Over the course of my career, I’ve been represented by many different agents and managers at nearly all the major agencies (CAA, William Morris, ICM, etc.) and several management firms (3 Arts Entertainment, Gotham Group, AMG, etc.), including one very successful and gratifying stretch with the same agent as he bounced around to various agencies and/or management firms for over a decade. Admittedly, the process of obtaining a representative is much less difficult once you have a track record of success, however in my Representation 101 PDF tutorial, I will also reference the methods and processes I used in my earliest years as well, which still apply to this day, as I lay out the 5 Most Legitimate Pathways to Obtaining an Agent or Manager.
As much as the nature of the representative landscape has changed over the past few years, the methods for an unrepresented screenwriter to obtain an agent or manager remain very much the same — rooted in a research-heavy, time-consuming process that requires a certain degree of relentlessness and immunity to rejection. It also requires a great script to begin with, and then a mastery in pitching it with brevity and effectiveness in the parlance and interests of the representative – which is primarily focused on commercial viability more so than artistry. But it can be done. I've done it countless times, in various positions of status, from nobody to somebody. And you can do it, too -- if you write a great, commercial script that you passionately believe in, and can withstand the slings and arrows that will relentlessly come your way as you try to push that boulder up the hill. In short, never give up, and you can't possibly fail.
Included in this tutorial:
Advice for how to secure an Industry Referral
Suggestions for where and how to network, both in-person and online
Guidance for how to properly research prospective representatives
How to best communicate with assistants
How to write a proper query letter
Advice on which Screenwriting Competitions and Fellowships make a difference
How to maximize social media for networking
Alternative routes to gaining proximity to power, including temp services and trainee programs
Real world case studies from my career
Common mistakes to avoid
Includes extensive lists of legitimate literary management firms and agencies to approach
Over the course of my career, I’ve been represented by many different agents and managers at nearly all the major agencies (CAA, William Morris, ICM, etc.) and several management firms (3 Arts Entertainment, Gotham Group, AMG, etc.), including one very successful and gratifying stretch with the same agent as he bounced around to various agencies and/or management firms for over a decade. Admittedly, the process of obtaining a representative is much less difficult once you have a track record of success, however in my Representation 101 PDF tutorial, I will also reference the methods and processes I used in my earliest years as well, which still apply to this day, as I lay out the 5 Most Legitimate Pathways to Obtaining an Agent or Manager.
As much as the nature of the representative landscape has changed over the past few years, the methods for an unrepresented screenwriter to obtain an agent or manager remain very much the same — rooted in a research-heavy, time-consuming process that requires a certain degree of relentlessness and immunity to rejection. It also requires a great script to begin with, and then a mastery in pitching it with brevity and effectiveness in the parlance and interests of the representative – which is primarily focused on commercial viability more so than artistry. But it can be done. I've done it countless times, in various positions of status, from nobody to somebody. And you can do it, too -- if you write a great, commercial script that you passionately believe in, and can withstand the slings and arrows that will relentlessly come your way as you try to push that boulder up the hill. In short, never give up, and you can't possibly fail.
Included in this tutorial:
Advice for how to secure an Industry Referral
Suggestions for where and how to network, both in-person and online
Guidance for how to properly research prospective representatives
How to best communicate with assistants
How to write a proper query letter
Advice on which Screenwriting Competitions and Fellowships make a difference
How to maximize social media for networking
Alternative routes to gaining proximity to power, including temp services and trainee programs
Real world case studies from my career
Common mistakes to avoid
Includes extensive lists of legitimate literary management firms and agencies to approach
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