How do you get an agent?
Whenever a blag of cinematographers assemble (that is the correct term for a group of DOPs right?) three things are certain: we will talk at great length about lenses, there will be hangovers, and in hushed tones, the subject of agents will come up. Like conspiracy theorists discussing the latest sasquatch sighting, wild theories about agents will be shared and advice on how to catch a glimpse of one will be exchanged. One doubter will challenge whether or not they exist at all while another sagely shares a summoning ritual for agents they learnt from a film meme. Did you know that if you are going to feed an agent, you should do so with a flat hand so that they don’t bite your fingers? Of course it goes without saying, one shouldn’t be feeding wild agents at all.
Getting an agent is a big milestone in any DOPs career. Here’s the thing about milestones: in front of us, they are towering monoliths looming high above the horizon, topped with gold, BAFTAs and a few high-end commercials to shoot between big meaningful narrative projects. As we walk up the yellow brick career path towards this milestone, we start to notice a new one on the horizon, and correct me if I’m wrong, but that one is topped with even more gold? The closer we get to our milestones, the smaller they get, until we don’t notice them pass us by, as our focus has already shifted to the next one. Before we get an agent, being repped is a towering monolith on the horizon, shrouded in mythology, half truths, and blurry sightings.
Early in my career I, like every other DOP, noticed that some cinematographers had agents. Those people seemed successful and so I added one plus one and got the wrong answer. I assumed they were successful because they had an agent and thus, for me to be successful in my career, I also needed an agent. It’s not a thought process that is unique to me; the pitfall I fell into was very well populated with like-minded cinematographers also asking ‘how do I get an agent?’ The question itself was the pitfall, a red herring we dutifully chased. It’s the wrong question. Perhaps we should be asking: ‘Why do I need an agent?’
Without understanding why we need an agent, what an agent actually does, or what they are looking for, our collective minds will run wild and free with speculation, reinforced by well meaning but uninformed opinions on the matter. The reasons we come up with as to why we need an agent then become obstacles and diversions on our career paths. One of the paths in the wrong direction is signposted: ‘I need an agent to get me work’. A fallen tree across our career path has: ‘Agents only want commercially successful DOPs’ carved into it. A particularly deep puddle in the middle of the path bubbles: ‘The only reason you’re not successful is because you don’t have an agent’.
On my own path these misunderstandings became focal points as I meandered progressively further from the reality of why I needed an agent and what they actually do. In hindsight, my approach had ample room for improvement.
I gathered up the emails of every agency and sent them a wordy explanation of why they should represent me. Attached was a showreel of the prettiest shots from my first year as a DOP. ‘Let’s have a coffee and talk about working together’. I suggested. Then I waited for the replies to come flooding back in.
After some weeks and months, a few responded. Thanks but no thanks. The rest remained silent.
Odd, I thought. My work looks good, I just need an agent to get me working more often and get my career going. Why weren’t they interested? How do I get an agent?
The next year I emailed them again, this time with a brochure of all my work and achievements of the year. I convinced myself that it was the presentation last time that let me down. I needed to dazzle them with more spin and PR. Showbiz! I emailed all the agents again with my slick PDF and accompanying essay on the merits of representing Tom Watts.
Thanks but no thanks. The rest remained silent.
The next year I realised my mistake. Agencies are a business and representing a DOP is a business investment. I emailed the list with a breakdown of my earnings, 10% of this could be yours. What business-minded agent could refuse?
Thanks but no thanks. Slightly more remained silent this time.
I couldn’t understand why I was being passed up by everyone. I had shot a film with a nationwide cinema release, a Christmas commercial with Saachi and Saachi, and enough Little Mix music videos to feed my instagram for a year. It was around this point that it started to dawn on me: I don’t actually know why I want or need an agent. There are a lot of myths floating around about agents but this one is true - they can smell that lack of understanding. If I didn’t know why I actually needed an agent, how were any of them going to work with me?
In sharing this litany of failures, it should give you some understanding of the depths of existential dread I felt when Casarotto agent Amy Davies mentioned off hand during our interview that they keep a record of all the emails they receive from DOPs. Perfect.
The realisation that I didn’t know why I wanted an agent or even who they were was my first real step in the journey to finding an agent. This is important because as it turns out, agents aren’t a collective group of Agent Smiths; they are people. First and foremost, being represented by an agent is a collaborative relationship between two people.
