Doing well in too many contests is a red flag for reps?

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  • #61
    Re: Doing well in too many contests is a red flag for reps?

    Originally posted by Satriales View Post
    If you place top 25 in the Tracking Board all of their execs they have as judges are at least going to give your logline a glance. So have a great logline.

    The logline/concept thing has been tricky for me. I think I'm onto something, then someone tells me that something's in the works that's somewhat similar.

    Comment


    • #62
      Re: Doing well in too many contests is a red flag for reps?

      Originally posted by Hernan Giaggio View Post
      This is going to sound snarky, but it's not meant to:


      Who are the "top managers"? I feel like that means something different to each of us, depending on what we want. But maybe I just ain't in the loop on that.
      https://thescriptlab.com/features/sc...-company-best/

      go through each one on the main site and you'll easily see who are the reps making deals.
      "Arguing that you don't care about the right to privacy b/c you have nothing to hide is no different than saying you don't care about free speech because you have nothing to say." -- Edward Snowden

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      • #63
        Re: Doing well in too many contests is a red flag for reps?

        I keep saying this, but you don't want the top 25 mangers.

        You want the 26-100 best managers. You want the up and comers to take you the up and comer to the top with them.

        Even wtih doctors. I don't want the top cardio guy -- I want the 5th cardio guy who still cares enough to do his own surgeries as he's trying to get to number one. A lot of top guys "supervise" multiple surgeries at once their interns do...

        But moreover, they are top managers because they have successful clients already so how are you going to break into their precious few minutes a day. Even if they sign you, it will be to take that one script out and see if it hits.

        And again, a manager or rep can do great for every one of their clients. But if they don't do well for you what does it matter?

        I had cancer. (now do you feel better about this dumb topic?). And they would give stats like 90% of people do this or that... 10% of people this or that happens... and you know what you learn? It only matters 100% what happens to you alone. Stats don't do **** for you if you're the 1 out a million that dies.

        I don't know what my point is. I think if you win the Nicholl it cures cancer?

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        • #64
          Re: Doing well in too many contests is a red flag for reps?

          Originally posted by Bono View Post
          I keep saying this, but you don't want the top 25 mangers.

          You want the 26-100 best managers. You want the up and comers to take you the up and comer to the top with them.

          Even wtih doctors. I don't want the top cardio guy -- I want the 5th cardio guy who still cares enough to do his own surgeries as he's trying to get to number one. A lot of top guys "supervise" multiple surgeries at once their interns do...

          But moreover, they are top managers because they have successful clients already so how are you going to break into their precious few minutes a day. Even if they sign you, it will be to take that one script out and see if it hits.

          And again, a manager or rep can do great for every one of their clients. But if they don't do well for you what does it matter?

          I had cancer. (now do you feel better about this dumb topic?). And they would give stats like 90% of people do this or that... 10% of people this or that happens... and you know what you learn? It only matters 100% what happens to you alone. Stats don't do **** for you if you're the 1 out a million that dies.

          I don't know what my point is. I think if you win the Nicholl it cures cancer?

          Maybe, part of it is to feed my gigantic ego. I need to feel like I am at the top with a top team like Beyonce.



          Seriously, though, I have bumped into writers around LA and they seem to stagnate. I am just afraid of landing with someone without the juice to get me where I want to go.

          Comment


          • #65
            Re: Doing well in too many contests is a red flag for reps?

            Originally posted by Friday View Post
            Maybe, part of it is to feed my gigantic ego. I need to feel like I am at the top with a top team like Beyonce.



            Seriously, though, I have bumped into writers around LA and they seem to stagnate. I am just afraid of landing with someone without the juice to get me where I want to go.
            Let me try this another way. Hugh Grant cheated on Elizabeth Hurley who at the time (and still) was most guy's dream girl. Why is that? Because any relationship with the best person can stagnate.

            Wouldn't your ego be better served to take a lower junior manager and make them the next Jake Wagner or whatever is it...

            You want that junior level person, I'm telling you...

            Do you to be teammates with Zion or Lebron for the next 5 years of your career? Think about it that way...

