If you are asking yourself, "can you have both an agent and a manager?" the short answer is an emphatic yes. In fact, many working screenwriters, directors, and producers in Hollywood assemble a team that includes both. However, simply knowing you can have both does not mean you automatically should, nor does it mean having two representatives automatically doubles your success.
Navigating the entertainment industry requires understanding the distinct roles these professionals play, how their legal authorities differ, and how they collaborate on your behalf. When coordinated properly, an agent and a manager can be a powerful engine for your career. When mismanaged, having both can lead to redundant commissions, crossed wires, and fractured momentum. Here is an insider look at how dual representation works and how to decide what makes sense for your career stage.
The Fundamental Divide: Legal Mandates vs. Long-Term Strategy
To understand why artists retain both an agent and a manager, you have to look at the legal and practical differences between their professions. Under California law, talent agents are licensed by the state and are legally authorized to procure employment for artists. Their primary focus centers on finding open writing or directing assignments, submitting your finished material to studios and networks, packaging packages, and negotiating deal points and contract parameters.
Managers operate under a different framework. While managers cannot legally procure work in the same regulatory sense as licensed agents, their remit is much wider regarding long-term career architecture. A manager works closely with you on script development, creative positioning, personal branding, and life-of-career decisions. Furthermore, managers are legally permitted to produce projects alongside their clients, a role forbidden to licensed agents.
- Agents: State-licensed, legally authorized to procure employment, focus on deals, contract negotiations, and market packaging; standard commission is typically 10%.
- Managers: Unlicensed strategists focused on comprehensive career guidance, script development, and long-term planning; standard commission is typically 10% to 15% and they may produce.
How an Agent and Manager Function as a Team
When your team operates smoothly, your agent and manager do not compete; they complement each other. Consider a hypothetical scenario: you complete a fresh pilot script. Your first port of call is usually your manager. You might spend two or three drafts with your manager refining the tone, sharpening character arcs, and dialing in your logline until the material is undeniable.
Once your manager agrees the project is ready for market, your agent steps into high gear. Your agent coordinates the rollout strategy, determines which studio executives or production companies have matching mandates, packages the project with appropriate attachments, and initiates formal submissions. During this process, your manager supports the campaign from behind the scenes, following up with executive relationships, while your agent controls the offer sheet and leads negotiations.
The Financial Reality of Dual Representation
Before pursuing both an agent and a manager, you must calculate the math of your team. Representation is not free, and commissions compound quickly across every dollar you earn under contract.
If you have an agent taking 10%, a manager taking 10% to 15%, and an entertainment attorney taking 5% to review and close your contracts, you are committing roughly 25% to 30% of your gross earnings to your team before taxes. If you are an early-career creator landing entry-level development or staff writing checks, giving away nearly a third of your gross pay requires realistic financial planning. Dual representation makes the most sense when your representatives are generating enough opportunities and value to more than offset the combined commissions.
“Marc Pariser was my very first television agent, got me my first job, and guided my career in the important early stages. When he sniffs the air and says ‘I smell money’, you know he’s bringing you a great opportunity!”
Common Mistakes Creators Make with Multiple Reps
The biggest pitfall artists face when assembling a team is creating friction between their representatives. Agents and managers have different personalities, agency cultures, and operational styles. If you fail to manage expectations, you can easily alienate one or both.
Another critical error is expecting reps to do the work of personal positioning for you. Representatives respond to clarity. If you hand your team a muddled concept or a vague pitch, they cannot advocate effectively in market rooms. In my book, 'The Secret to Opening Doors in Hollywood: Mastering the 15-Second Pitch,' I explore how essential it is to define your project within the first few seconds. When you master a concise, compelling 15-second pitch, you give both your agent and your manager the exact verbal ammunition they need to sell your vision across town in high-stakes meetings.
- Triangulation: Never play your agent against your manager or complain about one to the other; keep communications transparent and collective.
- Unvetted Submissions: Never send material to external buyers or executives without coordinating with both reps first.
- Vague Materials: Handing unpolished, loosely defined concepts to your team forces them to guess your intentions, slowing down your momentum.
When Should You Seek an Agent vs. a Manager First?
For emerging writers and directors, the question is often not whether you can have both, but which one you should secure first. In the contemporary market, many creators find their manager first. Because managers work hands-on in creative development, they are frequently more willing to read an unproduced writer based on a distinct voice or fresh sample.
Once a manager helps you sharpen your portfolio, they often use their industry relationships to help you sign with a reputable talent agency. Conversely, if you happen to secure an agent first—often through a referral, competition placement, or a pending offer—you can subsequently bring on a manager whenever you feel you need deeper, individualized day-to-day creative guidance and long-term positioning.
Key Takeaways
- Yes, you can have both: Agents procure jobs and negotiate contracts; managers build long-term career strategy and develop material.
- Dual representation means combined commissions typically totaling 20% to 25% (plus legal fees), making clear economic justification essential.
- A manager often comes first for emerging talent to help refine scripts and prepare you for an agency rollout.
- You must keep both reps aligned with concise, repeatable positioning so they can sell your work quickly and consistently.
“Marc Pariser is an incredibly knowledgeable and experienced entertainment professional, as well as an ethical, caring and dependable person.. Marc and I had mutual clients when he was an agent, and he could always be counted on for direct, practical, sound advice showing his expert knowledge of the business of entertainment. “
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a manager legally negotiate my contract without an agent?
While managers frequently participate in deal discussions and advise on terms, legal procurement and formal deal negotiations in unionized or licensed environments are typically handled by licensed talent agents or entertainment attorneys.
Do both my agent and manager take a commission on every project?
Generally, yes. If a project is set up or you earn compensation while under contract with both, each representative collects their standard commission from your gross earnings, unless specific prior work was explicitly excluded in writing.
What happens if my agent and manager disagree on a career move?
You are the CEO of your own career. When your reps offer conflicting advice, schedule a joint conversation to understand both perspectives, evaluate your long-term goals, and make the final decision yourself.
