The Ad Agency & Photographer Dynamic

[benjikan]

The Ad Agency & Photographer Dynamic

For those of you interested in knowing the process of how an Ad Agency hires a photographer, here it is...

An Ad Agency will have a client and the agency will know what the client budget is for the year for Communications, Media, B to B, B to C etc. The agency will suggest certain marketing solutions to the client. Based on the analysis, decisions will be made as to which solutions best suit the clients’ goals. Is it Internet, Press, PLV, Viral, Events, PLV’s etc. Once the decision is made and if they decide to do an image related Ad Campaign the next steps follow suit.

There is a briefing by the agency with the commercial side of the clients sector. Based on that the Creative Director and Account Executive will discuss the client needs. Based on the briefing the CD will speak with internal traffic of the Ad Agency to find an Art Director or Director’s based on the size of the budget and Copy-writing team to work with the AD. They always work in couples AD & CW. The CD will brief them vaguely to give them a lot of latitude but based on the client briefing. Once a concept is accepted by the agency they present it to the client. If it is accepted the next step follows. An Art Buyer will be shown the layout that was accepted by the client. Based on the style of the layout the Art Buyer will start to contact talent that will be able to fulfill that criteria. She/He will contact the Photographer Agents to call in books of Photographers that might relate to the style being sought. This is the same for Still Life, Autos, Beauty, Fashion, Architecture, Tourism etc.

After looking at several books, three to five are chosen by the agency. These books will go with the CD, AD AE to the client. The AD will generally have a preference and fight for it on occasion. The client has the final say, with some diplomatic coaxing. Now prior to that meeting the AB knew the daily rate of the photographer. This doesn’t include royalties.

Once the photographer has been chosen the Photographer and the Photographer Agent will come to the agency to be briefed by the AB, AD and often CD. The AB will ask which team they wish to work with. I.e, Model agency (model or model’s), hair, make-up, fashion/beauty stylist, set designer, retoucher, studio, lights etc. The AB will negotiate with the agents of all of the above talent in a similar fashion as was done with the photographer. Dates for the shoot are coordinated and confirmed. On the day of the shoot a team of up to twenty people may be on the set. Agency, Client and Team. Payment is 90 days from presentation of final images.

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[Franglais]

When I look in the (French) fashion magazines it looks like at least half of the fashion shoots are done out in the field i.e. not in a studio. I've come across a few shoots in Paris streets and there seems to be a fairly reduced crew:

- Photographer
- Model(s)
- Make-up and hairdresser
- Stylist

If there's a lot of lighting gear, a bus for people to change in and generally a big crowd then it's usually a film set, not a photo shoot.

Is that a fair description of a street shoot?