What is the difference between an agent, personal manager, and a casting director?
An agent is franchised by one or more of the performers’s unions. They are paid a fixed commission only after you have landed the job and been paid for your work. Personal managers provide more comprehensive services than agents, acting perhaps as business managers, financial or legal advisers. They, however, cannot secure you employment. They may collect a fee greater than agents are permitted to charge because they are not franchised by the performers’ unions. They may invest considerable time and money in your career, but, like the agent, they should not be paid in advance. Casting Directors are casting consultants employed by studios, networks, advertising agencies or producers and they are paid by these companies.
