Getting an Agent in Television Writing
Because agents are the gateway to the big brass ring (and for good reason), they tend to be besieged by phone calls and queries from people far and wide who have designs on making it in the film business. Given the sheer volume -- not to mention questionable, at times, sanity -- of this segment of the population, it is small wonder that agents sequester themselves behind their assistants. And given their very real time constraints, there are only so many calls and e-mails to which they can respond; the odds are that when an agent scans his call log, he simply deletes any unfamiliar names. Sending them your script unsolicited is a waste of time, even if you attach a bouquet of flowers, a box of chocolate, or front row tickets for that agent's favorite basketball team (all of which aspiring writers have done) for the simple reason that agencies have been sued far too many times by unrepresented writers who claim their script was stolen. The way the agencies see it, the risk that they may be discarding the next "Chinatown" is far outweighed by some very real liability concerns.
So how do you get an agent? Below are a few tips that, while certainly no guarantee, can help elucidate a process whose odds, more often than not, can feel insurmountable:
1. Connections: Since the best way to get an agent's attention is to be referred by someone they know, get to know someone they know. This means rolling up your sleeves and playing "Six Degrees of Fill-In-Agent's-Name-Here." Any friend of a neighbor of a relative will do, just as long as you're not overtly mercenary about your reasons for contacting them. And even if you are, it never hurts to ask. An agent is far more likely to respond to a message whose subject line reads: "Calling at the suggestion of so-and-so" than they are to one in which a writer has taken the liberty of dubbing himself "the next big thing -- don't miss out!"
2. Once you have them on the phone: Remember that they don't really want to hear much about you as a person; to paraphrase Sir Laurence Olivier, they can fake their sincere concern later on. The best approach is to introduce yourself, remind the agent about your connection to him, and then pitch what you've written as succinctly as possible. If you're an aspiring sitcom writer and your spec script revolves around a funny idea, then by all means, give the agent your most succinct, funny summation pitch and try to solicit a chuckle from her. If you've written two dramatic specs, chances are you should just tell the agent which shows you've written them for and then put them in the mail.
3. If you have to write a letter pitching yourself: This falls squarely into the Plan B (second, and less preferable) category -- as the agent interviewed below can confirm, agents sign people mostly on the basis of referrals. Still, it is not unheard of to get representation off a blind query letter; try anything you can to forge a personal connection (e.g., "I understand you're a big Bruin basketball fan; do you think Coach Howland is making as much progress as he should have by this point?"); once you've established contact you can then go through the steps outlined above. The good news is that you can afford to describe your background and specs with a bit more detail than permitted by phone; most agents will gladly read a paragraph in lieu of listening to an unseasoned writer's verbosity, plus you get the added advantage of constructed sentences over impromptu conversation -- always a plus for someone trained in the art of the written word.
The bad news is that most blind queries wind up in the garbage can, unread. And remember, do not send a script until the agent officially gives you the green light -- some agencies will even send a disclosure form for you to fill out to avoid any confusion. Make sure that agent personally requests the script herself, as opposed to the assistant who "thinks his boss wants to read it"; assistants don't have that level of authority, even though, as the next section will discuss, they can be tremendously helpful to you.
|
