The noise. The complication. The sleaze. It's everywhere in this industry.
how we
work.
A director's guide
The noise. The complication. The sleaze. It's everywhere in this industry.
Directors tied to rigid contracts. Friday calls demanding treatments by Monday. (Imagine asking the same of the agency producer.) Pitching unapproved creative to secure work for the agency. Isn't that what agencies are for? On and on.
Welcome to a no-rules 90s WWE hell in a cell.
So how does a director build a long career?
equals mgmt is the result of 13 years managing international directors globally, across more than forty markets.
Directors come to us because we're honest, transparent, and know how to deal with whatever the industry throws at them.
Director-led means our directors shape our business. What's the market in Uzbekistan like? What can make pitching fairer?
We ran for ADA leadership to campaign for pitch reform globally and continue to be involved in campaigning for fairer pitching internationally. Sometimes it feels like screaming into a void, but we keep going!
We want long-term relationships. Mutual trust. Both sides growing. We set goals together and build a path we both believe in.
We'll be your bad cop when you need one.
Pitching internationally is a brutal slog. There's no point attempting it without purpose.
Scheduling, negotiations, contracts. All handled by us so you focus on creative.
Our bread & butter clients. Their role is rapidly shifting with more taking on a role in the creative process direct to brand, forging powerful bonds with directors.
Whether they're looking for in-house production or pitching with a production partner; agencies are becoming invested in focusing on talent first, execution later.
They come to us because they want a different way of working with creative talent. They want to work with directors who can conceptualise as well as execute. It's matchmaking: we pair personalities and culture as well as portfolios.
US-only. The sales reps reach out to pair our directors with one of their production partners. Occasionally they have direct leads that don't require a larger production setup.
The brand commissions the agency. The agency briefs production companies, or sales reps in the US. They pitch directors. A treatment wins. The director shoots the job.
We call this the waterfall.
Up to ten production companies briefed per script in some countries. Record we've seen in the US: 36 sales reps.
Each company or rep sends a low of one or two, but in most territories ten to fifty directors as options.
The agency receives anywhere from three to a hundred-plus directors per pitch.
No-one is watching 100 reels. I don't care how stubborn the agency is. I don't care what unpaid intern you put in front of the screen. No-one is watching 100 reels!
The directors that get to the top of that list start there because of trusted relationships. Recommendations. Names already in mind. Ideally three directors are shortlisted, but up to ten in some countries.
We don't avoid the waterfall. The majority of work still comes through that model, but there are a few things we do that help.
Filtering out jobs that won't happen is half our work. Creative not approved? See ya. No script? Next time. 100K budget for a four-day shoot? Director is suddenly ill, sorry.
Agencies happily ask 10 directors for treatments. They won't get on 10 calls. If you're cut after asking for one, you dodged a bullet.
Paid treatment teams are becoming more common but aren't universal. If you don't have time, can't get assistance, and the conditions don't work, don't get on the call. Pulling out later is much harder.
Push and prod on the call. Discover the boundaries and the expectations before you commit.
Competition in every international territory is fierce. No jobs get "given" to directors. Discounting your rate by 50% or working for free does not move the needle.
It can take months, sometimes years, to break into a new market.
Social media will tell you everyone else is shooting. They aren't.
It's a numbers game. Pitching more doesn't guarantee more shortlists. Pitch on everything you'd actually want to shoot.
If they say they can, they're lying.
What we guarantee:
1. We will be honest, transparent, human partners who use everything we have to put you in the best position to win.
2. Opportunities. We see more scripts internationally than most representation. More territory coverage, more relationships, more chances for the right job to land.
In the markets we agreed on, a director works in exclusive with us. There is never a case where a director has to refuse an opportunity from a production company, agency, or brand. You are in exclusive with management, not a single commissioning company.
If a production company or agency reaches out direct, please forward us the script before you respond. This helps us prevent awkward situations and double-bidding which is the fastest way to burn a reputation.
We charge commission the agreed directors fee to the commissioning company.
In certain markets with lower board-flow we may partner with a production company and park your portfolio for a set period. We manage the relationship and make sure it still makes sense throughout the year.
The goal is to keep creative talent busy and make sure that they are getting fair treatment.
100% your decision, 100% your timing. Ongoing pitches finish, then the agreement terminates.
What we ask in return: tell us when something isn't working. More often than not, it can be fixed.
If it can't, let's at least leave knowing we tried.
We send the agreement. You sign and return.
We start the onboarding. Send us everything: treatments so we can advise on future ones, full portfolio including pieces you don't show publicly, recent music videos and short films.
We'll upload to our servers and start the process of getting you on the site.
Keep us updated on all new work. Even when you assume we've seen it. We tend not to stalk directors vimeos and instagram posts can be missed.
We try to stay human in what we do, sometimes that means we take a break from our emails. If you want a quick answer WhatsApp is typically the best way to hear from us quickly.
Jump on board. If it's right for you, you'll see it with us.
The insurance we insisted on in your conditions covers that. (Yes, really.)
Let's examine the portfolio and your treatments.
We created the ADA standard contract and don't let a director shoot without a signed one.
We negotiate schedules or work towards booking one over the other. It's a good problem to have.