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If you are a
doctor or lawyer looking to do more TV, click here.
TALENT: Because of many recent placements, we are once again searching for people who have not reached
their ultimate level. We're especially interested right now in:
- Meteorologists now making less than $45k.
- female anchors now making less than $30k.
We
look
at
ALL
tapes
and
dvd's,
so
feel
free
to
send!
HIGH-SPEED SURFERS: CLICK HERE
TO GO TO OUR DYNAMIC SITE
- We get jobs for TV Anchors, Reporters,
Meteorologists and Sports types.
- We place 90% of our clients within four
months of starting a search.
- We make a resume, dvd, tape and web page
(with streaming video) for you.
- The only time we don't answer our phone is
when we are sleeping, eating or exercising.
Persons
interested
in
representation
should
send
us
a
link
to
an
on-line video
clip. Send to inquiries@davidcrane.com.
Or, send the old school way: reel, resume and short cover
letter to our office in North Carolina (DVD, DVCPRO, DVCAM, mini DV or
VHS only--- no BETA, please):
Steve
Swienckowski
DCA
124 Ammons Drive
Raleigh, NC 27615-6501
please read our DCA
FAQ
(frequently
asked
questions).
(Every time someone asks us a question, we
answer it here).
MORE KUDOS FROM MANAGERS REGARDING OUR DVD PACKAGES:
"YOU HAVE THE BEST PACKAGING OF ANY AGENCY I'VE EVER SEEN.
ABSOLUTE GENIUS!"
--Joan Roth, Hearst-Argyle Headquarters, New York City
"Steve:
Have I mentioned to you how much I like the way you guys package your
DVD’s these days? Very sharp.
Cheers,
Forrest Carr
News Director
KGUN-TV, Tucson"
"From:
Kathy.Williams
(former
ND
at
KRIV,
Houston)
Subject: May
I just say ?
To:
steve@davidcrane.com
That of all
the agencies, yours has the best packaging of everyone! Nice
envelopes---well done!"
MANAGERS:
See instant videos and resumes on your desktop of qualified
TV news talent
Don't drag your feet!
If
you're
near
the
end
of
a
contract
or
facing
unemployment,
and you're
thinking about signing with an agency (even if it's not us), do it now!
Why? Because time's a wastin'.
We
often
get
tapes
from
people
who
are
near
the
end
of their ropes. By the
time they sign, we have little or no time to improve their look or
on-air performance.
Lesson
learned:
It's
much
easier
to
find
a
job
while
you're
already working.
Don't wait until the last second. Those last few months or weeks on a
job can help us tremendously as we work to improve your skills and get
you a better situation.
It is our experience that our
clients sign with DCA for one or more of several reasons:
- Most
people don't have time to look for a job (finding a job is nearly a
full-time job in itself).
- Most
people don't know how to
properly assemble a good tape and resume.
- Most
people don't have the contacts
and connections we do ("It's not what you know...")
- Most
people don't feel comfortable representing themselves in a negotiation
situation.
- Most
people don't know the difference
between a good contract and a bad one.
- Most
people don't have a friend who's been through this before and will be
there to
help when they need it.
We
understand
that
some
agents
do
not
produce
a
master
tape
for you---they
actually have their clients make the master! For all DCA clients, a DVD
master is produced using all-digital, non-linear editing technology.
That means from the raw material sent to the agency to the VHS tape
sent to a news director, only one generation of quality is lost due to
dubbing. A small color photo is also added to each client's paper
resume, and a photo/label is place on each tape, to enhance their
effectiveness. We also stream your video to news managers direct to
their desktops and we produce a web page for you (click here to see an
example).
During
a
panel
discussion
of
job
search
techniques
at
NorCal
RTNDA,
a news
director from San Francisco displayed one of our tapes as the best
example of how a resume tape should be packaged.
DCA likes to say it offers the Three C's:
Coaching, Connections, and Contract Savvy.
COACHING
Our
teaching
experience, on-air success and award-winning performance skills
translate
into meaningful and insightful critiques for you.
CONNECTIONS
Although we
do subscribe to all the major trade publications and on-line job
listings, the best job leads inevitably come to us directly from
managers. Many times a news director will
tell us about an opening weeks before it is ever listed elsewhere.
Sometimes a job opening is never listed (or listed after
it is filled), so the only persons who may ever know about it are the
agency and its clients.
CONTRACT
SAVVY
When it
comes time to negotiate, only experience will lead to a deal that's
best for you. Steve has been negotiating contracts on behalf of clients
since the 80's.
PLUS!
We are
available! We hear complaints all the time about how people
can't reach their reps. We like to joke that the only
time you won't get us is when we're eating dinner OR when
we're sleeping. We invite our clients to call us ANY time: after
midnight, on weekends---you name it. We'll be there for you.
The David
Crane Agency was founded in San Francisco in 1980. Prior to that time,
David Crane had been a founding partner of Entertainment Response
Analysts (ERA), a television news consulting firm. One of David's
partners at that time was the legendary Don Fitzpatrick. In 1979, ERA
merged with another company to form a new research and consulting firm
called Audience Research and Development (AR&D). Soon afterward,
David sold his interest in the firm and started the David Crane Agency,
specializing in placement of broadcast news talent. He and his wife,
Barbara, retired in 2005.
