Hiring a Celebrity? Meet the Agent
Most of the celebrities you hire nowadays don’t work alone. Each one has an agent who you’ll be negotiating with. Many entertainers try to keep as far away from discussing the gig details as possible. They hire a representative to deal with the clients. Some celebrities have a team of such agents when others hire just one. Knowing who is who in the celebrity business world will help you negotiate a good contract.
The Agent
Most of the time, an agent is the only person on the celebrity’s team. He or she is mostly responsible for finding a job for the artist. Agents deal with bookings, endorsements, and contracts. The main goal of an agent is to keep the celebrity working since by getting the gigs; he ensures that he will be paid.
The Manager
A manager is an advanced version of an agent. Managers are usually responsible for the overall improvement of the celebrity’s career. While the agent is glad to get any gig as long as it pays the money, a manager will analyze whether or not such an experience will benefit the celebrity in the future. This means that negotiation with a manager can be much more complicated than with an agent.
The Publicist
The publicists are hired for marketing the celebrity. They usually deal with interviews, press releases, and other arrangements that can promote their clients. If you need to talk to a publicist, you need to have a few reasons at hand for why your offer will be beneficial for the celebrity’s PR campaign. Most publicists have several clients. If you manage to speak with a publicist, you might get access to the other celebrities he works with.
Your best bet is to speak with an agent. A conversation with a manager or a publicist will require extensive amounts of research and preparations, but the results can be significantly more fulfilling.
