INDUSTRYINSIDER
photographer…RUN, as quickly as you can. An agent or agency should not charge you a “fee” for representation; another red flag. However, it is very common that you might have some incidental fees for a video that needs to be made to show some basic skills or representation of yourself. You might have to pay a small fee to maintain space on a casting database in connection with your being a part of an agency or buy comp cards. Each situation will vary, but you should never feel like you’re being gouged or pressured into something that costs a lot of money. Remember, your agent makes money when they book work for you and you’ve completed the job. If money is an issue for you, be up front with your agent before you sign on so you know exactly what fees you’ll be responsible for throughout the year. In nearly every situation, you should never sign on to an agency hoping that being an actor, actress or model is going to financially support you.
that you’ll see your name splashed across People magazine or on CNN. That being said, if you do have something that is newsworthy, a good publicist will find a place to get you at least some level of exposure. I am a publicist that does not work with an agency. I am independent and I keep that in perspective. I am a fantastic choice for the right type of client who is either getting started or who has achieved some measure of success. Would I be right for someone like Tom Cruise or Hugh Jackman? Of course I could easily do the work, except I’d have to take my expertise to an agency that would offer the technical and logistical support that would fall along the lines of what someone of that stature would require. Being a publicist of someone on the A-List often includes not only a publicist, but an entire support team that is comprised of many people. Since I am not typically working with A-List actors and actresses (I do that in a different job as a writer, journalist and television host), I can indeed assist my clients with assorted other tasks that they don’t have time to do or for other requests that will naturally sound better coming from a publicist. I know that may sound a little funny, but there is definitely a protocol, lingo and considerations that are involved in my line of work. Knowing how to approach a magazine with a newsworthy item will differ from approaching someone that has a podcast, which in turn is different from what I might say to a newspaper. As a talent, when you approach a publication yourself, you will frequently not get the same reaction or response from a publicity outlet than if you had a publicist do it on your behalf. Typically, those within the media know that a publicist is in the business of handling schedules, following up and working at a level that is productive to both
the client and the potential publicity ou tlet. We speak the lingo and know how to act as a conduit between a talent and publicity outlet. Having a publicist can often put you ahead of the pack, too, because publicity outlets are used to dealing with industry pros. Other tasks I have dealt with under the publicist umbrella: putting out press releases, checking on a client’s property, fielding fan mail, finding film festivals, industry networking, updating and optimizing IMDb pages, securing legal representation, arranging red carpet appearances and yes, even dealing with online client defamation and stalking. Most publicists just deal with securing publicity, but since I’m not held to the constraints of a large agency, I have more flexibility to assist my clients with associated management tasks. How do you know when it’s the right time to hire a publicist? Once you’ve gotten to the point where you are busy enough auditioning and working that you don’t have time to maintain your own business affairs, it may be time for a publicist. If you are booking progressively more high profile jobs and roles, that may also be a time to consider a publicist. Or, you may just be looking for someone to field inquiries on your behalf. A publicist can be a great supplement to someone in the entertainment industry when the time is right. Join me on my always entertaining journey here on Facebook http://on.fb.me/OEhi1P.
Moving on to publicists…
a publicist gets publicity for you and publicity can come in many forms. A publicist is not an agent. A publicist will not typically be out looking for jobs for you. Rather, a publicist will help to find you publicity for accomplishments, awards, participation in different types of films, milestones in your career, etc. A publicist might maintain your social networking accounts and help to engage your fan base, although not all publicists do this. Sometimes that task falls to a manager or someone who does nothing but social networking. Places that publicists within the entertainment field seek publicity and related attention include radio, podcasts, television and cable shows, websites, magazines, local newspapers and possibly trade publications. If you are an actor and just starting out on your first indie film, you shouldn’t expect
Lynette Carrington, is a freelance features writer
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"Functions, Frolic, Film, Food, Fashions and Fabulosity. I Write it All!"
September 2013
AZ FILMMAKER 7