Are you knowledgeable about the world of music but not comfortable actually performing? Do you have a desire to handle the business end of things? Can you speak persuasively? Are you good with figures? Perhaps you might be interested in becoming an artist's representative, personal manager, or booking agent.
ARTISTS' REPRESENTATIVES OR PERSONAL/BUSINESS MANAGERS
Personal managers, also called artists' representatives or agents, are responsible for representing artists. Their specific responsibilities may vary but in many cases they are in charge of all aspects of a performer's career, promoting their client's interests whenever and wherever possible. This includes business decisions and also may include all or some creative decisions.
Agents may represent many artists at one time. Sometimes agents specialize and represent only one type of performer or even one type of music, such as rock music. They may work for a large or small agency or be self-employed.
Much of an agent's time is spent on the phone, FAX, or e-mail discussing prospects, arranging meetings, making networking connections, and keeping in touch with what is going on in the industry.
One of the most important jobs for agents is to negotiate contracts. Other duties include seeing to and improving costuming, choreography, backup musicians and tunes, as well as arranging publicity and providing guidance for their clients. If the entertainer is well established, the manager may be in charge of support personnel including publicists or public relations firms, road personnel, security people, accountants, producers, musicians, and merchandisers. Successful managers are always in constant communication with the act's booking agent or agency.
Booking agents are also called theatrical agents, booking managers, booking representatives, agents, or bookers. These professionals are in charge of arranging engagements for both solo musical artists and/or groups for movies, television programming, concerts, and live performances. They usually represent a number of clients at a time. Sometimes they are chosen to act as talent buyers for concert halls or clubs or may open their own talent agency.
Business managers concentrate on the financial affairs of the singers, musicians, and other entertainers whom they represent. They are often the ones who negotiate with agents or representatives for contracts and appearances. They may also negotiate with television producers, record companies, and motion picture studios and sometimes seek large endorsements of concert tours. They are in charge of all fiscal disbursements, making sure the bills are in order and that the payroll for all employees in the act (including road personnel, musicians, vocalists, publicists, public relations firms, lawyers, etc.) is dispensed properly. Business managers may even be in charge of the artist's personal bills.
PRODUCERS
Producers are entrepreneurs who have financial and administrative control over the making of movies, plays, and television shows. It is their responsibility to raise enough money, oversee all finances, and make sure that all dollars are wisely spent. They must find investors (called angels) who are willing to put up money to finance the project. They are the ones who are ultimately responsible for turning a profit for the investors. The producer is also responsible for selecting the plays or scripts, deciding on the size and content of the production, and its budget.
Scripts may be located in a number of ways: playwrights may send them to producers, sometimes producers might also do new versions of previous productions and often the producer may commission a playwright to write a script. Once a script is located or written, the producer will pay the playwright for an option to use the script for a specified time period.
Producers hire directors who make the artistic and day-to-day decisions on the production. They also choose the principal members of the cast and key production staff members. They may negotiate contracts with artistic personnel (often in accordance with collective bargaining agreements) and coordinate the activities of writers, directors, managers, and other personnel. Producers have many responsibilities; ultimately they are the ones who make the decisions that determine the success of the project.
Television producers are employed by television stations or networks. Network television series usually have an executive producer who does the long-term planning for the show. Movie producers are employed by a film studio or may work independently. Theatrical producers work independently.
CASTING DIRECTORS
Casting directors are influential theater professionals who audition and interview performers for specific parts in a play or movie. In order to correctly match people with parts, casting directors read scripts and then work with others in the production staff to determine their thoughts, ideas, and desires regarding the character's personality, voice quality, and physical appearance.
Casting directors may find the right performer in a number of ways. They develop advertisements and place them in the trades, newspapers, or other publications. These ads announce casting requirements of the production. They may also hold open auditions, where hundreds or even thousands of hopeful actors and actresses come to audition for parts. Most casting directors also have a file of information on all the performers who have worked for them, as well as a file on those who have sent resumes and photos but never formally auditioned.
In some cases, established actors or actresses hear about a production, are interested in a specific role, and instruct their agents to call the casting director. If these well-known actors and actresses are very successful in the industry and are right for the part, they will often get a role without auditioning. Similarly, casting directors might have a specific actor or actress in mind for a part. In these instances, they contact the performer's agent to check out the interest and availability.
Often casting directors and actors meet in a pre-read session. Usually this includes about twenty people who are in contention for the part. The purpose of the meeting is to screen out people so that the producer's time is not wasted unnecessarily. From the twenty, usually, five or six candidates are chosen to bring to a producer's session, which also includes the casting director.
Internships always provide invaluable education and experience. As a casting director's intern, one of your important responsibilities might be to take care of calls from producers and directors. You also might be involved in casting a TV show, which would require that you spend your days reading a script in order to determine the list of characters needed to fill these parts. Then you might send the list to agents (possibly also to a service that forwards them to agents and managers) who will subsequently send you submissions (envelopes with pictures and resumes of candidates) to fill these roles. Then you'd pick out the people to audition.
GENERAL MANAGERS
General Managers are the individuals in charge of legal details. They may set up the play company as a corporation and also negotiate contracts with those who have been hired to be part of the production. They may aid in preparing budgets and make sure that costs stay within them. It is their job to set ticket prices, hire a company manager, and order the printed tickets.
COMPANY MANAGERS
Company managers are in charge of making out the payroll and seeing to it that appropriate taxes are paid. They also work with box office managers on receipts and ticket sales. Once the show is closed, they make sure that nothing remains in the theater.
