What kind of Talent should I represent?
Alex is the Managing Director of major UK talent agency InterTalent. He represents his clients alongside overseeing the agency's creative strategy, day-to-day operations & acquisitions.
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🤔 What kind of Talent should I represent?
Welcome to my last blog of 2023! Thanks to everyone who has jumped on the Dealmakers bandwagon, subscribed, read an article or forwarded it on to friends.
We’re at the business end of the year now and I’m pushing my team to wrap up incomplete deals, get invoices paid and tidy their desks ready for next year. I would say with a new notebook from Paperchase but this year I started using a Remarkable 2 and it’s changed my life! I’m focusing everyone’s minds on what happened in 2023 (a bit like an InterTalent version of Spotify Wrapped) and how we achieve bigger successes in 2024. What do we need to do? How do we need to do it?
It’s been an up-and-down year for everyone in the arts and entertainment. In a previous article I spoke about the need for a talent agency to diversify their offering as much as possible to avoid a collapse should one area be held up. This year two worlds were hit badly. The WGA and SAG strikes in Hollywood ground the acting and writing world to a halt, while the struggles in ad funding saw the UK TV industry struggle badly. If you work in those worlds it’s been a difficult year so soon after the pandemic.
It’s led to a lot of conversations with colleagues and friends about the type of talent an Agent can represent to help manoeuvre around major disruptions that are out of your control. I’ve spoken about what an Agency should do but what about an individual Agent? Is it better to be the best Agent in one territory or be very good in many? And what matters more when building a client roster - the talent they have or the world they play in? It’s a debate between specialisation and generalisation.
Today, I’m going to break down my thoughts on whether an Agent should be a SPECIALIST or a GENERALIST and why it’s such an important decision.
Let’s go! ⬇️
Firstly let’s break down the key difference between Agents who are SPECIALISTS and those who are GENERALISTS:
SPECIALIST: Having one clear area of interest means you are very specific on the type of talent you sign. Each individual might have their qualities but the world they are playing in is the same. The focus is on having in-depth knowledge and real expertise in that world to be successful. The acting world, in particular, has very specific processes for castings and its unique way of contracting needs real training. Likewise, voiceovers and modelling also require a specialist skillset. They’re complex. Being a specialist in one type of talent, and learning that craft meticulously means you have a concentrated but very high understanding of your domain. Some of the biggest and best Agents out there are specialists who invest time and effort to become highly accomplished in their specific niche of the entertainment industry.
GENERALIST: A generalist, on the other hand, is someone who works with a broad range of talent in many different worlds. The focus isn’t towards one niche, but talent in general no matter what they do. They could do anything. This means an agent needs to have a more diversified understanding across various worlds, a varied knowledge base and relationships. Agents who are generalists are adaptable to where the industry moves, who are culturally relevant and will be strong in multiple domains. One minute a conversation could be about current affairs, the next about sports, then reality television.
Both play important roles in different contexts, and the preference for one over the other can depend on the requirements of a particular agency. At InterTalent, we have made a focused decision to continue to expand the worlds we play in and the type of talent we represent. Many of our Agents are incredible in their chosen field and only represent those that fit within it while others who have the most eclectic taste and their client list express their many interests. Specialists will make your agency highly respected over a long period. Generalists allow you to be more nimble and pivot quickly when the industry shifts with new programming or technology. To have many of both types at InterTalent is a blessing for me.
But if I had to send you down one path in 2024, my recommendation would be to be as much of a generalist as your interests allow. The more varied the better.
Here’s my guide to why being a Generalist is the way forward ⬇️
✅ Pivot: Let’s start with the key point. This year, much like COVID, has proved that very quickly a whole industry can just stop. No jobs, no money. For example, it’s now the second time the Acting industry has been severely halted in just four years. If you only work in one area and a big disruption happens then it leaves you with a huge problem. Having a client base that covers different areas allows you to pivot instantly to what is thriving and open for business. Agencies do it, and Agents should too.
✅ Adaptability: Generalists are often more adaptable to these changes as they’re used to being multi-faceted. They can apply their skills across a variety of industries, making them more versatile in different situations that can arise when representing talent. Generalists rarely feel out of their comfort zone.
✅ Talent Pool: Having more options means there is a wider pool of exciting talent to sign, more opportunities for them, and then more money for everyone involved. If your focus is purely on finding talented people then what they specifically do isn’t as important. They could do anything. I’ve represented WWE Wrestlers, Current Affairs news journalists and Grammy Award winning songwriters. All are incredibly talented, super popular and excite me equally. It means fewer conflicts of interest and more possibilities.
✅ Global Perspective: Taking an interest in different areas of the industry gives you a broader understanding of global entertainment issues & trends and expands your knowledge base making you better equipped to navigate the complexities of an ever-evolving technological world. You have to keep up to date with what’s hot and who is talking about what. If you’re already working in those worlds it gives you a more holistic vision of where entertainment is headed.
✅ Cover The Market: If you’re working across many areas of interest then it means you need an even wider contact pool… and knowing more important people than the next person is one of the best ways to get ahead of your competition. The more relationships you have, the more opportunities you can create.
✅ Network: It also means you can go to more events and be able to speak about anything to anyone. I was always taught that if you know a little about most things you can find a common ground to have a conversation with anyone… and you never know where that may lead.
✅ Innovation: Playing in different worlds can contribute to innovation by connecting ideas from all the different territories. Cross-pollination of concepts and approaches from diverse fields can lead to groundbreaking advancements.
✅ Fun: Sometimes we forget that the entertainment industry is meant to be fun. Nothing about it is boring. Everyone cares, everyone has an opinion. The more you cover, the more you can create. TV, Live, Podcasts, Radio, Books, Brand Partnerships, you name it… the more you can do, the more fun it is to be an Agent.
The choice between being a generalist or a specialist ultimately depends on individual preferences, career goals, and the demands of the specific job or industry. I started as a specialist in the Scripted world for many years and now I’m a generalist who represents all different types of Unscripted talent so I have the wisdom of both. There are some industries where you have to be a specialist which means you can only be a generalist on the side. Nothing wrong with choosing one or being a bit of both.
However, what the last few years has taught us is that nothing is a given in our industry and the more opportunities you give yourself as an Agent, the more opportunities you can create for your talent (and generate great money for everyone while doing it).
As ever, here are a few recommendations:
📚 TO READ:
Nick Kyrgios continues to disrupt... this time by joining OnlyFans! The troublemaker of tennis is bringing exclusive content to OnlyFans.
ChatGPT is already 1! Read all about the first 365 days of ChatGPT.
Shohei Ohtani Signs Record $700 Million Deal With Dodgers Ohtani is the megastar of Baseball. He’s leaving the Angels for the Dodgers for a record $700m contract.
🎧 TO LISTEN:
Who Killed JFK? Really interesting podcast by legendary filmmaker Rob Reiner all about the assassination of John F. Kennedy.
The Rest Is Entertainment The Rest Is… brand grows. Really good listen.
Carrie Jade Does Not Exist How one woman, who took on over six different identities, infiltrated the lives of vulnerable people.
📺 TO WATCH:
Squid Game: The Challenge, Netflix Is anyone watching anything else? I’ve never seen a reality competition like it.
Louis Theroux Interviews, BBC iPlayer I just can’t get enough of Louis and his lineup for this series is excellent. Lots of unexpected names with incredible stories.
The Killing Kind, Paramount+ A cat and mouse whodunnit. Well written, edge-of-your-seat stuff.
Have a relaxing Christmas & New Year! See you in 2024…
Alex