Steve
Swienckowski joined DCA in 1999. He started his job-finding and
coaching agency in 1989 after hearing complaints about other "talent
agents" from news directors and talent alike. Steve's TV career
includes stops at CNN, the Cartoon Network, KTVU in San Francisco,
Kansas City, Sacramento and Raleigh.
His broadcast career began in 1977 in radio as an on-air personality.
He last worked on-air in Los Angeles radio before making the
move to television. Steve also served as Chief Instructor for The
Broadcast Workshop, a private post-secondary broadcasting school
in Southern California. He worked as a Weather Anchor, a Feature
Reporter and a Sports Anchor before returning to college at the
University
of Kansas to pursue meteorology. In 1999, Steve won the top prize at
the International Festival De Meteo (Weather Festival) held in Quebec
City. (Click here
for photos and more information about the festival.)
Sun Pak
joined the agency in 1999. Sun is a Certified Public Accountant with a
background in auditing, corporate financial analysis and systems
implementation. She has worked for several major corporations and Duke
University. She collects the money!
We are not like other agencies out there who represent TV
news pros. We are not lawyers based in New York
or Hollywood. We are experienced news people who have
been there.
The DCA
client base is nationwide and in markets of all sizes. The agency has a
total of 90 clients, and about a third are currently seeking new
positions. Persons interested in representation
should send tape and resume to our office in North Carolina (DVCPRO,
DVCAM, mini DV or VHS only--- no BETA, please) :
Steve
Swienckowski
DCA
124 Ammons Drive
Raleigh, NC 27615-6501
email: steve@davidcrane.com
NOTES ABOUT
SENDING MATERIALS: if you are sending vhs, make certain your dub was
recorded at SP, the fastest speed. If recorded at
the slower LP or SLP, your tape quality will suffer (especially the
audio). Also, be sure to ship your tape in a padded envelope or box!
You would not believe how many tapes arrive here damaged.
CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR CLIENTS
JAMISON
COYLE to Weekend Sports at KSNW, Wichita.
Meteorologist
KYLE
GRAVLIN to mornings at KIVI, Boise (from KTWO, Casper).
Reporter
TOMMY TRAN to KFSN, Fresno (from KYMA, Yuma).
KYLIE
CONWAY, Morning Anchor, WKEF, Dayton.
Reporter
LEN KIESE to First Coast News, WTLV/WJXX, Jacksonville (from WALB,
Albany, Georgia).
LISA
McDIVITT to Producer/Reporter at KKTV-TV in Colorado Springs (from
KKCO-TV, Grand Junction).
Meteorologist
DAVID
STILL
to
mornings
at
WPTY,
Memphis
(from
KCAU,
Sioux City).
EVAN KELLY
to Morning Anchor at WCIV in Charleston.
IAN
LEONARD, Chief Meteorologist, KMSP, Minneapolis.
Reporter
ALEXANDRA LIMON to KGPE, Fresno.
Meteorologist
DEREK
KEVRA
to
weekends
at
WWL,
New
Orleans
(from
KDRV,
Medford).
Meteorologist
JIM
LOZNICKA
to
mornings
at
WJHG,
Panama
City.
Reporter
KRISTYN CADDELL moves to WPTV in West Palm Beach (from WATE in
Knoxville)
CLICK HERE TO GO BACK TO TOP OF PAGE
Our Philosophy (some of it)
NEWS DIRECTORS AND OTHER MANAGERS
A note about News Directors. It has been our experience that some
news directors may try to damage our relationship. If a news
director (or other manager) becomes frustrated with us as we work in
your best interest, he or she may say things to you designed to drive a
wedge between the agent/talent relationship. Do not be surprised
at this: we have seen it happen. Remember, only we work for
you. A news director will do whatever he or she must to secure
the best deal for him or her and the station. They are not
working for your best interests.
Also, a news director may tell you, “I don’t deal with agents”.
We have placed several people with news directors who say this, so
don’t let it discourage you. It is simply a power play designed
to assure him or her that they have you at a disadvantage.
When you get a call from a News Director, be positive and say nothing
which might disqualify you immediately. It’s much better to be
offered a job which you can later turn down than not be offered a job
at all. We had a client who was called by a station in Spokane
only to upset the news director by his attitude that they “couldn’t
afford him”. They later offered the job to someone for
$105,000! (He is still making $45k).
Another reason to be positive and say nothing which might disqualify
you immediately: you never know where that News Director may be in the
future. Example: client in a large market seeking a primary
anchor job gets call from manager in a small market with a primary
opening. Client wisely does not reject said possibility and
agrees to fly in for a visit. Manager says she will call back
with flight info. Fast-forward two weeks: no word from the
manager. Client calls TV station: manager no longer works there!
Fast-forward two months: manager calls client again, this time
she's in a top 30 market and she again has a primary anchor slot.
Is client interested? You bet! In fact, client was
hired and lasted nine years there.
