An agency producer mentions over coffee that a new script for a soft drink needs a director who is good with children and comedy. That afternoon, the director's rep sends over three short reels and a note about a director who shot something similar last year. Two days later, the production company is invited to bid. The director's rep is the salesperson of a commercials production company.
What a director's representative does
Commercials production companies work with a roster of directors, each with a recognisable style. Some are on the staff, many are signed on a freelance basis. Agencies choose a director first and a production company second, so the company's income depends on agencies thinking of its directors. The rep makes that happen.
They visit agencies, show directors' reels (short collections of their best work) to agency producers and creative directors, and keep track of which agencies have scripts coming up. When a script arrives, the rep helps match it to the right director and pushes for the company to be on the list of bidders. Usually only two or three companies are asked to bid on a job.
Responsibilities
- Promote the company's directors to advertising agencies
- Keep in regular contact with agency producers and creatives
- Find out about new scripts and campaigns early
- Match scripts to the right director on the roster
- Help secure invitations to bid on jobs
- Give feedback from agencies to directors and the company
- Scout new directors who could join the roster
How the role touches the budget
No budget responsibility, and little influence on what a job costs. The rep does not write or manage production budgets. Their work affects how many jobs the company gets, not what each job costs. In many companies reps are paid partly on commission, a percentage of the jobs they help bring in. The bid itself is written by the commercials producer.
How people become director's reps
Many start in an agency or production company in a junior production role and discover they are better at relationships than logistics. Others come from sales or marketing. A good eye for directing styles and a long contact list matter more than formal training.
In commercials
In the brand, agency and production company triangle, the rep works at the edge between the last two. The brand approves the agency's choice of director, the agency asks production companies to bid, and the rep makes sure their company's director is in that conversation. In the United States reps are often independent and represent several production companies, while elsewhere they are more often employed by one company. See how a film is made.