One thing that has really stuck in my mind from this whole experience is how little communication and information there is around this subject. During my clumsy and now archived attempts to make sense of finding an agent, I was asking the wrong questions. So let’s try asking the right ones.
After pouring a salt pentagram in the middle of a crossroads and lighting five black candles for the correct agent contact ritual, I sent emails to a list of agents asking if they’d speak to me and answer some of these questions. Sounds good, when do you want to meet? The rest remained silent.
Lucy Price, Managing Director of Loop Talent.
In no particular order other than starting with my own (favourite) agent, let’s hear from Managing Director of Loop Talent, Lucy Price.
Tom:
Lucy, what does an agent actually do?
Lucy:
The main thing an agent does is management and promotion. So for example, if someone says to me, ‘I want to work on Hollywood films’. My response is, okay, how do we get there? How can we manoeuvre your career to steer you in that direction? Then promotion, obviously is promoting them to people or companies which help them reach their ambitions. It should also be helping our clients to build a brand. That's a really key element because you have to pitch yourself as a brand. I don't think you can just pitch yourself as a technically skilled DOP; you have to be a well-rounded individual. An Agent will also negotiate rates, contracts, invoice, chase your work, chase outstanding invoices, and give you support and advice to help you navigate your career. An agent should take away the administrative element so you can focus on the creative. A really good agent will let you interview them for an article.
Tom:
So how important is it that someone's already built a brand for themselves before you would consider signing someone?
Lucy:
Not very important.
Tom:
Is being signed by an agent a golden ticket to wild career success and access to all the custom Panavision lenses you can eat?
Lucy:
I think the agent-client relationship is really key. It can be a golden ticket and some people are lucky enough to sign with an agent and then immediately get a high-end drama or a multi-million pound feature film straight off the bat. But others, it takes a bit of time. The most important thing is that you always have to work together.
Tom:
At what point in someone’s career are they ready for an agent?
Lucy:
It really depends. I like to see a foundation of work. I want people to have a bit of experience and a bit of reality about the industry before I sign them up. I wouldn't want someone who is a brand new DOP to then think, you know, golden tickets. It's better to have that foundation of work that you can effectively build upon. It's important for someone to have life experience as well.
Tom:
So what are you actually looking for in clients that you sign?
Lucy:
Skill and actual talent is obviously good. But as I said, it's not just about that. I think most people in this industry have a certain level of skill, otherwise they wouldn't be in it. I'm looking for focus, ambition, and someone who's nice. Someone who's got stamina. Someone that I think I can work well with. Someone I think I can sell. Someone with a good work ethic. Someone who's a good communicator. Someone that I know is also going to work hard, network and go to events. I’m looking for a well-rounded person with a bit of life experience.
Tom:
Assuming someone ticks those boxes, what’s the best way for them to approach an agent?
Lucy:
Email and maybe chase it up with a phone call after a week or two, if you don’t get a response. Don't be too over the top. I want to see a CV and links to your website and social media. That's really vital. Use Instagram as a portfolio. An agent wants to know, are you ranting and raving on Twitter? Do you have a good workable brand? It's good to put that out there, because agents will Google you. Have you been featured in the BSC mag, Cinegirl, those kinds of publications? An agent wants to see anything you're particularly proud of and with proper links to your work. Keep it short and sweet.
Tom:
How important is the first step? Is there a networking aspect where you gradually get to know an agent and then approach them? Or do you just email them?
Lucy:
I think it's just better to go in. If you want something, go after it.
Tom:
So if someone approaches you and you’re not currently interested in repping them, what should they do next?
Lucy:
Most of the time, I don't like to say, ‘no, you're not for us’. I like to go back and just say the time is not right for xyz, please do keep in touch. If that person does get in touch in the next couple of months, then that's a really good sign for me because they clearly want to build a relationship with me. It shows me that they actually listened to what I said and then acted upon it. That's always a good sign. It is really good to keep in touch and let Agents know what you're up to, because it might just take one credit, one job where we might have another client on and we can see that you’re moving in the right circles. I can then use that to move you into another circle. So it's definitely good to keep in touch with an agent, but just do it in a casual breezy friendly way.
Tom:
How much weight is put on creative talent versus commercial viability?
