Working with Agents

One of the key players for a producer to be successful is the agent. In the motion picture industry there are very few pictures that have been put together without an agent being involved. Some of the major talent agencies today are International Creative Management (ICM), the William Morris Agency, TRIAD and Creative Artists Agency (CAA). Due to the close relationships they have with both studio executives and independent producers, the head of the motion picture department of these agencies are one of the greatest forces to getting pictures made today.

 Agencies generally commission a maximum of 10% of their client's gross income, which they justify for work done on behalf of the client. These agencies are licensed (by the state) and are franchised by various professional guilds including the Screen Actors Guild (SAG), the Directors Guild of America (DGA) and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA). 

Agents are considered the middlemen between those trying to sell their material and those trying to buy it. Although they are not necessary in making any particular deal they are almost always involved. To find out who is represented by whom in the business, SAG offers a service that will furnish the names and telephone numbers of agents of its members. This service can prove very useful to a producer because much of the time an actor will only be able to be reached through their representative agent.

For any producer attempting to get their project off the ground, the enthusiasm of an agent can be of great assistance. If the agent feels good about the project they are more apt to suggest it to their clients. The problem is, sometimes just getting an agent to listen to you is difficult. For the new producer or someone whose name is unknown in the industry, an agent may not even take the time to answer your phone call. The key to this problem is persistence. 

Agents are very busy people and do not have the time to listen to everyone, but if you keep pursuing them they may eventually listen. Because agencies are made up of many individuals, it is best for a producer to establish relationships with at least one agent from every agency they can. That way, there is more than one outlet that a producer has to choose from when trying to make a film. It is not necessary for a producer to have an agent of their own to make a film, but agents are needed to gain access to individuals that the producers need to make the film.

Studio Involvement

Packaging means the combining of two or more elements, such as a writer, actor, or director into a single project, which is then presented to prospective financiers. When a package is brought in front of a prospective financier, it has a better chance of approval. This is because when a buyer is offered a script along with an actor and a director they can more easily make an intelligent decision on the creative and financial aspects of the film. A package deal can relieve some of the stress that stems from unknown aspects of the project.

Motion picture studios are the principal source today for obtaining the funds needed by a producer to produce and distribute their films. Unfortunately for a new producer finding backing by a motion picture studio is very difficult. In the past few years there has been a great deal of films that have been made independently, and this is due in great part to the fact that a producer had the inability to sell their project to a studio. Some of the major studios today are Warner Brothers, Fox, MGM, Paramount, and DreamWorks. 

There are also many so-called "mini-majors" which are companies that finance films but then distribute those films through other companies. Examples of these mini-majors are Castle Rock and Interscope.

There is a tall ladder that must be climbed in order for a producer to gain financial backing from a studio. The first step is the reader. Production executives normally give the material they receive to readers to look over and make comments on. The reader gives a synopsis of the script, describing the plot and the characters in brief detail. The reader also will state their opinion on whether they think the script will make a worthwhile movie or not. If the reader gives the script a negative report, there is a good chance that the script will be rejected and will not even be seen by anyone else.  Above the reader on the ladder is the story editor. The editor generally supervises the readers and gives some suggestions on scripts and writers. The editor is considered a great and valuable ally for the producer because production executives will normally listen to the editor's suggestions. The next step up on the ladder is the production executives and or vice presidents. These positions are generally to draw in "good" material to the studios and to supervise it while it is being developed and while it is in production and postproduction. For a producer to deal with someone that will actually be receptive to their ideas, they would generally start at the production executive level. The senior production executive is considered the head of production. They decide upon which projects are to be produced and when, so that the studio will have pictures on the market all year round.

Unfortunately for a producer, once the script is given to the studio and it begins the process of hierarchy, there is no way of knowing what is to come of it. Even when it seems as if everything is going as planned, determining a development deal and a commitment for the picture may become a detriment of which the producer has little if any control. There have been many cases where a script was well accepted and then management was changed, other projects interfered or financial shortcomings occurred and the script subsequently foundered. By the time the producer hears a response from the studio a script that was a go at first may be filed away in the end, and the reason is never fully explained. Screenwriter William Goldman writes a perfect example of this in his book "Which Lie did I tell." William talks about an occasion in which he had written a screenplay for Universal studios, which the producer loved. The producer then presented it to the powers that be where it was rejected. The producer later left Universal and wanted to buy the screenplay from them and they refused to sell it. So much occurs behind closed doors that result in movie rejections. In this case both Goldman (the writer) and that particular producer felt they had a script that would make a good movie, but for one reason or another the studio denies the proposal and the script becomes just another file in the cabinet.