How can directors find more work? (Rostered and Non-Rostered)

A few weeks ago, I was chatting to an EP at one of the world’s biggest production companies.

He shared with me that in his large network of director friends and collaborators, only a handful of them are currently getting enough work and income through their roster to meet their needs.

For me, as I formed a vision for what freelance commercial directing would look like and as I looked ahead at “successful” directors down the line, I formed an idea of what an ideal path would look like. Being exclusively rostered at a production company was always a part of that ideal path.

However, as this ever-changing industry continues to evolve at an ever-increasing pace, this exclusive roster model seems to be quickly becoming an outdated and ineffective model.

We are in an era where exclusively rostered directors and independent freelance directors are both looking at each other and saying, “Wow, must be nice.”

Within our (+ogether) cohorts, we have both rostered and non-rostered directors, and both of them seem to be asking the same question:

Within our cohorts, we have narrative directors looking to expand more into the commercial space, rostered commercial directors who are not finding enough work to get by, emerging directors who are wondering how to expand their work to more potential clients, and documentary directors who are looking to find more avenues to have their work support them.

As always, my hope here is not to offer some illusory golden key to unlock an infinite avenue of work for you. Instead, I want to share what some other real directors, just like you, are doing and saying to try and answer this question.

If you’re on a roster…

Get to Know Your Sales Reps

Most production companies find their work by partnering with sales reps for each of the three ad sales markets in the US: East Coast, Midwest, and West Coast.

In the traditional client-agency-production company-director funnel, the sales reps are the true brokers for the right to reach the right directors.

If you’re on a roster, find out who your production company sales reps are, and get to know them. Get on calls, help them understand yourself, your temperament, your curiosities, your passions, and most of all, your work.

Ask your sales reps what is currently working well in the market, and help them understand how to best position your work to find more opportunities to bid and win.

Perhaps you have a spot or a short film that matches a need really well, but your rep may not know about it if you’re not keeping in touch. It pays to stay engaged.

Keep It Short

One of the directors mentioned making sure to cut things down into :30 or less. Agency creatives simply don’t have the time or energy to look at any longer form content when they spend their entire day consuming reel after reel after reel.

Do you have a feature that you’re super proud of or that really embodies your voice? Find ways to cut it down into :30 trailers that showcase a particular element or value you want to share. Perhaps the feature is built on really strong dialogue directing. Cut something down that demonstrates that strength without requiring the agency creative to watch your entire feature.

Bear in mind, in this commercial market, most projects will be looking for :30s, :15s, and often times, :6s. If that’s what the agency wants, then you’re helping yourself by showing them your strengths in similar length cuts.

Do What You’re Good At

One of our directors simply asked another, “Why did the production company roster you in the first place? What did they see in your work?”

As simple as this question may sound, it will always be important.

Take a look at your work, at yourself, and decide, what am I good at? Is it dialogue? Is it car-to-car? Is it genuine human emotion? Is it working with non-actors? Is it creating surrealist environments?

The agency and the sales rep will be trying to discern this, any way. They’re looking for a particularly shaped key to unlock a particular result. Help them out by telling them and showing them what kind of key you are.

If you don’t feel like your true strengths are being represented in your work, then it’s up to you to make something that demonstrates those desired strengths. You will only get the work people already believe you can create.

If you’re not on a roster…

Leverage LinkedIn

One of our directors shared how helpful LinkedIn has been in giving him quick and effective direct communications to all kinds of brands. He uses something like a school connection to leverage his way in to an in-house Creative Director or Head of Communications, and starts the conversation there.

In some cases, the other person will do the work for you. No matter what you may think, brands and companies are constantly hoping to find a great collaborator to work with. You may be connecting with them at just the time they need you.

At the least, you’ve got a touch point now and a place you can revisit to check in consistently.

Whatever You Get, Make the Most of It

From the myriad of stories shared by our cohort directors, one thing is very clear - they can’t control the opportunities they get, but they can control what they do with those opportunities.

One director shared a story about getting a general meeting at Hypebeast just as they were beginning to create branded content. Hypebeast had a go-to collaborator at the time, but this director simply said, “If you ever need someone, I’m here.”

Sure enough, Hypebeast eventually had a situation arise where their go-to collaborator was unavailable. They came back to the (+ogether) director, and he was able to step up and use the opportunity to make the most of a small budget and a recognizable brand.

This isn’t romantic, it’s not easy, and sometimes, it’s not fun. But, it is necessary.

Keep Creating

You didn’t want to hear it. But, you need to hear it.

The most powerful through-line coming from all of our directors is simply, “Don’t stop.”

The work that often leads to other work will be the work that no one asks you to make. Whether that’s a spec ad, short film, or a documentary about your mom, the only way your voice is developed is by speaking. Do whatever you need to do to protect, nurture, and realize that voice through more films.