This question often confuses people new to the world of professional acting.
A Talent Agent works for the performer to get them modeling or acting work. Your agent’s job is to market you to potential clients, such as directors, producers, photographers, ad agencies, and sometimes the actual company who is paying for the commercial. Agents typically get a 10%-20% cut of the actor’s pay for a job.
A Casting Director is hired by the producer to find the talent for a commercial, movie or TV show. The Casting Director contacts the Talent Agent, asking them to send them talent to a casting session.
A common misunderstanding is that the Casting Director picks the talent. In reality, they don’t. What they do is present the best options for the client. A good Casting Director has a keen eye for on-air talent and will make suggestions, but it is up to the client to have the final say.
You should NEVER pay to see a Casting Director. If anyone asks you to pay for an audition, RUN! Sometimes Casting Directors offer acting workshops, these can be very helpful, especially to new actors. But if a Casting Director demands payment for an audition, turn them down.
In Kansas City the most promient Casting Director is Heather Laird of Wright/Laird Casting. She has over 30 years experience and has cast movies starring Jennifer Lawrence, Glenn Close, Gary Sinese and Reese Witherspoon. We have worked with Heather countless times and find that she is a true professional. To check out her on camera acting classes go to www.wrightlairdcasting.com.
If you have further questions about the acting world, feel free to reach out to us at drama@dramakc.com.
For younger people who are interested in acting, we invite you to come try our drama classes for kids near Overland Park and Kansas City. In our acting classes, young people can get valuable experience in the craft of acting. One day, that can lead them into acting in commercials, TV shows, movies and more.
At our Johnson County Summer Camps, students learn both stage and film acting. They get the experience needed to create a character and bring it to life. They learn how to find clues in a script that can lead them to making an audience roar with laughter. Students practice plays building up to a performance for friends and family.
This sort of acting training at our drama classes for kids will provide students with the basis of a solid acting technique. Auditioning for commercials, TV shows and movies can be a difficult process for someone without proper training. We are happy to say that in over 20 years of teaching kids at our Johnson County Summer Camps, we have seen thousands of kids become confident performers, many of whom have auditioned for professional work.
Check out our schedule of drama classes for kids. We encourage you to come visit one of our Johnson County Summer Camps for a tour. Get the drama out of your house!