2019 Spec Script Deals Analysis: Agents & Managers
We continue our week-long analysis of spec script deals in 2019. Today: Agents and Managers.
The numbers in parentheses mark 2018 totals.
Note: A majority of projects were repped by both an agency and a manager / management company, so the total numbers of reps listed will be significantly higher than the number of scripts sold.
Note: Because of the dispute between the WGA and the ATA, agency numbers are down significantly in 2019.
Agencies
Verve — 9 (6)
ICM Partners —4 (4)
CAA — 2 (8)
Paradigm — 2 (1)
UTA — 2 (4)
Abrams Artists Agency — 1 (0)
APA — 1 (3)
WME — 1 (6)
Management
Lit Entertainment Group — 3 (0)
Anonymous Content — 2 (0)
Avatar Entertainment — 2 (0)
Good Fear Film + Management — 2 (0)
Grandview — 2 (1)
Underground Management — 2 (0)
Affirmative Entertainment — 1 (0)
Alldayeveryday — 1 (0)
Aptitude Entertainment — 1 (0)
The Arlook Group — 1 (0)
Bohemia Group — 1 (0)
Brillstein Entertainment Partners — 1 (1)
Circle of Confusion — 1 (2)
Farah Films & Management — 1 (0)
Hollander Entertainment — 1 (0)
Kaplan/Perrone Entertainment — 1 (2)
Larry Robinson — 1 (0)
Pacific View Management — 1 (0)
Writ Large — 1 (0)
Note the precipitous drop in deals from these major agencies: CAA, UTA, and WME. That’s 5 spec script deals in 2019 compared to 18 the previous year. Clearly, the dispute between the WGA and ATA had an impact on spec deals.
Also note the rise of deals repped by Verve. Several writers switched to Verve from larger agencies including John August who left UTA (Verve signed an agreement with the WGA).
You should familiarize yourself with these players, study the type of projects they sell. This can help when targeting inquiries for representation.
Tomorrow: The big money spec script sales of 2019.
