Tips for Film & TV Crew from Rebecca Fayyad Palud

Lux Artists' Rebecca Fayyad Palud recently led a series of one-on-one sessions with several Mandy members, helping them in their careers. Rebecca joined Artistry in LA in 2004 where she worked as a Below the line Agent for 8 years developing several cinematographers careers. In 2013, Rebecca moved to Europe and co-founded the agency LUX Artists opening offices in London and Paris. LUX Artist represent some of the most sought-after Cinematographers, Editors, Production Designers etc. Lux Artist represent for example DoPs Darius Khondji (Se7en, Uncut Gems, Midnight in Paris), Rob Hardy ( Mission Impossible: Fallout, Ex Machina, Annihilation) and editors Nicolas Chaudeurge (Black Mirror, Top Boy, Still Alice), Yorgos Mavropsaridis (The Favourite, The Killing of a Sacred Deer, The Lobster).

These sessions were a chance for film and TV crew to get feedback on their showreel, advice on the next step in their career, how to get a good agent, how they should communicate with their agent and get all their questions answered about an agent/client relationship.


Here are a few tips Rebecca gave to our members:

  • To ensure your best chance at success, act as your own agent when starting out and be proactive in seeking out new creative opportunities.
  • Keep your portfolio specific to the kind of work you are pursuing
  • Identify and understand your work and stay true to your style as a creative.
  • Always try to diversify your experience. Consider doing commercials, narrative work and more. This will mean you are not stuck in just one area.
  • When it comes to your website, less is more. Professionals have a tendency to show everything we have done on our website, which can be confusing for people scrolling through.
  • Consider removing less attractive work from your website or reel. Quality over quantity is important.
  • Understand that a large portion of work may come from finding collaborators on your own.
  • As an editor, focus on your strengths and build your client portfolio this way.


Our members loved the opportunity to chat with Rebecca. Here are a few testimonials from them:

  • “How was the session: I really enjoyed my session with Rebecca - she was incredibly supportive and encouraging and was happy to share lots of great suggestions regarding reaching the next stage in my career. Sessions like these are incredibly inspiring and motivating for young professionals” - Ola Mesmer
  • “I really enjoyed the session with Rebecca. It's been a long time that I have wanted to talk to an agent, and it was a great opportunity. She gave her time generously and answered all my questions. I feel like I have a better understanding of what might not work on my website, and I also want to show more of the things that I really love, instead of showing that I did a lot of projects. I am going to be more selective.” - Senda Bonnet
  • “I absolutely loved the session with Rebecca. She had a ton of insight into my website and ways to present myself and my work better. I found her to be super kind and really interested in helping me further my career in the time we had together.” - Marcus Patterson
  • “Thank you for this opportunity, it was very helpful. I’ve since implemented all of Rebecca’s valuable recommendations.” - Jasper Enujuba
  • “It was very helpful to talk to Rebecca. She had a detailed look at my skills and experiences and told me that I am very talented in short-form and also advised me to stick on the advertisement side of the film industry and said she believes that I might prefer TV advertising. I found the session very encouraging!” - Deniz Kavalali


Do you want to attend the next Mandy Surgery?

Mandy Surgery sessions provide an opportunity for professionals to get free one-on-one career advice from top industry professionals in the industry. These events are run exclusively for Premium Members. Keep an eye out for the next Mandy Surgery here.