Agents

[Eric Fletcher S.O.C.]

My Agent represents 27 of us.

 

It's totally worth it for me, and he's not just my agent but a friend and supporter. It's nice that I can bounce my ideas or concerns about a job off of him. The producers I work with have no problem talking to him instead of me when it comes to the deal.

[Christopher T. Paul- SOC]

I have found it to be quite beneficial, meeting producers and DP's that I hadn't met before. Why don't you do a search here and read my old thread on the subject- the advice I got was very helpful.

 

CP

[Daniel Stilling DFF]

My agent is really good on the negotitions part.

He represents 4 of us, so he gives us a vey personal treatment. Plus the fact that he makes and sends out reels is really great, so I don't have to worry about that...

 

BTW, where did Dave's post go??

[David Allen Grove]

Agent=good

[nealnorton]

I agree 100% with Eric. I consider myself very lucky to have Russell Todd as an agent and friend. EVERY producer I have asked say they like working with Russell. I think producers will work out a better deal with Russell than they will with me and that I make more money with Russell than I would without.

 

Regards,

 

Neal

[brooksrobinson]

I agree with Neal. Russell Todd has been my agent for about nine years now, and I don't know what I'd do without him. There are a lot of reasons to have an agent: better deal making, not having to deal with production in advance of the job, someone to keep track of your schedule (especially for those of in the commercial market), someone to play good cop/bad cop with you and production, someone to submit you for jobs you don't know about, and many other reasons I'm not thinking of after a long day at the office.

 

In my case, Russell has more than made up for his commission by his negotiating expertise. He is MUCH better at dealing with production than I will ever be, and as a result, I get paid more than I would otherwise. Period.

 

All that being said, having an agent isn't for everyone. I know several people who went with an agent assuming that it would increase their workload. In some cases it does. For instance, if I am not available for a job when a producer calls Russell requesting me, Russell will try to submit one of his other clients for the job. That comes around of course, and I have recieved many jobs as a result of other operators with Russell not being available. Overall however, it all comes down to your clients. If you work a lot and sign with an agent, you will continue to work a lot. If you don't have a solid client base and you sign on with an agent (if they agree to take you on), I wouldn't expect your workload to change exponentially overnight. It just doesn't work that way.

 

For me, having an agent has been a blessing, and I can't imagine having to do it myself at this point. I would say that if you are thinking about signing with someone, make sure to talk to some of the other opertators who have signed with the agent in question and find out about their experiences. There are several agents out there who rep steadicam operators and they are not all the same. Some are very hard edged, and leave a bad taste with production, which in the end reflects badly on you. Some aren't very good at negotiating. Some don't have a solid roster top to bottom, which also doesn't reflect well on you. Make sure to find out who else is represented, and talk to them.

 

Having an agent or not is a personal decision. In my case, it has worked out better than I could have hoped. Just make sure to do your due dilligence prior to signing with someone.

 

Brooks Robinson

[Eric Fletcher S.O.C.]

Neal, Brooks, Well said I totally agree.

 

In another thread people are having issues with production and insurance and that is another place that the agent more than pays for himself. I never worry about insurance since our guy takes care of that for us.

[Mark Karavite]

I spoke with several agents before signing with Russell Todd a couple years ago. Some seemed very hard edged, and I didn't want that for my clients. Russell is very laid back, and a tough negotiator at the same time. Clients enjoy working with him, cause he's a great guy.

 

For me, the best part of having representation is that I only speak with the clients about the creative aspects of the job. All the nuts and bolts of the business end are left up to your agent. Of course, you approve any deal before he books it, but you aren't the bad guy to production.

 

I came into the arrangement with a good client base, and Russell has more than paid for his services by negotiating higher rates for existing clients, as well as bringing in new clients. The arguement I've heard from some that "why give 10% of my current clients to someone for doing nothing" doesn't hold true in my experience.

 

Mark Karavite

A Camera / Steadicam Operator

mkaravite@comcast.net

[WillArnot]

Neal, Eric, Mark, Brooks.... I couldn't agree more.

 

I was quite resistant to involving someone else in my business as I was happy and productive with a strong client base in NY and had been doing quite well by myself, thank you very much. I think this may well be the case for many if you are considering an agent.

 

As Brooks pointed out, an agent is not a solve all. It's like the old business saying, "you have to have money to make money". Similarly, you have to have your own momentum and success so far. An agent will then be able to take that and re-shape it into a more effective package. They will not make a career for you if you have little to offer.

 

Russell has been a fantastic attribute in re-shaping my career. He is a friend as well as a co-worker. I think this is the most important thing to remember. An agent is your representative and therefore you should feel comfortable with who your agent is as a person and business person. They are a reflection of you.

 

For me Russell is someone I work with and not someone who works for me. It is a relationship. We are able to strategize on how best to approach different situations and make the best decision on how to proceed. This affects the politics, the financial outcome (almost always in your favour), and the potential for job opportunities in the future. Inevitably, better business decisions are made.

 

Hey. You should be in a place in your career where an agent should be priveleged to represent you. In this fashion, as with any business proposition - feel it out first. Don't let yourself get signed with a dud operation who simply make you feel better about yourself, but doesn't do anything for your career, other than take a slice of your income.

 

You should consider an agent's connection to the industry. Are they connected? Do they know where to look to keep track of work opportunities? Who else do they represent? Will you be one person out of 300 or 30?

 

Russell has no doubt been an utter pleasure to work with and has done a fantastic job of earning us both more money.

 

Will

[JobScholtze]

That agent thing is something american i guess. We dont even have agents, i wish we had :blink:

[WillArnot]

Not just an American thing. There are agents for some of the established UK operators. It lets you be the artist, brings you greater income, and business-wise you become a team rather than an individual who is easier to exploit. It raises the standard of professionalism.

 

Will

[JobScholtze]

I would love to have one, BUT, the arnt ready for it overhere

[RonBaldwin]

I sent Russell my reel a few years back when I heard he was looking for more ops to represent. He said it sucked and that he only represented big operators.

 

hanging my head in shame, Ron B

[Charles Papert]

What difference does it make, Ron, you only work like 300 days out of the year anyway, who'd want a percentage of that.

 

Slacker.

[RonBaldwin]

thanks Chas, I feel better now (first beer out of the tap -- if it actually works -- is yours).

 

rb