RASHIDI HENDRIX

Talent Manager and Partner
Metallic Entertainment
info@metallicentertainment.com

Interview

• Where are you originally from?
  Bronx, NY

• Where do you currently reside?
  New York, NY

• What prompted you to get into the entertainment industry?
  I think I got bit by the bug when I went to a huge music entertainment conference called Jack The Rapper when I was 17 and found out there was a business side to entertainment. I would say that and meeting a few celebs there at the conference had me really curious and excited about a career. Then when I got to college and became a college marketing rep for Def Jam, I was sold!

• Please outline the services you provide for clients and any specialties.
  We work with our clients in a two-tier system. For our writer and director clients, current business includes staffing and managing the clients day-to-day while they are working on a series, including creating business development opportunities. And future business is the development of their projects, which includes germinating the packaging process, developing scripts, identifying buyers and ultimately getting a deal across the finish line. In addition, Metallic also develops, produces and distributes content for streaming, film and TV.

• What type of clients do you typically represent? What factors do you consider when deciding which clients to take on?
  We represent writers, directors and talent in the motion picture and television platforms. A more likely client for my roster is someone who has some experience and is currently working within the industry at the staff writer level or above if your a writer; or have sold TV or feature scripts to a buyer. With writers I look for distinct writing voices and skills in structure and dialogue. Directors have had to at least had made content for major festivals, a studio or have some episodes of TV they've directed. I love alumni of the various industry writer and director programs and diverse creatives of color.

• What is one thing people would be surprised to know about your profession? What is one of the biggest misconceptions?
  It's funny because I had someone tell me once that agents and managers don't get along! The real truth is we both are symbiotic to each other with our clients we share. We both have the same goal in furthering the careers of our clients. I have wonderful and long lasting relationships with our agency partners and feel like we compliment each other when rounding out the team for our clients.

• What are some challenges or obstacles you have faced as an African-American in this profession?
  Our sector of the business is really based on the value of your individual client roster; and while color may play a part in the deal making process, managers have the opportunity to put their clients in some pretty big rooms and opportunities if they have the strong and lasting relationships. I've gotten buyers to bite on a project or a script that they wouldn't necessarily thought about buying and were later more "surprised" to know a black writer wrote it. We have no control over what's in someone's heart when it comes to racial bias, but if the quality of work is superb and the package is tight, then its a win-win and a sale.

• What do you think can be done to improve diversity with regards to representation?
  Organizations like Diverse Representation really help because it's important for creatives to know they have options and that they can have the same successes in the business with an agent or manager that looks like them. In addition, by continuing to elevate at career track of assistants of color to agents, directors, SVPs and presidents will help some of these companies find a common diversity mission. The more diverse executives, then the more diverse creatives. They just have to want to do it in their offices.

• What advice would you have for other African-Americans looking to enter this profession?
  My advice is to start strengthen your buyer (Studio, network, production company) relationships within the industry. I suggest going to conferences and panels to meet these buyers like I did when I was starting out. Most managers who work in the motion picture & TV literary area started at an agency or management company and learn the business by repping creatives of their boss. You get to meet everyone and grow your contacts so that when you start building your roster, you have places to sell with already established and tight relationships set. Managing is a 100% a relationship business, so you really have to know everyone and be able to push buttons.

• What is the best way for people to get in touch with you?
  Email: info@metallicentertainment.com or IG - @rashidirara