by an agent. The chilly e-mail pitch is an artwork, however for those who comply with the steps laid out right here you’ll be nicely in your technique to a assembly with an performing agent! Go and get ’em, tiger, and we’ll see you on the large display screen!
