Last year, at the urging of my peers and mentors, I embarked on a quest for representation. It had been a long time coming, and I had successfully avoided looking for an agent for many years using a handful of well-worn excuses.
I was always waiting for better timing, for my new film to be finished, an impressive job offer, a big festival or lab acceptance. Secretly, I hoped an eager agent would just come a knockin’ one day. If I worked hard enough… maybe they’d come to me.
But if I’m being honest about why I didn’t do it sooner, it was 100% about how vulnerable and downright icky it made me feel.
In February, I signed with an agent I’m really happy with. I thought I’d share what I’ve learned. My experience is specific to the Canadian marketplace and industry. I imagine things are very different in the US and elsewhere. Some things will translate, others may not.
STEP ONE – Research
As screenwriters, we are no strangers to the soothing power of research and prep on our various creative projects. The same applies to this strategic career endeavour.
Before you begin any outreach, you must research. The goal is to get familiar with the landscape so that you can make informed decisions and find the right fit for you.
Open up a spreadsheet and get yourself an IMDb pro membership or free trial.
You’ll use these tools to list all the agents you come across, their contacts, their clients and any notes or additional information.
Look up a filmmaker or screenwriter whose career you admire. Their rep will be listed right there, with contact info and everything. Click on the agent to find their other clients. Click on the company to find other agents…
Next, reach out to friends, colleagues, and peers who have agents. Ask if they’d be willing to chat about their experience with you. Book a call. In these conversations, ask how they found representation, how they feel about their agent, and what their relationship is like. How often do they talk? Does their agent read their work and give feedback?
Plug this agent’s info into your spreadsheet. Then ask, very politely, if your friend would be willing to introduce you. (Don’t forget to thank them for their time)
Repeat.
By the end of these chats, you should be getting a feel for the world of agents, managers and reps in this country. And you should have a strong shortlist of people you’d like to meet with.
STEP TWO – Be Ready
Now, before you do any actual outreach, you need to make sure you are ready for these meetings. You will not have a second chance with these folks.
Samples
You should have at least two solid samples to share with potential agents. These samples need to be TIGHT. That means polished drafts that have been proofread and properly formatted.
These samples represent you, so spelling and formatting speak to your professionalism, but the content and style will brand you. Think about the kind of work you want to be doing in the future, consider what your special sauce is and be sure your two samples are excellent examples of what you can do.
Organizationally, you’ll want to open a little folder and keep all of this agent stuff together.
Loglines
You’ll need loglines for your current samples and any projects you have in development. You also need a logline for yourself. Just 2-3 sentences about who you are and what makes you special.
Socials
Update your CV and your Biography. Freshen up your IMDb, LinkedIn and socials. Make sure you have a decent and recent picture up there.
If you have a website, update that with all your latest work and adventures. Now might be a good time to invest if you don’t have one.
Do a little social media audit. Review past posts for anything offensive. This is at your discretion, of course, but if you’re the type to go on long rants about Film and TV that disappointed you, remember that agents and managers are well-connected and may very well know people involved in those projects.
Keep in mind that in this industry, people want to hire talented writers, of course, but they also need to hire writers they will get along with in a writer’s room.
They will 100% check your socials to see if you’re a blithering idiot, a troll or just an old-fashioned a-hole.
Video
Collect any links you have to your produced work and have the passwords handy. People in this business are very busy and most will watch a video before they’ll open a document to read.
If you direct, you’ll need a demo reel. Collect all the footage you can and build out a 2-3 minute video that is forward-looking. That means if you’ve done comedy in the past but want to do drama in the future, focus on those dramatic samples. A great how-to on demo reels can be found here.
STEP THREE – Outreach
Now you’re ready for the scary part. Reaching out to friends, acquaintances… and strangers.
Start with the easy ones. If you have friends with agents, now’s the time to call in the favours. Ask (politely) if they can introduce you in an email, and if you’re very close, you can even provide a few lines of text for how you’d like to be introduced. “Her last short won Best Screenplay at … “
Next, approach any professional acquaintances to ask the same. These are people you may have worked with in the past or folks you may have met “networking”… whatever that means.
Finally, you will be forced to reach out COLD to the agents to whom you have no mortal connection. It’s okay. You’ve been training for this. Use your research.
Craft an Email
Use all those talents of yours to write a humble brag email. The humblest of braggiest emails. Lead with the basics: Who you are, where you’re based, what you’ve done and what you plan to do.
Then, explain briefly how you found them (do they represent an acquaintance, someone you admire, or have they been featured recently in the trades?) and why you’re interested in working with them. Tell them you’re looking for management.
You can return to bragging for a few more lines, but keep it succinct. Use only the best, most impressive information. If you’ve made ten shorts, say that. If you’ve just finished up a Talent Lab, say that. If you’ve won a big award, type it up.
Do not, I repeat, DO NOT SEND ANY UNSOLICITED MATERIAL OR LINKS. This will get your email deleted.
Instead, mention you have samples you’d be happy to share AT THEIR REQUEST.
Finish with a specific ask. Use dates and times if you can. “I’ll be in town the week of the 12th and would love to meet then if you have any time available.”
Give all of this a bit of style. You’re a writer. And this email is your first sample, I’m afraid.
Hit send. Then wait.
STEP FOUR – Meet with Agents
Use the above email to reach out to your top 5 agents. Wait a few weeks for replies.
Some will get back right away. Others may never reply. It’s okay to nudge politely once if you haven’t heard back in a week or two.
Send your samples to those who request them, and book meetings with those who agree.
If you dont hear from your top 5, move on to the next 5.
The Meeting
Here’s the obvious stuff:
- Eat before you go
- Dress professionally
- Bring a notebook
- Be punctual.
Here’s the less obvious.
- Memorize your loglines. That’s for existing work and especially for stuff in development.
- Memorize your introduction. You should be able to describe your unique POV, genre and interests.
- Think about your goals for the next 5 years.
- Make a quick list of what you’re currently watching and reading. This question always comes up, and it’s always the one you blank on.
- Make a list of questions for the agents. No two agents work the same way. Remember that you’re interviewing them as much as they’re interviewing you. You’re looking for a good fit.
These meetings probably won’t last longer than an hour. If you’re lucky, it’ll feel like a conversation. You can relax and chat candidly about the industry.
But even if it does go swimmingly, be prepared for a rejection.
Try to view all these meetings as fact-finding missions. When I did this, I met with a handful of reps. Not all of them were interested or able to sign me right then. But the fact that they read my samples and agreed to meet meant they saw some potential. They invested an hour.
I left each of those meetings with insights into market trends, a valuable industry contact and even some tailored career advice.
PART FIVE – Decisions
Give yourself a high five, a pat on the back or, in my case, a dry martini for getting this far and surviving the meetings. Relax for a few days before following up.
In the follow-up email, thank them for their time and any advice they offered. If you promised to share more samples, do that. If you feel they are the right match for you, ask if you can continue the conversation.
If you’re lucky enough to have more than one interested party, congrats! Now you have a decision to make. Don’t rush. Keep your goals in mind. Go back to research if you need to. Also, it’s 100% fine to just go off vibes.
If, you went through all this and didn’t get any nibbles, that’s going to feel rough. Don’t take it too hard. You can circle-back in a year or two with new samples and accolades. This time you’ll have already made first contact.
Now, go. Get repped.