Screenwriting : What management stats is best? by Travis Seppala

In my jaundiced view. You definitely want a manager who reps only...or mostly....screenwriters. They'll have ongoing relationships with those who buy scripts.

I guess looking for new manager means you had managers before. So remember why you left old managers and pick the opposite.

Hey, Travis Seppala. My ex-manager only had a few clients, which gave him more time to work one-on-one with us. He represented me as a screenwriter. The other clients he represented were screenwriters except one guy who was an actor, and I think the manager represented an actress too.

My general view is that we need diversification in terms of who we're exposed to. There's huge networking benefits in that, especially when breaking in. A manager who represents actors will be connecting with people actively casting productions. A manager who represents directors will be talking to working producers. There's a lot of lateral opportunities there.

As a former manager:

Do I want a company with a bunch of reps, or just a few (or even single-person companies)?

At least a few reps is better because each one will have different contacts. In a huge company you will get lost until you are a bigger name. A single-person company is a good way to start, but usually not the most effective mid-career. Somewhere in between is best.

Do I want a rep with a bunch of clients, or just a few?

The bigger the company, the more clients they will have. A very small roster is not great because they are only pitching a few people to a few execs. If there is a really big roster, ask if the manager you're considering reps only a few clients personally or, better yet, if you will have more than one manager on your team.

Do I want someone with writers similar to me (in terms of genre, tone, etc) in their stable, or where I'd be one-of-a-kind?

Again, you want some happy medium. You don't want to be the only TV writer at a company that reps only feature writers. Or the only comedy writer at a company that reps drama people. You don't want to be an outlier. But any competent management company will have a varied roster and won't rep you if they have someone else very close to you. You should be able to put three descriptive words together about yourself that then makes you one-of-a-kind, ex. only male rom-com writer with production experience.

Someone who reps ONLY writers? Or someone who reps multiple job-types (actors, directors, producers, etc)?

It's fine for them to rep hyphenates. Most talent management companies won't rep writers and directors unless they also act. But many lit management companies will rep writers, directors, maybe even some below-the-line, and some actors who also write or direct. BUT, if they rep all kinds of creatives, ask if they have one or more managers dedicated to their writers. Ask if they develop and give notes. If they don't, that might not be the best place for you as a growing writer.

Hope this helps!

Hi Maurice, what was your previous managers name?

Hi, Marty Howe. Anthony Thomas. The last time I talked to him, he stopped being a manager and started a photography company.

Dan MaxXx to date, I've gone through 6 managers and 1 agent. Each didn't work for slightly different reasons, but the thing that most of them had in common was not having contacts in my genre(s) and so they were cold calling just like I gotta do for myself. After a while of no hits, it was decided it wasn't working out.

Anna Marton Henry Thanks for the insights. I can see the positives and negatives of each thing, hence the questions. So I appreciate your experienced answers.

I find it interesting that Michael Elliott and CJ Walley seem to have opposite answers, but for seemingly the same reason.

Maurice Vaughan I've had a bunch of reps so far. Sadly, none have worked out for very long (the longest being just shy of 2 years but the strike happened during that time, so really less. They've all been pretty boutique reps. Which is why I'm wondering if maybe a bigger place might be better as they wouldn't have the problem the smaller places have (lack of connections to send my stuff to).

If I could just score a couple meetings, I'd call that a win. Last general I had was pre-covid! ;:(

Travis Seppala You’re welcome! I think CJ Walley and Michael Elliot are saying kind of what I was saying - that if the company reps other creatives, they need to have managers (at least one) dedicated to the writers. I worked at a boutique company that repped writers and directors, but as Head of Development my team was dedicated to the writers, while my boss and her team spent most time on the directors. Obviously we all collaborated.