Lucy:
Interesting question. From an agent perspective, a potential new client should be commercially viable but it's got to be mixed with creative talent. But then saying that, you do see some people who are commercially viable, and they just run on that hamster wheel. I think it has to be equally balanced, otherwise you're never going to get any fresher new creative ideas. I'd be more willing to take a chance on someone with a more creative edge than commercial viability. I like different aesthetics on the roster because it's a more interesting conversation to have with producers. I prefer to give a variety of styles.
Tom:
What advice would you give to a DOP who is working consistently, but doesn't have an agent yet and would like to work with one?
Lucy:
It really, really depends, because a lot of the time jobbing people don't necessarily need an agent and I think maybe some agents might see that. Why do you need an agent? If someone's working as a self-shooter and they want to start working as a DOP, then they would need to work more as a DOP. What people need to do in order to then break into the next level is very dependent on what they actually want and what their focus is. An agent will not have all the answers. You do have to look internally about your foundation of work. What are you good at? Where do you want to see your career going? Where can you actually see your career going? Can an agent help you get there? These are all questions that you need to ask yourself. An agent wants to know: what do you want to do?
Tom:
What can a DOP do to make themselves more attractive to an agent and, to follow up on a previous point, how can they best package themselves as a brand that is easy to pitch?
Lucy:
Make it really crystal clear what your focus is. Your website should be up to date and looking good. Having different categories is really important: commercials, music promos, narrative, however you want to package yourself. Social media should all be work related, slick, relevant and up to date. You should be posting regularly and on your stories. Same with all other socials like LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, as well. You should also be going to events. You should be networking in person and online regularly, and you should be clear and concise in your email. Be specific about why you are contacting the Agent and why you think that Agent and their company would be a good fit for you and vice versa. Throwing in a little compliment about an aspect of the company or the agent always helps (laughs).
Tom:
I love your outfit today. Why is social media so important?
Lucy:
It's an instant portfolio in the palm of your hand. I'm sure you've been on sets where you're waiting around, everyone is on their phones, what are they looking at? They're looking at social media. So if you can just get into people's psyches subconsciously through that, engage with people there, you're building relationships without even realising. So that is vital.
Tom:
Does it matter how many followers someone has on instagram?
Lucy:
No. It matters how active they are and how well presented it is. Followers will come and a lot of people buy them anyway. It shouldn't be a factor and it's not a factor for me. Though obviously I can see the bonus of it because, if you've got lots of followers and you're posting about your work, then your work is going to be seen more. It's all about visibility at the end of the day. The more professional content you have out there about you, whether it's on David reviews, promo news, Instagram, Cinegirl, or whatever, the more you're going to show up in Google searches.
Tom:
As someone who is ADHD and Autistic in a neurotypical society, I can come across as weird. I know this because I’ve been told it my whole life. I’m secure in my own skin, but being in an industry that is part of that same neurotypical society which relies entirely on network, relationships, socialising and nepotism, makes you feel like you need to hide your true self to fit in. This is known as ‘masking’ and it is exhausting. With Lucy, I’m encouraged to embrace my weirdness and let it be one of my biggest strengths, which it is. Loop represents the vanguard of agencies.
There is a new wave of thinking and established agencies have been forced to pay attention and evolve in response. There is a lot of lip service in the industry towards inclusivity and diversity. Awareness isn’t the same as action and awareness tends to halt when it becomes inconvenient. There needs to be a genuine understanding and embracing of the strengths that different minds, backgrounds, and experiences bring. It is exciting to be involved in a new and growing agency with original thinking.
That might not be for you though. You might prefer the familiarity of a more established agency. All agencies have pros and cons. A new agency perhaps isn’t going to have the relationships that have been built up over decades of working with producers and production companies. The flip side of that is that the established agencies reputation for representing giants in the industry can make them appear inaccessible to us mortals. It also makes adapting to a changing landscape more difficult. It was important to me, in researching this article, that I spoke to agents from different agencies so that the insight I gained was well informed from different agent perspectives.
Something that you need to consider in your search for an agent is that you are not just looking for ‘an agent’. You are looking for a career collaborator that is based around a personal relationship between you and that agent. Every agency will have their own way of doing things, their own preferences, and their own styles. It’s important to understand the culture of the agency you are approaching and whether or not that is a fit for you. Each agent in each agency will also have their own preferences.
The mistake I made in my early approach was to see agencies and agents as an homogeneous group that could give me something. By understanding the differences between agencies and treating agents as people rather than simply a job title that can help your career, you will be a huge step towards your end goal of working with an agent.
