Talent Manager Anna, 2017

As a talent manager in Los Angeles, my calendar is full of scheduled lunches with every type of person in the Hollywood industry.

We eat (mostly) good food and talk about actors–and perhaps, a few other things, too. Join me in reading about some of the people I meet with, what we talk about, and of course, what we eat. But before we dig into my life over lunch, I’d like to share my life in a day. Perhaps mostly for my friends and family (whom I’m not sure fully understand what I do), I’d like to introduce…

TALENT MANAGER ANNA

(This day was fully recorded and transcribed. Names of people in interactions are kept private. More than 50% of dealings were deleted to prevent from this post being infinitely long. This post is still infinitely long.)

5:30AM ☀️ Wake up (painfully). Get ready and walk 6 blocks to hot yoga.

6:00AM 🤸🏻‍♀️ Heavy sweating begins.

7:18AM 🥑 Back home- make a shake, shower, dress up.

8:27AM ⬆️ Click ‘send’ on 12 pre-written emails from the night before.

8:28AM 📋 Write down my To-Do List for the day. Then, prioritize each item with an A, B, or C. Then, prioritize those with a number system.

8:37AM 📖 Start reading my book. Currently, ‘Never Eat Alone‘ (yes, ironically).

HOLLYWOOD HAS RISEN

9:22AM 📞 My actress calls asking whether she should pass on an audition today. She doesn’t feel she can pull off the comedy. We conclude why she absolutely can.

9:46AM 🖥 Get in front of my computer and start looking through my actor’s recent headshot session. I narrow down 577 images to 6.

10:01AM 💰 An offer from casting comes in for my 13-year-old actor to act in 3 episodes of an ABC show. I call his agent to discuss. The rate is pretty standard but we ask if production can cover travel expenses. I call my actor’s mom and she’s thrilled.

10:08AM 📸 My actress sends 2 pictures of hairstyles that she has in mind for her hair. It’s a drastic change but I love it. Let’s go for it.

10:11AM 📧 An actor sends me their ‘materials’ (cover letter, photos, reel, links) for consideration of representation. I add to my e-folder of 178 unread submissions. I’ll eventually get to it.

10:16AM 🖥 Start submitting my actors on a few morning breakdowns (a website where I submit my actors for different roles). I print out 1 breakdown that has a great role for my actor and sift through my binder of other printed breakdowns to review notes. Notes include how far along in the casting process the project is, bullet points on the producers or writers and what kind of communication I’ve exchanged with the casting office already.

10:39AM 📞 My actor calls asking what he should wear to his audition. His character is described as a ‘mid-western kid with an elitist, punk edge.’ We go back-and-forth about striped vs. graphic shirts and talk about clothing stores like Uniqlo and Spencers.

10:39AM ❗️cMail. A message from casting saying they’d like all actors to perform their audition today with a slight Australian accent. My actor’s audition is in 4 minutes. I text him. He texts ‘got it.’

10:44AM 🖥 Review the website and reels of an actress I met yesterday. Her footage blows me away. I definitely want to sign her.

11:04AM 📞📞📞 Call several casting offices to follow up on roles I pitched my actors for. 3 of them say they have my actor marked for an audition. 3 say I need to send additional materials. 1 says my actor is too old for the role. 1 says they have an offer out to a ‘name actor.’

11:42AM 📧 An agent I haven’t met emails asking if we can grab lunch. I know he’s after one of my actors. I agree to lunch.

11:47AM 📞 Call one of my actor’s agents to see what he thought of our actor’s self-tape audition for a new series filming in Vancouver. He loves her acting but thinks her makeup is too heavy.

11:50AM 📞 A casting associate texts me saying my actor did not get the role. Damn- I hate breaking bad news.

11:52AM 👋🏼 FaceTime with my young actress and her dad. They show me the dressing room and introduce me to a few people on set of the Disney show she’s filming.

12:14PM 🚗 Get in an Uber. Start reading a Netflix script. 2 cMails come in- both auditions for sitcoms. Text with my actress who didn’t think she could pull off the comedy about how her audition went.

LUNCH

12:43PM 🌮Arrive at Gracias Madre for lunch with Matt Gogal. He’s a wonderful friend and badass agent at Abrams Artists Agency. We talk about clients we used to share when he worked at his previous agency, how his current clients are doing, what we think of budgets for New Media (Netflix, HULU, Amazon) series and feature film contracts. We reminisce about our trip to Paris last spring and talk about our love for Palm Springs.

2:01PM 🚗 Get in an Uber. Finish reading the Netflix script. Submit more of my actors for roles on breakdowns.

2:39PM 📧📧📧 Back in front of computer. Send 4 emails to casting with my clients’ materials in consideration for different roles posted earlier today.

3:04PM 👋🏼 FaceTime with an actor referred to me by an agency in Vancouver. We talk about his plan to move to Los Angeles. I give him some things to work on.

3:22PM 📱 A manager friend texts me asking if I would e-introduce her to a commercial agent I work with. She invites me to a screening at the Warner Bros. lot. She tells me her actor booked the lead in a major franchise film. We complain about actors booking-out during busy seasons.

3:29PM❗️cMail. A self-tape series regular audition for my young actress on a re-make of a popular Disney series.

3:48PM 📞 Call my actress to ask how well she can ice-skate. We talk about a script she’s reading.

3:50PM 📧 A producer sends me a private trailer of the feature film my client was a lead in. It’s okay.

3:52PM 📞 Casting calls to schedule my actor for an audition on an FX series but they’re making sure he can play the guitar and still has long hair.

3:53PM❗️cMail. A callback for a Guest Star on a crime drama. My actor needs to fly back immediately from his friend’s wedding to make it.

3:58PM❗️cMail. A second TV audition tomorrow for my actress plus the commercial audition her commercial agent just sent. The times and locations completely overlap. I call each casting office back-and-forth until I’ve created a manageable schedule for my client’s 3 auditions tomorrow.

MORE BREAKDOWNS. PHONE CALLS. EMAILS.

5:48PM 📞 Call an acting teacher to discuss the progress of 5 of my clients in her class.

6:02PM 📞 Call my publicist friend to wish her a Happy Birthday, ask her for some advice about social media branding for my actors and schedule a time to get drinks.

6:11PM 📞 Go back-and-forth with a voice over agent about my client. We set up a time for him to meet with the agency.

6:13PM❗️cMail. An audition for a Shondaland show.

6:16PM 📞📞📞 Call more casting directors for their thoughts on actors I’ve pitched to them. Ask a casting office about their food restrictions since my actor wants to drop off a gift.

6:31PM 📧 Ask production if they are willing to start the day tomorrow with my client’s scene so he can get out early to film another project.

6:55PM 📱 Text 2 actors to see how their days went. 1 was filming a national commercial and 1 was in a third callback for a hosting gig.

7:14PM 📧📧📧 Compose 9 emails to save as drafts and send out tomorrow morning.

7:52PM 🍛 Thai food is delivered.

8:01PM 📺 Handmaid’s Tale & Thai food (amazing combination, if you ask me).

9:22PM 📧 Answer a casting director about how well my client can freestyle rap.

9:55PM 💤 Get ready for bed.

WHAT’S FOR LUNCH

RESTAURANT: Gracias Madre

LOCATION: 8905 Melrose Ave, West Hollywood, CA 90069

DISH: Tamal, Flauta de Camote as part of the prix fixe lunch menu.

NOTES: Delicious, fresh, all vegan Mexican cuisine. Indoor & outdoor seating.

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