Managing your Manager and Agent

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  • Managing your Manager and Agent

    I just signed with a manager to round out my team. For those with both reps, how do you direct your team? Do you tell both everything or are their instances where you approach one before the other? Who coordinates the game plan on taking out specific scripts and treatment? Career advice? Thanks!

  • #2
    Re: Managing your Manager and Agent

    Congratulations -- that's good news! And good questions, as well. I'll be interested to hear what the pros have to say.

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    • #3
      Re: Managing your Manager and Agent

      For me, it's the manager that directs things. I run all spec ideas... well all ideas period through him. My agent doesn't really get involved until there is something to sell or somebody contacts him about me.

      That's my experience at least. I've heard other cases where the agent and manager are more or less the same.

      I'd just ask your manager first how they like to handle things and go from there.

      Congrats btw...

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      • #4
        Re: Managing your Manager and Agent

        IMHO this is one of those questions that doesn't have a specific answer because it depends so much on personalities and individual people. Every writer/agent/manager relationship is different. I've had multiple teams and each one had its own dynamic. You just have to feel it out, give it some time, make sure all your needs are met, then go from there...

        Best of luck --
        http://twitter.com/JohnSwetnam

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        • #5
          Re: Managing your Manager and Agent

          Managing your Manager and Agent
          I've found that the best way to manage your manager and agent is to toss them into an empty well and then repeatedly tell them It gets me a job or else it gets the hose again.
          Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit sniffing glue

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          • #6
            Re: Managing your Manager and Agent

            Generally I would say that managers want to be more involved, especially with creative issues, than agents.

            Ultimately every relationship is different, and it comes down to how closely the manager and the agent work together.

            In an ideal scenario everybody is on the same page.

            Originally posted by lordmanji View Post
            I just signed with a manager to round out my team. For those with both reps, how do you direct your team? Do you tell both everything or are their instances where you approach one before the other? Who coordinates the game plan on taking out specific scripts and treatment? Career advice? Thanks!
            Last edited by TravisPickle; 12-28-2012, 12:24 PM.

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            • #7
              Re: Managing your Manager and Agent

              Originally posted by christopher jon View Post
              I've found that the best way to manage your manager and agent is to toss them into an empty well and then repeatedly tell them It gets me a job or else it gets the hose again.
              A thousand points for the Silence of the Lambs reference

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              • #8
                Re: Managing your Manager and Agent

                When do you stand up to your manager and say "uh, no"?

                My writing partner and I have been working with our manager on a project for a couple months now. She has a good reputation (i.e. actually sold things), and her notes have always been strong. Until recently. There's one minor note that she won't let go of. My writing partner and I feel like it's been dealt with and can't understand why she is obsessing over this specific detail.

                How do you handle that? Do we just continually make decisions until she's happy? Do we put our foot down? Is she doing this just to see where we'll put our foot down?

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                • #9
                  Re: Managing your Manager and Agent

                  Put your foot down. All managers who develop have a tendency to want to keep going and grinding. If you're sure you've written your best script, if you're sure the note doesn't improve it...shut it down: "look, I think it's clear that we respect your opinion but we also have to respect our own. We think this last note doesn't improve the script so we've gotta let it go. B!tch."

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                  • #10
                    Re: Managing your Manager and Agent

                    Originally posted by UnequalProductions View Post
                    When do you stand up to your manager and say "uh, no"?

                    My writing partner and I have been working with our manager on a project for a couple months now. She has a good reputation (i.e. actually sold things), and her notes have always been strong. Until recently. There's one minor note that she won't let go of. My writing partner and I feel like it's been dealt with and can't understand why she is obsessing over this specific detail.

                    How do you handle that? Do we just continually make decisions until she's happy? Do we put our foot down? Is she doing this just to see where we'll put our foot down?
                    This is a good question and one that I can relate to, as I am heading toward the end (I hope!) of a manager revision process myself. By default, I try to be as deferential and accomodating as possible, because I'm obviously new at this and my managers are very knowledgeable and successful. But there are a few instances when I've felt like I had to draw the line, and they've been accepting of that. My policy is that, for any given note, it's incumbent on me to try to address or respond to the manager's concern in some way. This might be an outright revision, but it might also be adding something somewhere else that solves the problem, or making the case as to why I believe a change is not warranted. If I've done that, then I feel like I have the right to push back on something I feel strongly about -- to "win on ties," as it were. But you have to pick your battles and decide what it's worth. In your case, if it's really just a minor "detail" to you, but evidently not to your manager, it might be better to bite the bullet and do what she's asking. I think it's unlikely that she's merely testing your resolve. But surely there will be other occasions when you have to put your foot down, and I think it's okay to do that as long as you've proceded as above.

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                    • #11
                      Re: Managing your Manager and Agent

                      There is no how-to-guide for these things, and I really like to think that this forum is the best place we have to compare notes.

                      I have found that involving one rep into the conversation early on, and having that person support your idea, is a good strategy. Assuming of course that it's a good idea. Truth be told, if both your reps think that your protagonist should not be an unrepentant child molester, then they're probably right. But if your manager thinks that your opening kicks ass, and your agent doesn't, then get on the phone, half a 3-way chat and talk it through.
                      Last edited by TravisPickle; 12-28-2012, 12:24 PM.

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                      • #12
                        Re: Managing your Manager and Agent

                        Sounds like good advice, Travis.

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