As actor you need to be informed. You need to know your rights. You need to know how to protect your money.
Being an actor, there are investments we make so that we are prepared. We pay upfront for training, photo shoots, headshot reproductions, demo reels, parking, and many more things. The one thing we do not and shout not put our hard-earned cash toward is for getting an agent.
In the province of British Columbia, Talent Agents are regulated through the Employment Standards Branch of the Ministry of Labour. They help to provide clear guidelines about fees or commissions agents receive, how soon an agent should be paying their actor (after receiving payment from the production company), and most importantly knowing that there are rules and if agents are not following the rules, there is a governing body who can help to solve issues.
Here are the three key regulations you need to be aware of:
1) Do not pay a registration fee up front to be represented by an agent.
The talent agency must not charge an actor, performer, extra or technical creative film person a fee for taking and providing photographs of the actor, performer, extra or technical creative film person, unless the fee
(i) does not exceed $25 a year, and
(ii) is only deducted from payment of wages received by the actor, performer, extra or technical creative film person;
2) Talent Agents can charge a maximum of 15% commission
All fees paid to the talent agency by an actor, performer, extra or technical creative film person who is employed as a consequence of the efforts of the talent agency, are not more than 15 percent of the wages owing to the actor, performer, extra or technical creative film person from his or her employment
3) No other fees may be charged by a Talent Agency
For services such as Casting Workbook, the performer must pay directly to the service and not through their talent agency.
Can’t resolve your issue?
If you have unresolvable issues with a talent agency with regards to the regulation outlined by the Ministry of Labour, you should contact the nearest office of the Employment Standards Branch.
