As we head into the weekend, before I put up Amateur Offerings, I wanted to give people a chance to share their feelings on the WGA’s battle with the agents. For those of you not up to speed, the WGA is planning to have all of their writers walk from their agents if the agents don’t get rid of packaging. I’m NOT the authority on packaging. But here’s how I understand it. When a writer comes up with a show idea, their agent will say, “Hey, as a favor to you, I’m going to allow you to keep my commission in return for you to allow me to package this project.” Packaging means attaching a director and talent (all within the agency – never from another agency – that’s a key distinction).
The thing is, when an agency packages something, they get a fee from the studio (the bigger the project, the bigger the fee, obviously) that often includes a percentage of the profits of that show. What this means is that agencies will now make more off a show than the person who actually created it. Nuts, right? Well, it gets uglier. If the writer has a project with say, Bradley Cooper attached, and Bradley Cooper is repped at another agency, they won’t bother putting the project together at all. Why? Because they don’t get their packaging fee. This means hundreds (thousands?) of potential shows have never seen the light of day because agents won’t touch a project that contains elements from another agency. This has created a culture where agencies no longer have any incentive to serve their clients’ interest. Their only goal is to package so they can get a piece of the pie.
Like I said, I’m not the authority here. And I may have gotten some of this wrong. If I did, please let me know and I’ll correct it. Also, the agencies argue that many of these projects only come together because they’re packaged. I don’t think there’s any way to prove that this is true or false, but I will say this. I’ve heard from several working writers who have moved from one of the Big 4 agencies to the agency tier just below them (and who don’t package), that they got a lot more work at the Big 4 agency. The consistent response was, “They’re scumbags but at least they’re scumbags that got things done.” If you want a more in-depth look at the issue, read The Wire creator’s feelings about packaging. It’s a good read, although a little confusing. It sounds to me like his problem was more about his literary agency and former TV agent ripping him off than it was about packaging. However, maybe someone can clear that up.
I’d love to hear arguments from both sides, especially agents, if you’re out there. I’m yet to hear a compelling argument about why packaging is okay. If there’s one out there, let’s hear it! Also, let’s try to keep this discourse civil. :)
