How Does a Modeling Agent Find Work?

The Breakdown Services

• Agents purchase a subscription to a network of information known as Breakdown Services. These services send out all the casting information for films, print campaigns, commercials and more. The casting directors put together breakdowns of the projects they are casting and send them to the service. The service then compiles all the breakdowns and sends them out each morning. Agents scour the breakdowns and find projects that their clients are right for. They then send out packages with head shots and resumes and zed cards the same day so they have the best shot at getting their clients selected for auditions. Or sometimes they just call the casting directors and pitch clients to them for auditions.
  
  

Personal Contacts

• It's a business of who you know, and this is so true when it comes to casting. Agents make friends with everyone and anyone who can help them promote their clients and careers and get their models work. These people will call their friends (the agents) first when they have a project to cast or know someone who does because they trust their judgment and may have worked with their models in the past and been pleased. The more people agents know, the more often their models will get jobs.
  
  

Making Phone Calls

• A good agent will make cold calls to designers, photographers and other potential clients to ask if they are currently working on anything. Even making calls for small editorial print work, stock jobs and other little gigs can prove profitable and keep money coming in for both the models and agent.