Racheal Taylor from Independent Talent
I next spoke to agents George Rumsey and Rachael Taylor from Independent Talent.
Tom:
What does an agent do?
Rachael:
It's very much a collaborative role. It's about doing what we can to source your work and introduce you to new contacts, whether it's Producers, Directors or Production Companies. We then negotiate your rates, we do the interview, approve your contracts to the point where we get it to signature, and all of that stuff. So there's all of that administrative side that's taken away, so the client can focus on the creative.
George:
We're putting you forward as well as putting your work forward. We're discussing who you are as a person with Producers and Directors to try and get you interviews. We try to get you in the room for these things. Then, once in the room, it's very much down to the client to show those people what they do and get that job. The bigger and better your personal circle is, the more we can do with it. We need something to work with. We cannot manufacture work out of thin air. Signing with an agent, whether it’s us or Lux or United or Casarotto, is not a guaranteed ‘in’ to the biggest jobs.
Tom:
From your perspective as an agent, at what point is someone ready for an agent?
Rachael:
I think you have to have a rounded body of work and a website. You also need a social media presence. You've got to have a body of work under your belt that displays what you are, what your style is, what you've done, and what you're willing to do. We have to have something to sell when we're putting someone forward for a job.
George:
As a DOP, you've got to have gone out and shot some stuff in the world. I think quite often coming out of a film school, people think: Next stop, agent hubs! Just after film school, you're still really early in your career and most people at that stage are still really early in their lives. I think you have to craft your skills and passions first and, quite often in the process of doing that, the agents will come naturally. If you rely too heavily on early doors plugging and asking and asking and asking, it can actually put people off. Whereas actually, if you're just out concentrating on the creative stuff that you do best, meeting people going for coffee, posting on Instagram, finding the directors that you like, messaging them saying, ‘I really love your stuff. Can we go for coffee?’ Grow that network, learn who you are, and quite often, people will start to notice as your personal brand grows.
Tom:
What can DOPs do to be noticed by agents?
George:
I rely on my personal relationships. As an agent, sometimes you do have to get out there and network in order to find new people. You should try and go along to as many events as you can, just to be in the industry that you're in. I will always check someone on Instagram. Everyone loves to tag everyone, and if I see someone I like, I take a look. I also always go into people's websites once I've met them or seen their work. So I often use social media and my own personal network to find them.
George Ramsey from Independent Talent
Rachael:
A lot of the time it comes from recommendations from production companies, but quite frequently it'll be producers and people that are already working with me and having such a good time either personally or professionally with someone, that they feel the need to say this person's great and they're unsigned.
Tom:
What are you looking for in talent?
Rachael:
For me, I'm trying to find something in someone's work that perhaps isn't already present in other clients' works, or something a bit different. It's just a really personal thing. For example, a South African DOP that we've signed recently, I just love his work, it’s so exciting. He is a perfect example of the whole package.
George:
Yeah, it's very personal. It's something that resonates with you personally. If I'm watching a reel or short film, within a fairly short space of time, I know whether I’m really excited by what they're shooting. If I'm not excited about what they’re shooting, then I don't know how I'm meant to pitch them to someone in a meaningful way.
Tom:
There are phases of style trends that happen in our industry from the Alexa Cooke look period or the darker moodier Bradford Young look. Are you looking for people who can do those styles well or are you more interested in people who are doing their own thing?
Rachael:
As an agent, to follow trends can be a bit tricky, because you want to look after someone who's got longevity. Not someone who's only a one trick pony or only got one style. Going right back to the beginning, what do you want to see when you find someone? It is a well-rounded body of work.
Tom:
What’s the best way to approach an agent?
Rachael:
Do your research. Talk to your peers and talk to production companies you’ve worked with in the past. When you do get in touch with an agent, send it to a specific person, not a general account. This comes back to doing your research and finding out which specific agent at which specific agency might be best suited for you.
George:
If you just send the same email to every single agency, it gives the impression that you’re just looking for an agent because you think it's going to do something for you. Whereas, as Rachael said, even if you are going to send it to the generic email, if you come in and say, ‘I love these DOPs work’ or ‘I can see that Rachael represents that DOP, you're naming them and showing the agency that you’ve done your homework. Most of the approaches I get at the moment are from Instagram, and that's because I'm quite active on Instagram.
