30frames

A rep is a director’s best friend (oops, don’t sleep with her). The rep acts as the sales agent – tracking what projects are upcoming and making contact with labels and independent commissioners to be sure their stable of directors gets work.

The rep will often also help with the concept/treatment for the job – assisting the director in getting what she thinks the labels wants on paper. The rep will also (hopefully) guide the director towards which jobs will help build their career and which jobs are wild goose chases or destined to birth videos too lame to ever end up on their reel. The rep is a powerful force but …

Most directors still get the majority of their work through their own, personal contacts. Baby directors often fantasize about the day they get an established rep and then all their problems will be over. That, however, is just a fantasy. Reps are vital, but at the same time they can only do so much.

If the label wants a trippy, conceptual video and a director has only straight ahead performance stuff on their reel, they are likely to be out of luck. Even if the rep gets the director in the door and gets the label to let them write an idea – it still will likely go nowhere. Let's say this director writes a great conceptual idea, the label will still probably go with someone who’s reel is more like their vision for the video.

The rep can only do so much. Most directors that I know who work a lot have just as many label contacts as their reps do. Directors should know artists and managers as well – all those “friends” help.

Shooting and editing a video is only a part of the job of being a “video director.” Getting the damn job is obviously the first (and somewhat important) step. I don’t mean just schmoozing (though that helps) and bribery (no comment) – I mean making a case that this director is right for this band or this track. That might mean wearing the right clothes and going to the right parties (black director division) or looking suitably angsty/arty/unkempt and having the right drugs (white director division).

All the elements have to be there for a director to get much work. I know some very talented directors who don’t work because they don’t “play the game.” Maybe these directors don’t want to work more – then they are going about it exactly the right way. But if a director wants to work, he better make good videos and play the game – as well as have a good rep on their side.

Video Static is great site to monitor the comissioning process. Anyone serious about a career as a music video director should look at Video Static every day.

Labels: baby director, music video