[Typo3-marketing] Web Designers need Agents

[Gabriel Anast]

One thing that I have been thinking about for a while is that the Typo3 
community needs to have an internal bidding/job sharing 
engine/methodology. Already the Typo3 community seems to be much closer 
than any other community that I have worked with, and it seems to me 
that there are some incredibly talented individuals and companies 
amongst us... not the least of whom is Kasper himself.

I know there was some Russian guy that brought up this very idea and 
made a forum... but... it was just the idea... not a creative means of 
making it work.

<begin rabbit trail />
So, my wife is a budding screenwriter and is in the process of finding 
the right agent. There are small and large talent agents all over the 
place. Some are good at what they do, and some are morons... The big 
ones have the advantage of existing contracts with large companies, the 
small ones are often harder workers... etc. The bottom line is that 
without an agent, my wife as a screenwriter is up a creek without a 
paddle. She has a hard time getting production companies to have any 
interest in her otherwise good (in my opinion) work, she has no idea how 
to negotiate a good deal, and has no idea how to make a deal work once 
it has been made.

However, she is really good at what she does, she tells stories.

She doesn't want to make sure studio X pays her royalties, she doesn't 
want to jump through hoops to get her story to the producer that wants 
it, she doesn't want to become an armchair lawyer just to negotiate a 
decent contract. She wants to write stories... oh, and see them made 
into movies.

She needs an agent.

<back to the point />

As I have watched this process and kibitzed along the way, it never 
dawned on me that I am in exactly the same position... until one day I 
was looking at an agency that she was considering and I noticed that 
they manage actors, playwrites, directors, producers, singers, dancers, 
web designers, graphic artists...

What? Web designers? Web Designers need agents?

It seemed that the sky cleared over my foggy brain and I suddenly 
realized, "That's how certain web design consultancies get to work for 
the big boys..."

Aaaaahhhh.... what a revelation. As I slowly rubbed the "Idiot" imprint 
from my sweaty brow, I began to muse about Typo3 and the wonderful 
community that it has fostered.

Individually there are a few among us that could actually get 
represented by one or another of the larger talent agencies... I could 
probably get represented just because I would make the effort to do so...

So... my thoughts currently are that a few of us need to get agents, and 
jobs for the companies that they represent... and then a bidding engine, 
or a work available forum would bake a lot of sense. A good design 
company with an agent can almost certainly get more work than they can 
themselves fulfill. Where to look for contractors? Typo3.org

...gears are turning...

I am going to try to get an agency that is interested in representing my 
company. I will chronicle my endeavor here.

--gabe