Agent Scott Benson Discusses the Intricacies of TV Packaging & More

I, like perhaps some of you, have always wondered how the behind-the-scenes creatives land their gigs on TV's most popular shows. So when I had the opportunity to interview Eastern Talent Agency's Scott Benson, I jumped at the chance. Scott was gracious enough to share with me (and you!) an inside look into his life as an agent -- which seems to be quite different than that of Entourage’s Ari Gold. Read on below to learn more about Scott, who is certainly an agent to keep an eye on in the below-the-line space!

First off it’s not as glamorous as shows like Entourage have made it out to be. It’s a lot of time on the phone and writing emails. Our job is to basically stay on top of all crewing movies and television shows and then submit our clients when applicable. That might take years of tracking a project before it gets a green light and is looking to hire crew. It’s tricky because once a project is greenlit, the hiring window is very small. We really try to stay on top of as many projects as possible. All that being said,there are a lot of fun parts to the job. We do get to visit clients on set, attend Award Shows and meet a lot of awesome, talented people.

How early in the TV production process do you get involved in attaching your clients?

In most cases it starts when the show is picked up to pilot or series. At that point the show is usually assigned to a Production Executive at the Studio and we’re able to then discuss crew with either them or a Line Producer that they’ve hired. There are cases when a show is in development and a client might be particularly suited for that show. In those cases we’ll pitch them to the producer if possible.

Once you have found your client a TV show gig, does your job for them end/pause? If not, what other services/help do you provide?

Once they’ve decided they want to hire one of our clients we start negotiating terms of the deal. Sometimes that can be lengthy but usually it goes pretty smoothly. At that point we draft a deal memo and get signatures. Once they start the job, our accountant takes over for the most part. She’ll track paychecks and make sure they’re being paid correctly. Additionally, if issues arise during production - we will help the client navigate and resolve those as needed.

What are some TV shows or networks that you have worked with? How do you develop the relationships necessary to close deals for your clients?

The Agents at our company represent everyone collectively, so we break the work up by project. This allows us to build relationships with individual producers and companies. I get to cover CBS Studios, ABC Studios, AMC and Warner Horizon to name a few. Recently I have closed deals on The Walking Dead for AMC, The Blacklist for NBC and The Goldbergs for ABC. This has allowed me to get to know certain executives and assistants at each company. Now developing these relationships takes time and patience. It’s a lot of checking in, following up, and most importantly reminding them that we are here to help when they need us. Our goal is to provide them with great talent that will make their project shine and enhance everyone's success by creating a successful show.

What is the primary advice you would give to aspiring creatives looking to break into the behind-the-camera space? How can they land an agent like yourself?

Certainly you need to have credits for an agent to work with, but beyond that, for me it all starts with kindness. I’m a firm believer that good things happen to good people. Do your best and treat people with respect and things will come together for you. Hard work and being personable pays off. Once you’ve laid that ground work, that’s when a company like ours can really help take it to the next level. We get dozens of resumes each week from people looking for representation. We need credits we can work with first and then if the artist has strong contacts and a good personality - that really helps. When those things converge with our efforts, that’s when good things can happen.

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