#approvalchain

[dearartdirector]

Hi DAD, a piece of mine got killed at the final stage and i don't know why. the back and forth between me and the AD up to that point had been pretty positive, and i did all the revisions asked. i haven't heard from that AD since. will an AD not want to work with someone whose work has been killed?

This happens a lot, and often it has nothing to do with the artist’s work. I have had to kill pieces because a project got cancelled, because the final manuscript wasn’t anything like what we expected and the original art no longer fit, because everyone who was approving it all along got into a snit and hated what they said they loved. 

But, realistically, it also could have been something about your art. In that case, the AD probably feels badly about it, and isn’t going to go into detail unless asked, because a lot of artists don’t want honest feedback.

So you can say something like: “I just wanted to check in. I know the piece was killed, and I know this happens sometimes, but I just wanted to make sure that there wasn’t anything I could have done differently to help the process. If there is, I am open to the feedback and would love to maintain our working relationship.”

—Agent KillFee

[dearartdirector]

What does it mean for a book to be "routed"? My AD keeps using this term, and at this point I'm too embarrassed to ask what it means. Thanks!

Routed means going through a chain of approvers. For example, when a piece of art comes in, your Art Director sees it. Then it’s usually given to a designer to put in a template of some kind. Then that template is given back to the AD to approve. Then the Creative Director might need to see it. Then the Editor. Then the Publisher. Then maybe the author, agent, copy check, etc. 

Each pass through all of the necessary approvers is called one routing pass. 

—Agent KillFee

[dearartdirector]

I recently saw a designer named Ji Lee turn his instagram profile into a portfolio site that links to other pages that host different categories of his work, and he had an image for his resume. I wanted to know how art directors would feel if an artist sent them something like this instead of a website, would you recommend doing both or just sticking to a website?

However when I google “Ji Lee Artist” his portfolio site comes up right away. 

http://pleaseenjoy.com

If I go looking for his Instagram, the link is broken on his site (party foul) then if I go to Instagram and search for him, his normal profile comes up:

https://www.instagram.com/ji_lee_/

and only if I look in the bio of THAT Instagram profile does the link to the page you’re talking about come up:

https://www.instagram.com/jileeprojects/

It’s an interesting way to get your work seen on another platform, but he’s doing it IN ADDITION to a regular portfolio site, not instead of. It might get him noticed by an AD on Instagram…but he still needs a regular site to back it up. For one big reason artists never think about: Art Directors are not the end of the approval chain. Artists forget that most ADs need to take images from their site, or at least link to their site in order to get a project approved. We may need to send your work to authors, to editors, to publishers, and most annoying, we probably have to download images of your work, email them around, put them in presentations, etc. Do you know how much MORE annoying it is to have to dig out and screen shot every image buried in an Instagram profile? Generally ADs won’t do it. We may look at your Facebook profile to see if you have a work folder. Worst case, we’ll see what pops up on Google Image. And you know you don’t have any control over that. You do not want us going to Google as a last ditch attempt.

I will be honest with you, it’s not fair, but when I’m collecting artists to pitch to my approvers to hire for a project and I am super swamped, whether an artist has an easy-to-navigate-and-link-to portfolio absolutely affects whether they make the cut and get put into the batch. Especially if it’s a longer shot artist I’m not completely decided to put in the pitch in the first place.

Do YOU want to be the artist that gets left out because there’s no reliable place to link to and download your work?

No, I didn’t think so.

All the fancy/fun stuff on social media and sites should be extra. It should be window dressing, not the main show. Getting an AD to notice you is only half the battle. Getting them to use your work is just as important.

—Agent Negative Space

[dearartdirector]

Dear AD, I work with designers regularly (digital/interactive) and am hoping you can give me some tips on how you approach collaboration with designers. How do you handle situations where your vision and the designer's vision aren't in alignment and there needs to be a course correction? Also what's the balance between holding to a specific idea or concept vs trusting the designer to own the concept and run with it? Thanks!!!

I find it helps explain WHY you are asking for a change, because not only does it show that you’re not making changes just because you feel like it, it’s also a teaching moment for the artist that can usually help them in the future. For example, if you want to move something in the composition, it’s generally for a reason: to fit type in, to make something pop more, to simplify the piece and make it more legible at a glimpse…if you can articulate these things (briefly, don’t overwhelm them) to the artist then you might just get them to agree to your change happily.

That said, remember at the end of the day, the artist’s job is to make the most beautiful piece they can. Your approvers’ job is usually to sell things. As an AD, you are halfway between, and have to hold both goals in your head, sticking up for one side or the other as you see fit, and explaining why to the other side so that they can understand enough to go along with the plan. You’re the diplomat, the translator, the sweet-talker, and often the bomb-diffuser.

—Agent KillFee