Inside the Mind of Talent Scouts

When you’re reaching for stardom, it helps to know what these two Barbizon gurus are looking for. After all, their success depends upon knowing what the talent agents want.

By Nell Renfrew-Sutton and
Teresa Womack, Barbizon of Raleigh, NC

Everyone at one point or another has dreamed of being a star. They want the glamour of being famous, their name in the spotlight, and to be rich. To reach those goals, they often start out by attending a model and talent search, such as ours at Barbizon of Raleigh, where they hope to be discovered. As any good model and talent scouts, we use certain criteria when selecting talent for our school and agency.

During the initial screening, we first judge a candidate’s potential based on their personality, overall appearance, grades, parental support, and attitude. If a person falls short on any of these levels, we lower their score and may not accept them until they improve. When we discuss their plusses and minuses, if we observe that they are unable to accept positive criticism, then we do not enroll them. Even if this is the very start of their career, they need to be resilient for what criticism lies ahead of them.

Once accepted into our program, we begin training them, whether for modeling and acting competitions or for a paying job. From our years of experience, we have learned what agents and managers look for when judging talent. Allow us to share this inside scoop with you now.

First, agents and managers look at your confidence level, making note of how you present yourself to the public. They can see by the way you act and carry yourself if you are dedicated, focused, passionate, and self-sacrificing. In making this assessment, agents and managers want to observe your own confidence that you are going to make it, and that you have the determination to continue working hard no matter how many doors are slammed in your face. When attending competitions or auditions, be aware that you are not only being judged on-stage, but also when you are off-stage. Even when you are standing in the elevator or just walking around, you need to remember that all eyes are on you, and act accordingly.

Second, judges or agency hiring managers look for evidence of how much education and training you have had in your chosen field. Given two contestants or job candidates with very similar looks, the one with the training most often will score higher or get the job. Even professional actors recognize the need to hone their professional skills and take acting classes to stay sharp — it is rare in this competitive industry that anyone gets by on their looks alone.