We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Andrea Raisfeld. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Andrea below.
Andrea, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s start big picture – what are some of biggest trends you are seeing in your industry?
Though I compete with a number of people who do the same work I do–agents providing background locations for tv, social media, movies, and advertising–my competitors and I often happily collaborate to discuss challenges, problems, and factors affecting the business of locations. In the past, it was most often to share information about a problem individual, whether that person is a homeowner, a producer, or a scout acting unethically, we try to help each other avoid “red flags.” With the rise of platforms like Giggster, Peerspace, and Splacer, we have worked together to bolster the work of the agent against the anonymity of an internet platform. Our newest concern is the encroachment of AI which has the potential to replace our work of providing locations, which is already becoming a reality in some cases. We have seen instances of scouts photographing a location, and those images then get used to virtually recreate a set that can be used in perpetuity without any permission from the homeowner or remuneration.
Andrea, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
It was my first week in our new house in Bedford, NY. I had two little boys, 4 and 2, and an 8-week-old baby girl. I had my first au pair in place, and my husband was already back on the road. A photographer, he traveled a good part of the time to shoot on location for advertising and catalogs and magazines. I took my first walk on Guard Hill Road, a beautiful dirt road, and was soaking in all the beautiful houses along the way, thinking, I bet there are a lot of great locations right here. From my husband’s work at so many locations, and my own as a contributing editor at Martha Stewart Living, I knew what made a good location. By the time I got back from my walk, I’d decided that that was going to be my work. I asked my brother in law to design my business card, and there was born Andrea Raisfeld Locations. Because so many of our friends and colleagues were in the world of production as stylists, photographers, and producers, I could easily put out the word. Did I mention it was pre digital cameras? Pre internet?? But somehow, later that same week, I was out seeking a location for the renowned photographer Steven Meisel, who was represented by the same agency as my husband. I began to reach out to neighbors, friends, and as word spread, so did my opportunities. Back then, I would shoot with a 35 mm film camera, have the film processed at CVS, and would tape the pictures onto manila folders, which I could store in a 3-ring binder. I kept two binders, which I would have to sort through to send out via FedEx, either involving my racing to get it into the box by a certain hour, or asking a client holding one of my binders to send it to another address. Awkward! Bulky! Inefficient! Not a natural “first adopter,” I reluctantly made the switch to a digital camera, AND, hired a local man, the only person I knew in this new field, to design a website. It was awful and expensive and never saw the light of day. I showed his work to a friend I new through the Martha-world who pushed it aside, and while I sat across from him, he quickly banged out the website I still use today. My kids describe it as “first generation,” and while it is lacking some features that a more modern site would offer, it is now old enough to have a vintage quality. It is also easy and efficient and familiar to my regulars, and as I often tell my middle son who is in the business of designing websites, I’m busier than I can often handle, so why undergo the intense time burden of updating? I’m always shooting and uploading new locations, so always have new “content” to offer, and my most important goal of quickly providing the right location for any request keeps me top of mind for anyone who has worked with me.
Any thoughts, advice, or strategies you can share for fostering brand loyalty?
Mine is a response business. The sales end is being fast and professional in responding to client requests. While I try to remain top of mind among my clientele with instagram posts, and occasional mailchimp promotions, the key thing to building loyal clients is to be a fast responder with targeted locations that fit their specific requests. I try to do so with positivity, curiosity, and a personal touch. I have a number of competitors in the New York area, and know that clients often come to us all with the same request, so if I can be first to respond with well-chosen options, I’m most likely to “get the business.” I try to make them feel personally attended to, by asking about their kids, pets, or mention a recent post I’ve seen, or something that made me think of them. If they have many choices of who they can go to for a particular production, I want them to think of me as fast, accurate, professional, and pleasant to deal with. Very simple really! I also take pride in my clean/clear photos of the locations, making them well-composed, bright, and thorough. Throughout the process, from the original request to the eventual booking (if things go well), I want the whole transaction to feel smooth and painless. I always see my job–and this is true for so many jobs– as a problem-solver. Producers have enough problems, which is basically the definition of the job of a producer, that I want them to feel that by working with me, they can be sure that I won’t create problems for them.
Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?
Well, in that my company is me and my assistant, it’s pretty simple. Pay a good salary, make vacation days unlimited, share in the profits, and allow flexibility in her schedule. Doctors appointments, haircuts, car repairs–she knows she can live her life without jeopardizing her position. I try to always be appreciative, be fair and clear when something requires more or better attention, and give occasional morale boosting bonuses or gift cards for local restaurants. When I am on an actual vacation (as opposed to a working trip) I pay her a bonus “combat fee” to handle it all. And my assistant is appreciative of that as well. If I poke my nose into emails when I’m supposed to be on vacation, she will kindly kick me out! There are instances when she does have to put in some after-hours time, and because I often allow her to “head out” on a quiet day, it balances out nicely. If I feel there’s a potential issue brewing, I do try to have open communication about it.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.arlocations.com
- Instagram: @arlocations
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/andrearaisfeldlocations
