Questions about Agency/representation

[Carsten W]

Dustblue, I am no pro and cannot advise you, but what I see in this thread is that pretty much everyone finds the contract too limiting, and you should proceed very cautiously, but you are very gung-ho and want to proceed. Getting stuck in a legal battle at some later point could severely limit your near future, especially if they are well known and you are not. Why not try to get a smaller contract out of them?

[dustblue]

but I would limit the contractual relationship to one or two very specific types of assignments. Otherwise, they will a noose on you for everything, and as stated, will want their cut, and possibly ownership of all the work.

Good point. I've thinked about that too. I would limit only works from 4A company to them, and Editorial and direct Catalogue clients to myself.
Thank you:)

[dustblue]

Ah...I'm sure I'll do it very cautiously, I'll keep all the advices you guys said in my mind, those are really very helpful  
I dont know what gung-ho means, but I'm not a stubborn guy, I would try my best to limit the time to less than 2 years, and pay good attention to every propose they'd offer:)

Thank you carstenw  

Dustblue, I am no pro and cannot advise you, but what I see in this thread is that pretty much everyone finds the contract too limiting, and you should proceed very cautiously, but you are very gung-ho and want to proceed. Getting stuck in a legal battle at some later point could severely limit your near future, especially if they are well known and you are not. Why not try to get a smaller contract out of them?

[Carsten W]

The original Mandarin Chinese phrase is apparently Gōnghé (工合), meaning work together. In "western-speak" Gung Ho just means enthusiastic.   Good luck with your agency.

[david o]

.... I'll make sure there is an item to secure the future works from them, like "if I don't get ## works/month from you, you pay me at least ##$/month", ...

Dustblue

Dustblue
please keep us posted if you ever get something like that... I'd be surprised. But if you do as I don't have a rep in china and never thougth... I'd like this one.  

[dustblue]

Actually at the day we talked they even proposed to give me a "salary", to make sure I wouldn't die   if they don't give me work for a long while. Anyway I just have to wait to the next weekend, before we get another meet.
I'm a local guy and my clients are all local too for now, so the situation would be a little different for a non-local photographer, I guess.

Dustblue
please keep us posted if you ever get something like that... I'd be surprised. But if you do as I don't have a rep in china and never thougth... I'd like this one.