Rachael:
I think finding an agent’s personal email address is better than emailing the generic Independent Talent email address, because again it shows that you've scratched beneath the surface and actually are specifically interested in that person or that agency for a reason. You haven’t just pulled off a load of general emails from Google and copy-pasted it to everybody to see what feedback you get. We are human too. We do like a bit of thought put into it.
George:
Yeah, because we're already thinking, what's that person going to be like to work with? If someone's approached me on Instagram and said, ‘Hey I'd really appreciate your time. I’m looking for representation and it would be great If we could just sit down and have a coffee’. That’s great.
Rachael:
No formalities are necessary. I do worry that sometimes we are seen as this big, anonymous, faceless agency. We are approachable and we like to be approached. I think it’s really important to make that clear and break that barrier.
Tom:
If someone approaches you and your answer is ‘Not now’, is it ok for them to approach you again in say, six months?
Rachael:
Yes, keep in touch and let's talk in six months or a year’s time. There isn't a fast track way through this industry or in this career. It takes years, which is why it's important to try and take it slowly. Stay with the same agent, develop a relationship, and then build on all of the stuff that we talked about, because that's what will benefit you most: consistency.
Tom:
How important is commercial viability in a signing?
Rachael:
There has to be an element of saleability and commercial appeal. It's very rare that you just see somebody's work and think, ‘I have to work with that person at all costs’. It really isn't that black and white. It's a whole package every time, however early or late someone is in their career.
George:
Commercial viability comes into so many different aspects of a career. Whether it’s about someone having existing relationships with production companies or directors, or their personal brand is very clear and specific. Even if they're not doing the type of work that you think is commercially successful, you can see that a person is presenting in a particular way that is very commercially appealing.
Talking to George and Rachael really highlighted the importance of approaching an agent as a person first, not just as a job title. Despite being from the same agency, they have their own preferences and focus. I wasn’t just talking to two agents, I was talking to two people who are agents with individual personalities. My impression from talking to Rachael is that her wealth of experience informs her decisions about who she works with. The relationship side is really important to her and she has a deeply rooted personal sense of what she’s looking for in a DOP. She comes across as someone whose focus is also very grounded in tangible reality and practicality. As creatives, we can have a tendency to be a bit… floaty.
Some agents might like to pick up talent early in their career, so they can guide and shape it going forward. From talking to George, I got the sense that he very much likes to work with people who are self realised and have had time to explore and discover themselves as a professional and as a person. There is a hesitation there to guide talent too heavy-handedly. This is why it’s important to learn about the agents and agencies before approaching them. If you’re fresh out of film school and looking for an agent who will tell you what to do and guide your career for you, perhaps George isn’t the person for you. Maybe you’ve been around a little while, experimented with style and had some life experience. In that case, perhaps George is the right agent for you to contact.
Both George and Rachael stressed the importance of a personal approach and the importance of being a well-rounded professional as well as well-rounded person. They highlighted the point that agents actually do like to be approached, but be considered and respectful in how you do that.
I think it's really important to also acknowledge the point Rachael makes about career and pacing. It takes time to build your career; years, in fact. Focus on that. Take one step at a time and slowly build momentum. There is no shortcut. Getting an agent isn’t a ‘get successful quick’ scheme. Focus on your career and agents will come. It’s a marathon, not a sprint.
As much as we are drawn to certain aspects in our careers as DOPs and all have different paths and backgrounds as to how we got here, agents are no different. They all have their own journeys to becoming an agent and their own motivations for why being an agent appeals to them as a career.
Lastly I spoke to Amy Davies, a below-the-line agent at Casarotto Ramsay & Associates.
Tom:
What do you enjoy about being an agent?
Amy:
Working with so many different types of people and getting a sense of what it is that they want and need and where they're headed. We always set out to be with people for the long run, as well. I’m about building those relationships, and being there for the breakthroughs that clients get along the way. That's incredible. It’s very gratifying to be there through the good times and the bad times. If they win an award or if they're having a really tough time on a job, you get to know them. I love that. Then there's the other side of building the relationships on the other side, with the producers and production companies. Having these relationships help me help them find the right people, with the matchmaking of my client with this director or that creative executive.
Tom:
You touch on it there, but what does an agent actually do?
Amy:
No day is the same. Often it's a combination of seeking work for the clients when I know what they want to do next. A lot of the time it’s creating a real understanding of what they do, their style, how they work, their team… everything that needs to be considered for them. There is so much that has to be factored in when you're helping them find their next job.
