what are the benfits of hiring an agent

Answer 1

It depends on what type of work you want to do.  Sites like this one post a wide range of projects, but are rarely offering national, union commercials or animation with one of the big studios.  That's not to say you can't make decent money on a site like this, but it won't lead to residual income.  Larger-market jobs for spots or films that produce residual income usually come from an agent.  An agent can only take a percentage of income from a job that is booked (10% for union and up to 20% for non-union).  You should never pay an agent anything BEFORE they book you.  You may incur costs to reproduce demos, etc., but it is illegal to ask for signing fees.  Agents differ from managers in that managers are not legally allowed to negotiate contracts, but they sometimes offer more personal service.  They also take 20%.  If you are ready to move into a bigger arena, you can try for an agent.  With the advent of home studios, you no longer have to be local to work through an agency - just have quality recording equipment and access to an ISDN line for commercial work.  Animation is tougher, because high-end animation is done at the studio, where there may be additional technology, like motion capture.  I hope this is helpful!