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from the Hollywood Reporter - 521 words
By Zorianna Kit
In an effort to cash in on the youth market, Don Buchwald & Associates and Talent Group Inc. have pooled their resources to spin off a third agency, the Buchwald Talent Group, to represent the teenage set.
While Buchwald will continue to operate its talent and lit business and TGI will keep its commercial company, the two firms will transfer their young clients to BTG, a new agency slated to open for business in two weeks.
In addition, Buchwald & Associates is in negotiations with Arletta Proch to fold her Kelman/Arletta Agency, which specializes in representing children and young adults, into BTG.
There are more than 100 agencies in Los Angeles and New York that specialize in the representation of young talent.
"It only seemed logical," said David Brady, president and co-owner of TGI. "With the phenomenal growth in opportunities in the youth market, particularly the teenage market, we felt partnering with an established talent agency made great sense."
Added Tim Angle, president of Don Buchwald's West Coast division: "When TGI started its youth department,most of the work for young actors was in commercials. As the opportunity rose dramatically for young actors in film and television, TGI needed a strategic partner more experienced and well versed on the talent side of the business to fully represent the clients."
BTG will open with a staff of six agents -- three in talent, two in on-camera and one in voice-overs. One agent comes from Buchwald, two from TGI, two are new hires and one hire has yet to be made.
Loch Powell, formerly of Coast-to-Coast Talent Group, has joined BTG on the talent side and brings with him such clients as Aaron Paul, ("I'll Be You"), Jesse James ("As Good as It Gets") and Christopher Khayman Lee ("Safe Harbor").
Don Buchwald's Philip Leader will be transferred to the new division in talent, where he will continue repping clients including Camilla Belle ("Back to the Secret Garden"), Joseph Ashton ("The Education of Little Tree") and "Moesha's" Marcus Paulk.
TGI's Debbie Palmer will run the commercial side with Eddie Winkler, who comes to BTG from the Gold / Marshak / Liedtke Agency.
TGI's Bob Elyea will run the voice-over and animation department.
BTG's talent department will be located in the same Wilshire Boulevard office building as Buchwald & Associates, while BTG's commercial division will be housed a few blocks down the street with TGI. The agencies will be grooming BTG's youth clients to segue into Buchwald & Associates and TGI as they get older.
"It is our intent that when (BTG clients) stop playing teenagers, they will be repped theatrically by Don Buchwald and commercially by TGI," Angle said.
Don Buchwald & Associates was formed in 1976 in New York and opened its Los Angeles office in 1992. The agency has more than 35 agents on both coasts in five separate departments. The client roster includes Howard Stern, Seth Green, Louise Fletcher, Terry Farrell, Angie Everhart and Jodi Lynn O'Keefe.
TGI, formed more than 20 years ago in Los Angeles handles actors in the area of commercials, voice-overs and animation. Clients include Jonathan Pryce, French Stewart, David Hyde Pierce, Adam Arkin, Carla Gugino, Annie Potts, Debra Messing and Jane Leeves.
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