Tom:
Do you assume the responsibility of finding work for DOPs or is it still their responsibility to keep doing what they’ve been doing to source themselves work?
Amy:
It is a massive joint effort. If we've just taken someone on, especially if it's early in their career, so much more of it is what they're doing: the networking, their creative work, and the work that they're doing to build relationships. Something that people may not be aware of is that it's not a golden ticket to get onto a roster with an agency. You’re not guaranteed work. We're plugging away in the background, but it can take a really long time. It can take months. It sometimes can take more than that for us to get you in a specific door, but we're working for you straight away. But that also doesn't mean that you shouldn't keep building those connections on your own.
Tom:
Would approaching an agent with the expectation that they will be providing the work going forward hurt someone's chances of finding an agent?
Amy:
Yeah, definitely. There's a lot more to it. When it comes to the approach, we need to get a sense of what it is that you're expecting from us.
Tom:
So it's approaching an agent with a sense of, ‘this is a collaboration’, rather than, ‘can you employ me?’
Amy:
Yeah, that's it. It's a relationship that we're starting.
Tom:
As a follow on to what you do as an agent, what don’t you do?
Amy:
I don't know. We do a lot, but we can't do everything. There are so many opportunities, especially for cinematographers, like festivals, events, and forums that you can attend to build important working or creative relationships. Looking after those relationships, we encourage all of that, but we can't do that for you.
Tom:
At what point in someone's career are they ready for an agent?
Amy:
Not everyone needs an agent. Some of our DOPs had gone so long without an agent because they got so many contacts and so much work on their own, they get an agent just to help them breathe for a moment and stop saying yes to everything. It's dependent on the individual and what it is that they want to be doing. Have they only ever worked on TV and want to break into film? Have they only shot comedy and want to start shooting straight drama? It's very specific to the individual, but If the time's right, we can help. I would say for someone to come to us, we would want to see their work and a CV. Have they had representation before? What is it that they're looking to gain from getting an agent? It can all be very informal, but it all starts off with: what are they doing and how can we help?
Tom:
When isn’t someone ready for an agent?
Amy:
If they're not shooting a lot and networking and just getting stuck in, there's not much we can do because that's their part. That's what you need to be doing, for us to be able to help you.
Tom:
From an agent’s point of view, what are you looking for in talent?
Amy:
I’m looking for talent to have an understanding of their work, their background, and how they came to where they are now. I also need to know: how do they run their department? That’s really important.
Who do they work with? Who do they collaborate well with? We also have to consider what type of projects they're working on. If they are earlier in their career and maybe aren't used to being in charge of a whole camera department, that's something that we can help with. But that tells us where they need to be supported. Another very important question that goes along with being on set is, how do they handle stress? And how open are they to taking advice from us?
Tom:
There is a real tendency in our industry, especially on Instagram, to always show a successful front. Everyone is always busy working on big exciting projects and no one is shooting any ‘content’. When someone approaches you, can you see through the spin? Are they better off being completely honest about where they are in their career and what they’re shooting?
Amy:
Absolutely. The CV, the work, and the credits speak for themselves. I can appreciate that it’s tough for people who don't have that many credits to start with, but again, the work speaks for itself and that's what we're looking at first. Where are you, creatively? Can we help you? What do you need? What do you want help on? Start the relationship with honesty.
Tom:
Where are you looking for talent? Where do DOPs need to be to be noticed?
Amy:
It depends on if they’re shooting content, music videos, commercials, festivals, the like. We look at lots of referrals. We get lots of referrals from directors actually. The agents who look after directors who tell them, I just worked with this DOP who doesn’t have an agent and they’re great, that means a lot. There are so many ways in which we hear about people and see their work. We watch as much as we can. It's not just what you're shooting but it's who you're working with and where those people are going to go. That producer’s going onto another job and that director is going to move forward. What impression did you leave with those people? How collaborative were you? How production-friendly were you? That has to be considered as well.
Tom:
So it’s important to leave a positive wake behind you?
Amy:
Yeah, that’s it.
Tom:
What’s the best way to approach an agent?
Amy:
I would say email with your CV and links to your work. Write a friendly but brief note, something just quite straightforward and easy for us to get to know you. I would suggest not calling because there's so much going on at any given point. If we could just very quickly, clearly see your work and some friendly words from you, perfect. I always consider everyone who comes through like that.
Tom:
How important is a DOP's network and access to work when considering someone to represent?