Moral of the story: if you say "no" to a manager who likes you, you'll
never get to meet them, never get a chance to check out their shop and
city, and you may be saying "no" to an unseen future opportunity.
When we get a call from a manager about you, we will continue to
contact that individual at least once a week until they either hire you
or they hire someone else. Rest assured: we will stay on top of
the situation until it is resolved. There's no need to pester us
with phone calls or e-mails regarding someone who is interested in you.
If you don't hear from us, that means there is nothing to report.
As soon as there is, we will contact you.
Our Negotiation Only Services
Perhaps
you
don't
need
any
coaching
or
job
search
services.
Maybe
you have an
offer on the table and you just don't feel comfortable representing
yourself. Call us about our negotiation services: 919-870-9121. For a
one-time fee, we will attempt to secure the best possible deal for you.
The one-time fee is 1% of the first year's salary.
CLICK HERE TO GO BACK TO TOP OF PAGE
DCA FAQ (frequently asked questions)
Q:
What's
your
placement
rate?
A: We place 90% of our clients within four months. To do that, we need
to be a bit selective in whom we choose.
Q:
Do
you
specialize
in
Meteorologists?
A: No. Currently, about
one fourth of our clients are mets. We don't specialize in any
particular job category, nor do we specialize in
any particular market size or location. We have clients in large
markets and small markets, from Boston to Bakersfield.
Q:
What
do
you
look
for
when
considering
an
applicant?
A: We ask ourselves two
things:
1) has this applicant reached their ultimate level (or do they have the
best job possible for their skills), and
2) do we have anyone like this person on our current client list?
Q:
What
is
your
commission
scale?
A: It can vary. Our accountant
tells us
the average is between 4 and 5%. The numbers vary depending on such
things as your salary, how long you've been with us, how long you've
been at a particular station, etc. We never collect a commission
forever and ever indefinitely. And, we do
not take a full commission if you send out a tape yourself and end up
getting a job from that mailing! If you re-sign at a station and you've
been paying us a full commission, you pay us just HALF on the renewal
contract. If you sign a third contract, you
can retain us for just 1% or say "good-bye" forever.
Q:
What
if
I
already
have
an
offer
and
just
want
you to rep me and
negotiate the deal?
A: click here for the answer
Q:
Why
do
I
need
someone
to
help
me
find
a
job?
A: click here
Q:
Where
do
I
send
my
tape
and
resume?
A: click here
Q:
Could
you
please
give
me
the
names
and
numbers
of
a few clients so that
I may talk with them about you and your services?
A: Absolutely. Email us and we'll send you that info: steve@davidcrane.com. Also, you
can see some of our clients listed at TVJobs.com.
Q:
Can
you
help
me
with
an
idea
I
have
for
a TV show?
A: Yes. Although we do not handle show "pitches" to network execs, we
have a good Hollywood connection for you. Click here to send
us an email and get his info.
Q:
Do
you
help
find
work
for
models,
actors
or
child
models or actors?
A: No.
Q:
What
are
your
contacts
like
in
the
Midwest
(or
South,
or West, or where
ever)?
A: We do not specialize
in any particular region. We have clients (and contacts) all over the
country, from Los Angeles to Boston to Miami and all points in between.
Q: What if I send you a
tape and you do not want to represent me?
A: We send you an email
saying so.
Q:
What
do
you
want
me
to
put
on
my
tape
to send to you?
A: Whatever you feel is
a good representation of who you are and what you do.
Or, if you've been sending out tapes to others, let us see that.
Q:
What
if
you
get
me
a
job
offer
and
I
do not accept?
A:
We
keep
trying.
Q:
If
you
get
my
tape,
am
I
automatically
in
contract
with you for your
services?
A:
Huh?
How
does
sending
us
a
tape
imply
a
contract
between us? IF we sign
an agreement to rep you, THEN you are "in contract".
Q:
When
you
receive
my
tape,
do
you
call
me
with
a critique? For charge?
For free?
A:
We
shy
away
from
critiques
of
people
we
do
not
want to rep. We have
found many people do not take well negative criticism.
Q:
What
is
a
typical
market
increase
for
your
clients.
For
example: I am
in market 199, can you get me a job in market 50, if I have the skills?
A:
We
don't
think
in
terms
of
market
size:
we
think
in terms of money (or
any other parameters you have outlined for us). An increase in market
size does not necessarily mean a like increase in salary. We have
placed people in small markets for six figures, and we have also placed
people in top ten markets for $40k (and vice-versa, of course). Typical
increase in salary is thirty to forty percent. Rarely does anyone
double their salary, but it can happen, especially if you're making
$40k or less.
Q: Is my work sent out with your other clients on one big reel?
A: No. Never. You are the only person on your dvd.
CLICK HERE TO GO BACK TO TOP OF PAGE
We are not the best fit for doctors or lawyers who do some TV now and
want to do more. Please do not contact us. Our business is
more "meat and potatoes": Anchors, Reporters, Sports Talent and
Meteorologists.
CLICK
HERE TO GO BACK TO TOP OF PAGE
DCA
Raleigh, North Carolina
TV news
talent agents job placement
employment agency tape duplication
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