Scott at 2012-08-23 11:23:15:

Larry, that is a tricky business. Some writers stick with their reps throughout their entire career, but that is, I guess, unusual. Most writers I know, myself included, change representation. The reasons for this vary, of course, but if I had to single out one common reason, it's that the relationship just isn't 'working'. That can mean different things. The writer, such as yourself, begins to feel like the rep isn't as attentive or interested as they once were. Or such as your case, feel the rep has limited head room as to where they can take the writer in terms of their career opportunities. Or the writer's interests have grown in a direction that aren't in sync with the reps. On the rep's side, their agency or management outfit may have shifted in their focus through personnel changes, mergers, etc. Their focus may be on new clients they have signed. Or other clients have become super hot and they focus energy there. Then there is the 'stale' factor where over time, both parties begin to feel as if the relationship, either/both personal and professional has gotten old. There are myriad other reasons, I'm sure GITS readers can add them to the list. A situation such as yours is, as I say, tricky. Everyone knows how important it is to be repped, so dropping a rep is a nervy act. Before you do anything, I would strongly recommend you have a frank discussion with your agent. In general, a writer should have at least an annual meeting about where things stand, career strategies, near-term to mid-term to long-term goals and so forth, so hopefully you already have a good and open line of communication. Obviously you need to handle such meetings with a certain amount of tact, but you are a professional, just as they are, and if you approach such meetings as a professional, that's fine. Perhaps the best way to frame it is to focus on your career. Much in the same way we, as writers, do when critiquing another writer's script by focusing on the pages, not the writer, by steering the discussion toward the career, not the rep, you can [hopefully] keep things civil. So for instance, you may say, "These are the type of gigs I would like to be writing and I'm not there yet. How do I get there? What can I do to make that happen? What can you do to make that happen?" Have that conversation, see how they respond, and assuming it goes all right, give them time to see what transpires, say 1 year. If nothing has changed, maybe then time to move on. One thing to consider: The single best thing a writer can do to advance their career is write a great script. Whether it's a spec or an assignment, a great script is what makes things happen. An agent or a rep can open doors and make introductions, but a great script will make the biggest impression. Obviously you want a rep-writer relationship in which you feel like they get you, believe in you, excited about you, and have the connections to help you succeed. But we live in an impermanent world. As I've suggested, two keys: Communication between the parties and focus on the writing, specifically great scripts, and that goes a long way to making things work. I suspect others will have opinions based on personal experience, and I invite them to share their thoughts.

tkhaz at 2012-08-23 12:34:24:

Thanks, as always, for the great advice. I know many not-yet-discovered writers who are asking questions about agents, managers, reps, and the odds of getting anything read on spec. What makes me so uneasy is that whole analysis of a rep and trying to gauge their true motives and interest. I've been burned on the distribution side by sales agents who claimed to love my film but then ignored it. I was not in a position of knowledge or connection or power, so I went with the best deal I thought I could get - knowing the risks. It seems like the same deal with reps, although perhaps the agreements are more flexible and less of a trap. Great stuff, Scott. Tom Khazoyan