Amy:
Really important. Like I said before, you always have to be networking. You'll be doing more of the work to begin with, in that sense. It will flip in time so that the agent will be doing more of the work, but that's so important. We need to trust that you're out there and being proactive. You have to be out there meeting as many people as you can and be shooting as much as you can.
There can be a misconception that being signed to an agency is akin to being employed by them. Once you sign, the agent will then provide you with work going forward. This fundamental misunderstanding of the DOP-to-agent relationship can lead you to seek an agent for all the wrong reasons. In turn it will lead to a frustrating wall of rejection when looking for an agent. Agents know what they do, and if you’re approaching them and it's clear you don't also understand what they do, it's going to make the prospect of signing you far less attractive.
Amy is really sharp. She stressed the importance of being open and honest in your approach, and I would pay attention to that advice. You’re not going to pull the wool over her eyes. Leave the Instagram spin and PR on social media. Approaching an agent is the beginning of a relationship and it should be approached with openness and honesty. They know the industry and they’ve seen it all before. Be clear about who you are, where you are, and where you want to be. She has a deep understanding of the relationships required and involved in this industry. She also highlighted the aspect of the agent role in matchmaking. When putting forward clients for a job, she considers how the personalities on set will complement each other. However, as Amy says, they do a lot but they can’t do it all. It’s a two-way street and you have to pull your weight. If you don't do your side of the work, they can’t do theirs.
In the words of J.K. Simmons in Burn After Reading - What have we learned?
I think the most important thing is that ‘How do you get an agent?’ is the wrong question. The question you should be asking is, how do I build my career? The answer isn’t ‘get an agent’. When people recycle the unhelpful advice of ‘They find you when you are ready’, what they should be saying is, ‘Through the process of building and developing your career, agents will start to notice you. You need to grow as a professional and as a person, and build a positive reputation for yourself. This can take years. You need to understand the industry, build relationships, and grow your network. If you can sustain this with consistency, eventually someone you left a good impression on will recommend you to an agent that they know.’
There is no short and easy answer to ‘how do you get an agent?’ The reason is that it’s a combination of complicated questions wrapped up in a red herring.
If your current goal is to get signed to an agency, you first need to unpack the question. Firstly, why do you want an agent? Can you answer that question specifically? What exactly do you want them to help you with? Is that something they actually do? Do you have a solid foundation of work that represents what you do and what you want to do for them to build on? What kind of agent and agency do you want to work with? Why?
Before we can ask the external world for something, we first need to do some introspection and understand what it is we want and what the best path to that is. We’re all hungry, ambitious and looking for fast success in our careers. We will also all face frustrations, roadblocks, and at times, lack of momentum. When we get stuck or are unclear on our road forward, we look for reasons and solutions. Getting an agent can be seen as a fix-all. If you’re not getting enough work, you just need an agent. If you’re not doing the work you want to do, you need an agent. You’re not advancing in your career, you need an agent. All of these are missing the point.
Agents are force multipliers. They take what you already have and grow it. The way I look at my cinematography career is that it’s a garden. We start fresh-faced with an empty dirt patch. To turn that dirt patch into a thriving garden, we have to plant seeds. Some seeds take weeks to grow and some take years. The relationships we build during the course of our career are the seeds we plant. This is why your network is so important; your network is your access to work. The relationships you nurture and the trust you build with Directors, Producers and Production Companies are what is going to carry your career forward. Agents are plant food. If you don’t have plants, they don’t have anything to nourish.
Focus on your career, build your network and be present in the industry. It’s your responsibility to grow a reputation for yourself. Understand what it is you want to do and where you want your career to be, and start moving towards it, one step at a time. Overnight success takes years. There is no magic combination of words you can email to an agent that will guarantee you get signed up - trust me on that one. There will always be exceptions, but as always, run your own race. Focus on your own work and your own career. Every agent I spoke to stressed the importance of being a well-rounded professional. I have and will continue to listen to that advice. I have an agent, but I will still follow all the advice from the agents I spoke to. Why? Because the question isn’t ‘How to get an agent?’ The question is ‘How do you grow your career?’ Everything the agents have said answers that second question. You don’t stop growing your career when you get an agent, you just keep walking down the yellow brick career road one step at a time towards the next Taika Waititi-topped milestone.
How do you get an agent? Develop your career, develop your network, and develop yourself as a person. Just like you do throughout your entire career, agent or not.
