DP looking For an Agent

Nitin Sagar · August 4, 2004

Hi i'm a Dp from India ..i'm looking for an agent to represent me

Eric Steelberg ASC · August 15, 2004

Get yourself a reel and start calling agents. Though they'd probably only be interested if you lived in the US. Some won't take your call or look at your reel without an industry referral. Try getting some one you know in the business to give you a personal referral.

Hope that helps.

Nitin Sagar · August 15, 2004

do have a reel...dont know where to look for agents...can u give me some link??

Phil Rhodes · August 15, 2004

Hi,

I'm very cautious, well, suspicious of agents. The way it seems to work is this: you get lots of work, they notice, and take 15% of your earnings. Mneh?

I tend to get told to "Go and see X at Y, tell her I sent you" about three times a year - not only is this laughably premature in my case, I am most definitely not interested!

Phil

David Mullen ASC · August 15, 2004

Well, an agent is limited by law to 10%... it's a manager that takes 15%.

The best resources are things like the "411" directory for Hollywood, maybe the Creative Directory, for lists of below-the-line agencies. I also stumbled across some specific ones just by searching online under words like "cinematographer agency", etc.

Eric Steelberg ASC · August 17, 2004

Try www.la411.com

Look under agencies.

Good luck. Give it a shot. You have nothing to loose.

Phil Rhodes · August 18, 2004

Hi,

Nothing to lose? Well - one of the reasons that I avoid the whole issue is that if you go to some agency with what may appear to them to be a hopelessly inadequate reel, you will have poisoned your relationship with them for the rest of eternity. I'd be very careful and only go once you are sure you can compete with their existing people.

Phil

Eric Steelberg ASC · August 21, 2004

Phil,

You're feelings about agents are pretty clear, but I have to disagree with you on this. I am currently with an agent who when I was starting out I couldn't get on the phone. Now I actually have others who turned me down as well calling me saying "I just saw your reel and we'd like you to come in for a meeting."

Agents will never burn a bridge with anyone because they never know who that person is going to become and they want to leave the door open for a potential future relationship. They will just politley decline the reel and say to keep in touch in the future.

Trust me on this. This is from much experience. He has nothing to loose and it also good beause people will start to remember his name.

Furthermore, it seems like agents want foreign DPs and I think a skilled DP from India, a place with some beautifully shot Bollywood films, would do well to have an agent in the US.

Phil Rhodes · August 21, 2004

Hi,

> Trust me on this. This is from much experience. He has nothing to loose and it

> also good beause people will start to remember his name.

I still hesitate. The last thing you want to be remembered for is being the irritating beginner - not saying that our correspondent is - who keeps calling.

Perhaps this is based on my experience of the UK where there is vastly more talent than they can realistically use and even very qualified people will never be properly represented. But really, if the scary-level agency work is what you're after, the last thing you want to do is go begging until you are extremely sure that it'll be a walkover victory.

Phil

Nitin Sagar · August 22, 2004

"films" are universal...

best shot ??????? if not now then never.....and why not ....if i was a DP based in japan ,australia, africa...any other part of the world....would it have made any difference...???????????????

a great DP by the name of Mr. Ashok Mehta says " God Creates...I recreate."

Arnaud M. St Martin de Veyran · September 4, 2004

Hi,

I rode all the posts of this topic and if i understand well, some of you think that anybody can send a reel to agent and should try.

So, for example i'm a very young DP and did many short films in 16mm, do you really think i can send my reel to any agency without being too much ?

Phil Rhodes · September 4, 2004

Hi,

No, I don't. I think that unless your demo reel and list of credits is extremely advanced - certainly including feature and TV dramatic work - you will end up on everyone's mental blacklist as the overambitious beginner to avoid. If that happens you'll have wrecked your chances forever.

Phil

Adam Frisch FSF · September 4, 2004

Phil, Phil... :D

I sent my reel off to a couple of agents in London before I moved here. And the

one I really dreamt about being on - was the only one to call back!! I got lucky

there, I know. But it's also important to remember that agents do not get you work.

That's still up to you. They can put you in context, get sniff of jobs, get the right people

to look at your reel and generally give you good advice - but in the end it's down

to your tenacity (or frankly, pestering) and people skills. Yes, people skills. That's half

the job. If you're a mumbling idiot, arrogant or just simply spread an air of incompetence

around you - you won't get the job. Really, the reel is surprisingly not the most important

factor - at least not at this level.

I'd wait a bit before I get in such a hurry to get an agent - they just cost you money in

the beginning - remember, they want 10% of ALL your jobs, not just the ones they get

you.

Phil Rhodes · September 5, 2004

Hi,

> I sent my reel off to a couple of agents in London before I moved here

Yes, but you had TV and feature work, which is exactly what I said to this guy - you had what any agent will expect you to have. If you go to them with any less than that I very much doubt they'll ever talk to you again. I know I wouldn't waste my time, in their position.

> remember, they want 10% of ALL your jobs, not just the ones they get you.

Ha, as if, yaright, and other expressions of disbelief.

Phil

david_morrison · October 1, 2004

It all begins somewhere. I think you have to look at the initial rejections from an agent as the first part in building a relationship. People like to see progress. It took me 4 years to get an agent in L.A. and a bad one at that.I'm now on my 3rd agent who I love dearly and is the most effective yet. My point is that I built a lot of relationships in the process, with people who have since moved to different places. I'm remembered by last reel or credit and not by where I began.

David Morrison