As an actor in the digital marketing world, there wasn’t too much overlap between what I did for work and what I did as an actor, so imagine my surprise and delight at the idea of being a Talent Manager; me, someone trying to learn all I could about the industry side of acting now getting the opportunity to not only work with actors, but manage them! Going into the role, I did not know much about talent management, but in the few months that I’ve been at it, I have learned so much about the responsibilities, expectations, and processes both of thought and of project completion.
Here are some highlights:
First off, what does a talent manager do?? Great question. As a talent manager, it is my job to act as a middleman between the actor and whatever company they are aiming to collaborate with. This entails drafting pitches for projects the talent wants to pursue, answering inbound emails from companies that want to collaborate with the talent, and reaching out to companies to pitch the talent to them in hopes of a collaboration. That is the standard formula to what I do, but since every company is different and there are different objectives for each collaboration, the pitches and approaches have to reflect that difference.
One of the biggest tasks as a talent manager is organizing. To make the differentiated pitches easily changeable, it is imperative to have all the talent’s assets organized and easily accessible. With our first client, Sarah Pribis, the talent management team created a Google Drive folder that houses all of her headshots, reels, and other supplemental materials that we can all pull from for these pitches. I have created rate cards, content decks, and many spreadsheets all so I am able to insert the appropriate materials for a plethora of different pitches. It’s a tedious process, but SO worth it when I am able to easily locate assets to pair with pitches and email responses.
Speaking of, EMAILS!! Sure I will send a direct message here and there through social media channels to get contact info, but my job is built on a foundation of emails. I have access to the talent’s inbound emails from brands and every day I vet them to see if it is a solid offer and respond accordingly. In one week, those inbounds can range from 5-15 emails a day. On top of that, all the pitches I send are through email. At this point, I probably look at my Gmail screen more than I do my TV.
Logistics aside, the MOST important part of being a talent manager is, well, the talent! As a talent management team, we try our best to really get to know our client so that we can have the best possible experience for everyone involved. We get to know them not just as talent, but as people. I have helped make final decisions about collaborations alongside the talent in a way that I knew resonated with them because I knew them as a person. I have been able to help talent see out collaborations and ideas that they are interested in because I am in the business of them!
Being a talent manager is rewarding in many ways. Not only am I able to see another side of acting, but I am making connections with great companies and actors. I am able to see a project go from a spark to a full out flame and it is so satisfying to know that I had a hand in helping someone achieve one of their goals. Talent management isn’t an easy job, but with the right direction, organization, and mindset, it can be incredibly fulfilling and worthwhile.
-Beaven Zulu