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            • #66
              Re: Doing well in too many contests is a red flag for reps?

              Also keep in mind the real truth -- there is no choice of managers. You can query in order your preference, but truth be told, you're going with whoever agrees to read your script and then gets excited by it.

              So if you send out 20 queries and 1 top manager gets back to you and 1 low level manager, that's what you get.

              It's not shopping for the best TV.

              You're more likely to get a good response from someone on the way up.... good response meaning "yes send me the script, I have time now as I look for great clients like you..."

              Comment


              • #67
                Re: Doing well in too many contests is a red flag for reps?

                Originally posted by Bono View Post
                Let me try this another way. Hugh Grant cheated on Elizabeth Hurley who at the time (and still) was most guy's dream girl. Why is that? Because any relationship with the best person can stagnate.

                Wouldn't your ego be better served to take a lower junior manager and make them the next Jake Wagner or whatever is it...

                You want that junior level person, I'm telling you...

                Do you to be teammates with Zion or Lebron for the next 5 years of your career? Think about it that way...

                I was half kidding on the ego. I'd take anyone who'd have me. I'm pretty easy like that.


                The thing is it's really hard to figure out who's good at that junior level. You're totally gambling. The superstars....you know their track record. You know the heavy hitters and the stories about how they got them there.

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                • #68
                  Re: Doing well in too many contests is a red flag for reps?

                  Gonna mostly agree with Bono...

                  It feels neat to say you're with CAA or whoever... but the truth is you're irrelevant to big people. I'd be surprised if it's even possible to get signed as a brand new dude to a HUGE these days. Maybe, always the anomaly, but incredibly rare.

                  I agree, find the next dude/chick who's ON THE WAY UP and hungry as fukk. You gotta understand, these heavy hitter reps have already had SEVERAL hit movies/TV shows made.

                  A certain (nameless) rep had what, 3 hit movies and 2 hit TV shows so far (not that other sh!t didn't sell/get made, but they weren't hits. That or didn't get made). And it took 20 years to get there. It's rare for ANYONE in this town to land a hit... EVER! So, understand when you're trying to get a top 25 rep with that sorta pedigree... and there are definitely higher reps higher up the food chain than this person... they're used to writers who have already made the town a billion dollars. They are interested in repping THOSE people. They've kinda earned it.

                  Top 25 reps in town? You're talking the folks who rep Chris Nolan etc. Even Chris McQuarrie says essentially "Well, yeah, I suppose my films have done well... but I'm no Chris Nolan. A film that does $700,000,000 at the box-office is still not a billion."

                  Are you really as good as those guys? Cool! Prove it! LOL

                  Ribbing you. But, that's the reality.

                  And remember, and maybe it'll make you feel better: CAA passed on Chris Nolan and Memento.
                  Bruh, fukkin *smooches*! Feel me? Ha!

                  Comment


                  • #69
                    Re: Doing well in too many contests is a red flag for reps?

                    Originally posted by GucciGhostXXX View Post

                    Are you really as good as those guys?



                    Yes.




















                    I keed. I keed!

                    Comment


                    • #70
                      Re: Doing well in too many contests is a red flag for reps?

                      Originally posted by GucciGhostXXX View Post
                      Gonna mostly agree with Bono...

                      It feels neat to say you're with CAA or whoever... but the truth is you're irrelevant to big people. I'd be surprised if it's even possible to get signed as a brand new dude to a HUGE these days. Maybe, always the anomaly, but incredibly rare.

                      I agree, find the next dude/chick who's ON THE WAY UP and hungry as fukk. You gotta understand, these heavy hitter reps have already had SEVERAL hit movies/TV shows made.

                      A certain (nameless) rep had what, 3 hit movies and 2 hit TV shows so far (not that other sh!t didn't sell/get made, but they weren't hits. That or didn't get made). And it took 20 years to get there. It's rare for ANYONE in this town to land a hit... EVER! So, understand when you're trying to get a top 25 rep with that sorta pedigree... and there are definitely higher reps higher up the food chain than this person... they're used to writers who have already made the town a billion dollars. They are interested in repping THOSE people. They've kinda earned it.

