Panel Participants & Career Paths

• Rob Harrington: Coordinator at 3 Arts Entertainment
  • Former equity analyst (7-8 years) → UCLA producing MFA → agency work → management
  • Transitioned during 2020 when only rep companies were hiring
• Mike Thomas: Assistant at Writ Large Management Company (8 months)
  • Disney internships → ABC Signature → management when studio closed
  • Recently promoted from manager’s assistant
• Amanda Yeager: UTA International MQ lit department (1.5 years)
  • PR firm (42 West) → UCLA producing MFA → UTA internship → full-time offer
• Roz: Manager trainee at Mental Entertainment (3 years total)
  • Emerson College 2020 → Netflix PA work → Anonymous Content → Grandview merger
• Becca Lonkrin: Manager at Circle Management Production (6.5 years)
  • UT Austin → multiple LA internships → Circle intern → desk opening → promotion
• Davis Nan: Literary manager at Circle Management Production
  • LMU → student producer → Circle floating assistant → coordinator → manager

Management vs Agency Structure

• Management companies: 30-120 employees, specialized focus
  • Circle: ~40-45 employees, early-stage project development
  • 3 Arts: 60-70 employees, TV comedy focus (30-year company)
  • Writ Large: 9 employees, TV lit focus on emerging talent
  • Grandview/Mental: 120 employees post-merger, literary + talent + digital
• Agencies: 2,000+ employees, global offices, multiple departments
  • UTA: Sports, broadcasting, digital, audio, brand endorsements
  • Top 3 agencies: UTA, CAA, WME
  • Legal restriction: agents cannot produce, managers can

Client Relationship Differences

• Managers: 35 clients max, daily contact, entire career relationship
  • More development work, intimate relationships
  • “Head of operations and project manager” vs agent as “head of sales”
• Agents: 200+ clients, broader roster, sales-focused
  • Cannot read unsolicited scripts (legal restriction)
  • Work with management on packaging and sales

Getting Representation Timeline

• Manager first, then build representative team
• Need multiple scripts ready when approaching reps
  • “What else have you written? What’s next?”
  • Best case: so much good material, hard to choose which to pitch first
• Agents typically come later in career when there’s momentum to sell

Finding New Talent Sources

• MFA program showcases and pitch fests
• Fellowship programs: Nichols, Austin Film Festival, South by Southwest