BOX OFFICE MANAGERS
Box office managers are strictly in charge of tickets. It is their job to arrange the sales of tickets through mail order, advance ticket sales at the theater, and any other outlets they have in mind. They are held accountable for all ticket sales and money derived from them.
HOUSE MANAGERS
House managers are responsible for the upkeep of the theater. As a result, they must be present whenever anyone else is there. They are also in charge of ushers, fire and safety laws and extra stagehands who are hired to move the sets into and out of the theater.
TOURING PRODUCTION MANAGERS
When the show is on the road, touring production managers are in charge of all business affairs of the company. Their duties usually include obtaining local permits, hiring local stagehands, arranging for housing for the cast and other members of the staff, and working with local unions. They also audit box office accounts and write out and disburse paychecks.
THEATRICAL PRESS AGENTS
Theatrical press agents are the professionals in charge of handling all of the publicity for regional theater group productions, off-Broadway shows, and Broadway shows. If a show is going to be successful, it is imperative that enough publicity is given so that sufficient ticket sales will be generated. In order to accomplish this, theatrical press agents must create press kits, prepare biographies, write press releases, arrange interviews, and deal with all media sources.
For this job it is critical to make the right media contacts. This entails compiling lists that will be used to send press releases, press passes, and perhaps invitations for opening night. Along with this, the theatrical press agent must plan as many events and press conferences as possible to generate as much publicity as possible. It is important that these professionals are creative about developing new ideas and new angles for exposure through reporters, entertainment and feature writers, and other newspaper and magazine writers.
Opening night is a gala event that theatrical press agents are in charge of. It is their responsibility to call all reviewers and critics on the day of the show to make sure they will be present in the audience. The agents will be on hand on the day of the opening to be the liaison to the media, pass out press kits, or provide any information that is required.
TRAINING FOR THE BUSINESS OF ENTERTAINMENT IN MUSIC
Though there are no specific educational requirements for many of these careers in the music business, a college degree with a broad arts and sciences background and a focus on music or at least course work including management, communications, contracts and contract law, journalism, law, business, and music is definitely helpful for success. Possessing a broad range of knowledge about music and the music industry is very important.
On-the-job training will bring the experience needed to promote you in the field. Agents who make arrangements to represent musicians or singers will get a substantial knowledge of the industry through performing in a musical group or working in a recording studio themselves. This also helps to build another important asset - contacts in the music industry - the more, the better.
Desirable personal qualities include salesmanship, good public relations skills; assertiveness (aggressiveness), strong communications skills, excellent phone presence, patience, and perseverance. In addition the ability to evaluate and recognize exceptional talent, provide constructive advice, work well with people, gain clients and find appropriate work for them, negotiate successfully, and work at a fast pace and under great pressure are invaluable.
For record producers, the most important ability is skill in choosing records that will appeal to many people. A number one hit song is the greatest goal, of course. Thus, successful record producers must be so familiar and comfortable with sound and songs that they are able to pick songs that will do well on the charts. It is important that they can recognize raw talent that can be cultivated when combined with excellent arranging and high-quality recording devices.
Business managers need to be cognizant of investments and money strategies.
TRAINING FOR THE BUSINESS OF ENTERTAINMENT IN ACTING
No standard educational or training requirements exist for producers and other business theater professionals. However, a thorough knowledge and understanding of theater is absolutely necessary and a college degree gives individuals a certain measure of credibility and increased opportunities for hands-on training. Course work should focus on theater, film, business, English, fine arts, law, fiscal management, and personnel management. Advanced degrees are generally not necessary and, as a rule, do not affect earnings. Seminars and workshops in theater and producing are important.
Professionals in this area of theater need good business sense, financial management skills, organizational skills, effective communication skills, strong interpersonal skills, and negotiation skills. They also must have the ability to listen, match people with roles, work under pressure, relate to clients, handle stress, and attend to details.
A three-year apprenticeship with a member of the Association of Theatrical Press Agents and Managers (ATPAM) is required for theatrical press agents. While a college degree is not a requirement, many in the business believe that it is the best approach. Good course choices include public relations, communications, writing, advertising, marketing, business, English, and theater arts. Theatrical press agents must be creative, detail-oriented, and aggressive and must have excellent verbal and written communication skills. They need experience in publicity, public relations, or promotion.
JOB OUTLOOK FOR THE BUSINESS OF ENTERTAINMENT IN MUSIC
The outlook for personal managers and booking agents is cautious. In most cases, individuals begin by representing local talent and work their way up to representing more well-known performers. Since one agent can handle many clients, this is a competitive profession that cannot accommodate large numbers of new people. The best opportunities exist in New York City, Los Angeles, or Nashville.
JOB OUTLOOK FOR THE BUSINESS OF ENTERTAINMENT IN ACTING
The number of producers is small and few new ones are hired each year. Theatrical producers work from show to show. For agents, success lies in finding new talent and promoting it in order to earn a reputation and a bigger salary. Competition is fierce among all of these occupations.
Prospective casting directors should be advised that it's almost impossible to get a job in casting without interning first. There are so many people who are willing to work for free as a way to break into Hollywood.
Potential theatrical press agents should know that you can acquire much needed experience by handling the publicity and promotion for a school, college, or community theater production. Look for seminars, workshops, and classes in publicity, writing, promotion, and theater. These experiences will improve your skills in addition to providing opportunities to make important contacts.
