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TALENT: We consider
EVERYONE, but choose few. We are
particularly "low" on these types:
- Reporters in the Pacific and Mountain
time zones
- White people!
- Meteorologists in all size markets.
- Anchors in small and medium markets
looking to move up!
- Reporters and VJ's now making less
than $35k
We are always looking for
great people, but we have very few of
the types above.
We look at ALL tapes and dvd's, so feel
free to send!
If you are a
doctor or lawyer looking to do more TV,
click
here.
Too green to have an agent? Never!
Some of our best and most successful
clients came to us straight out of
school or from their first jobs.
- 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 and web page (with streaming
video) for you. We don't
outsource these duties to a third
party costing you extra
bucks. WE do it.
- 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(at)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, 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 about 100
clients, and about a third are currently
seeking new positions.
Persons interested in representation
should send tape or DVD 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: click
here
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!
LEN KIESE to
Morning Anchor at WIS in Columbia, SC
(from weekends at WTLV, Jacksonville).
Meteorologist
CAITLIN ROTH to weekends at WTXF,
Philadelphia (from WOWT, Omaha).
CHELSEA RABIDEAU to
WHAS, Louisville, as Weekend Anchor
(from KULR, Billings).
TOM GILES
joins KXLY in Spokane as Weekend
Sports Anchor and Reporter.
DONNA CORDOVA to
Reporter at KCRA in Sacramento.
RENEE STOLL to
Reporter, WFTV, Orlando.
Meteorologist
STEPHANIE ORTMANN to weekends at WRTV,
Indianapolis (from KOLN, Lincoln).
Meteorologist
VALERI ABATI, WLWT, Cincinnati.
JONATHAN CARTER to
9pm Anchor at KCTV/KSMO, Kansas City.
CHRIS HARRIS to
Weekend Sports Anchor and Reporter at
WSMV, Nashville (from WBMA,
Birmingham).
CHRIS STANFORD to
Reporter at WCCO in Minneapolis (from
WQOW, La Crosse).
BRITTNY (not a
typo) McGRAW to Weekend Morning Anchor
and Reporter, WPXI, Pittsburgh (from
WHIO, Dayton).
Reporter ERIC
RASMUSSEN moves west to KTVU, San
Francisco-Oakland (from WFTV,
Orlando).
CLICK HERE TO
GO BACK TO TOP OF PAGE
Our Philosophy (some of it)
"PATIENCE,
GRASSHOPPER . . ."
For those of you too young to remember,
that line was made famous by the old TV
show "Kung Fu". As the young
apprentice (nicknamed "Grasshopper") was
learning from his Master, the Master was
often heard saying, "Patience,
Grasshopper."
We hear this a lot: "What's taking so
long? It only took me three weeks to
get my last job!"
This time around, the competition will be
more fierce. The talent you're up
against with will be better than the last
time around. Also, there won't be as
many jobs that you'll be willing to take.
The higher the salary level, the
fewer jobs.
Three things need to happen before the
phone rings for you:
1) there needs to be an opening (and it
needs to be in a market desirable to you)
2) they need to be looking for your "type"
(gender, age, experience, hair color,
build, skills, etc.)
3) they need to like your stuff (makes no
difference how good you are, so this last
one is totally subjective, NOT objective
).
Those are all things pretty much out of
your control, but they are the major
hurdles between you and the next
job. That said, concentrate on
improving things which are within your
control: writing, appearance, vocal
skills, etc., and try to ignore all the
market factors over which you have no
control.
Typically, it takes us about three to four
months to get you an offer that you really
like.
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: click
here.
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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