                      Top 25 reps in town? You're talking the folks who rep Chris Nolan etc. Even Chris McQuarrie says essentially "Well, yeah, I suppose my films have done well... but I'm no Chris Nolan. A film that does $700,000,000 at the box-office is still not a billion."

                      Are you really as good as those guys? Cool! Prove it! LOL

                      Ribbing you. But, that's the reality.

                      And remember, and maybe it'll make you feel better: CAA passed on Chris Nolan and Memento.

                      How do you figure out who's on the way up?

                      Comment


                      • #71
                        Re: Doing well in too many contests is a red flag for reps?

                        100% agreement with Bono. I had a couple of opportunities at big sh1tty spec farms. I bought very low on a hungry azz manager who had connections. My default would normally to go with the glitziest name. Glad I didn't.

                        Comment


                        • #72
                          Re: Doing well in too many contests is a red flag for reps?

                          Originally posted by Friday View Post
                          How do you figure out who's on the way up?
                          No great ideas of how to do that. But...

                          1) If it were me I’d start by calling shops and trying to get assistants on the phone and ask them if they are friends with any newer managers on the rise looking for new clients that they could recommend. You might have to make 100 calls but I bet sooner or later you’d have a decent list. I think many assistants would appreciate you trying to do business with THEM instead of trying to get to their boss. You could try that with agencies and management firms. And you’d probably have more success over the phone vs email as it’s more personal. (I’d start with the big shops and work my way down as those assistants are probably more connected. Who knows, maybe an assistant will ask for the script and want to hip pocket you. I’ve seen that happen, then by the time the person made agent they’d already gotten the client a job and now they’re folded into the company.)

                          2) I’d look online to see if there’s any lists spotlighting young managers on the rise. Maybe a “30 under 30” list or something like that. But those rep’s rosters might already be full. Who knows?

                          3) Newer reps are normally the ones who attend pitch conferences and such. The bigs tend to not need to. Research if there’s anyone legit in that list.

                          4) Are there any managers on TBL that aren’t household names. Maybe try them, or their assistant (who could possibly hip pocket you before turning manager themselves.)

                          Plenty of assistants already act like mini agents and managers, they know the game, they just haven’t done it for real yet, like their boss. I’d bet it’s a faster way in than contests.

                          That’s all I got off the top of my head.
                          Bruh, fukkin *smooches*! Feel me? Ha!

                          Comment


                          • #73
                            Re: Doing well in too many contests is a red flag for reps?

                            I would also add checking out the judge lists for Tracking Board and Trackingb. Both have managers who are legit but not exactly huge (like 3 Arts Anonymous Content). The fact they're judging for these guys goes to show they're looking for clients and are possibly willing to look at a query.

                            Comment


                            • #74
                              Re: Doing well in too many contests is a red flag for reps?

                              I signed with a big management company but the two partners ignored my emails. The 3rd guy said he'd read my script but never read it to my knowledge... so I found the name of the 4th guy there who was a junior manager probably assistant too now that I look back and sent it to him and he's the manager we got... so I was with the big firm, but with a small manager.

                              If you like manager X and they have 2 people under them -- go after them first. Still get the juice of the firm behind you....

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                              • #75
                                Re: Doing well in too many contests is a red flag for reps?

                                Ps... I'd get your "phone- script together so your pitch (of yourself) is tight and friendly. Start with something flattering "Hi ___. My name is ___. I know you work for ___, so I'm sure your taste in material is excellent as well. I had a quick question for you. I'm a new writer who's (whatever here, placed in some contest? Something of value), and I wanted to reach out to you to learn if you have any friends who are newer managers looking for new clients.-

                                Something like that... to taste.

                                They may say yes, they may so no. But they know you're not trying to get to their boss. And if they themselves are looking to hip pocket be ready to pitch a logline. They may say "Sounds cool, send it to ME. I'm actually hip pocketing a few writers myself.-

                                Good luck!
                                Bruh, fukkin *smooches*! Feel me? Ha!

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