Do You Need an Agent?

 First published January 13, 2013

Legendary film editor Dede Allen was once asked by a student, “Who is your agent?”

Allen’s reply was quick. “I don’t have an agent. I have a lawyer.”

Not a bad answer, though it works best if you are Dede Allen. Most people could use an agent. Few people will ever get one. The reason is pretty straightforward.

An agent wants clients who are marketable. That means that they are either a high profile talent or, at the very least, a prominent emerging talent. In other words, they want people who already have some sort of name value that can be commercially peddled. They want people who are in a position where they don’t necessarily need an agent.

The people who could really use an agent are those folks who are not well known. They are not very prominent. They are not particularly connected. They could really use the help that can be provided by an agent.

Too bad. They are not marketable. The system is perversely logical (if cruel) in its simplicity. Those who could most use an agent are the least likely to get one. Those who can get an agent…well, you got the drill. It doesn’t hurt to try. Just be ready to be rejected because you will be, over and over again. Most agents receiving a cold contact from an aspiring client will not even respond. On the rare occasion when they do respond, count yourself lucky.

But despite all of this, you may still want to press ahead. Actually, one good place to start is at About.com. They present a basic but significant check list of how a writer, actor, or filmmaker should approach the first stage of the search. For example, a filmmaker needs to have some sort of demo reel for presentation. If you are a screenwriter, your scripts should look professional, with a correct format and careful proofing.

You have to focus on the best way to market yourself. Don’t spend ten pages telling them that you are wonderful. You have to show them that you’re wonderful in under 30 seconds. If the agent actually looks at the demo reel, they will make a decision about you in 10 seconds or less. Most likely, it will be an assistant looking at the reel and their main job is to weed people out, not in. I’m not trying to be a downer, but you need to be realistic about the process.

Of course this also means that you have a good body of work to present. That is a point strongly emphasized by Marc Maurino in a blog report he wrote about a panel discussion on films and agents at the Independent Film Week in 2010.

And, you are going to want a lawyer, preferably an entertainment lawyer but, at the very least, a lawyer who works with contracts. I know: this is one more pain-in-the-rear item on the plate. But anytime you go to sign up with an agent, you are signing legal papers. So you need to have somebody in your corner who actually knows what you are signing.

Obviously signing up with an agent brings up the question of finding an agency. My first response is to skip the whole question and just wish you good luck. There are many pitfalls to this process and no magic fix. You might start by simply using Google, where you can find lists like the one at FindTheBest.com. It’s respectable but also incredibly mainstream list. If your material is really good and your presentation is truly hot, you just might get a very personal and touching rejection letter. When that happens, please keep in mind that “no” is never an absolute.

Take time researching these lists and conduct extensive checks on any and every agency that comes up, especially the lesser-known ones. There are some perfectly fine small agencies that may even be more suitable for an indie filmmaker. There are also a lot of complete flakes and scammers out there. Any one who has read my previous pieces on this issue should know the routine. If not, I’ll just sum it up fast: cross-check and verify everything.

For example, all agencies will post lists of their better known clients. You need to verify that these people really are their clients. There are various ways to do this, though the Pro version of the IMDb.com database is the quickest. If the agency doesn’t have a client list, walk the other way. Real agencies live and die by their client lists and love to show them off. Only bogus agents are shy about naming names. If you need a more detailed list of warning signs, you might refer to Top Ten Ways to Tell if a Talent Agency is a Scam. Though the article is focused on the modeling business, many of the tips apply to all agencies.

Which brings us back to the question at the top of this piece: when do you need an agent?  There is no real answer. The best answer anyone can give is, when you feel you are ready. Of course you have to be at a stage where you have material to show. You are working in a professional, career orientated capacity. You can look in the mirror and say that you are good enough and smart enough without falling into a fit of hysterical laughter.

Then you might be ready. Or you can do what one highly successful indie filmmaker did, and get your father to handle a lot of this work for you.

Just remember to always say, “Thanks, Dad.”