FAQ

On a dark and stormy night in 2006, Jeremy Wortsman founded The Jacky Winter Group as a response to the lack of representation for contemporary Australian illustrators. Born in New York, Jeremy began his career in editorial design: he was the guy who commissioned illustrators. Upon relocating to Australia, he co-founded and designed Is Not Magazine with friend Stuart Geddes, later starting the design practice Chase & Galley together. Through these ventures he developed personal and professional relationships with a group of Melbourne-based illustrators; it became clear the Australian market did not have the foundation, budget or vision to enable these individuals to make a living plying their trade or to develop as artists, nor did clients have a clear way to access them. Thus, the seed of the idea to form an agency to help illustrators flourish was planted.

Before launching, Jeremy spent much time researching agencies in Australia and overseas. After careful evaluation, he found a distinct gap in the marketplace and took the opportunity to buck the dated system of representation in favour of an artist-friendly business model, with a mission to look out for interests of both artist and client in order to help the whole ecosystem thrive. The result of this work and research became The Jacky Winter Group.

What started with a hand-selected group of 12 artists and one agent in a Carlton North living room has expanded to a roster of over 100 artists across the globe, offices in Melbourne, New York, and London, a dedicated staff, and an agency internationally regarded as a beacon of creativity and powerful voice for creatives.

Nope. Illustration is where we started but, like any good brand, we’ve evolved over time. Trends change constantly—so we make sure we’re ahead of the pack. This is reflected in the artists we have on our books and the variety of visual disciplines they work in. We also do more than just represent. We work right through the production process—almost like your own creative department. Whatever you’re after, we have an army of the best visual talents on hand, and a team of agent-producers who can perform miracles.

Today we focus on image-making in all its guises. Together our agent-producers have negotiated and produced over 12,000 commissions for TVCs, murals, packaging, street posters, live illustration, 3D-printed sculptures, logos, augmented and virtual reality, fully integrated all-media campaigns, animated GIFs, brand ambassadorships, installations … and just about everything in between. Anywhere art goes, we do too.

Before we go further, we need to get this out of the way. There is no Jacky!

The Jacky Winter is a native Australian robin—a small grey-brown flycatcher with a faint pale eyeline and white underbody. This species is also known as the Brown Flycatcher, Postboy, White-tail or Peter-Peter. It is also completely adorable.

Apart from sharing the same initials as our director, the Jacky Winter is a symbol for the service we offer our represented talent: we give artists the freedom to take flight. Yes, it’s a bit corny (and birds are a bit 2009), but it was better than the alternatives at the time.

Starting in 2019, Jacky Winter moved to a seasonal model. Taking inspiration from high fashion and sport, we decided to do something that hasn’t been done in our industry before. Every Autumn/Winter and Summer/Spring we challenge ourselves to fully refresh—introduce new talent, present new work, and consider the changing needs of our artists, clients and industry. This process goes beyond the continual updates we make to everyone’s folios each week—it’s a larger opportunity for everyone on the roster (and our company as a whole) to take stock of their careers, reflect on their practice and re-present themselves on a broader scale as they evolve.

Aside from welcoming new talent and presenting the latest work and perspectives of the existing roster, each season also sees a collaborative reskinning of our homepage by two different artists. Using the page as their medium and playground, they work together to craft a suite of interactive elements and guide our visual thematics for that season.

The crux of it is we’re dedicated to creating an industry that is robust, meaningful and ever-evolving. We value and admire the creative process of art and commerce; to be able to work with some of the finest minds on both sides of the fence is something we treasure. Every individual under the Jacky Winter banner is there for a reason—as someone whose career we are able to contribute to in a meaningful way and whose work we see as a crucial addition to the market. The market we’re in moves quickly—doing what we do involves a balance of catering to what our clients want, keeping an eye out for the next big thing, discovering new talent and committing to developing the work of our existing talent so they can move in the right direction. By giving everyone a chance to reset each season, evolve who they are and the work they’re putting out, we ensure our clients are kept at the forefront of our industry at all times.

We do a LOT. As well as all of the projects we work on with our artists, there’s also tools, exhibitions, conferences, workshops, products and all sorts of other good stuff.

First, take a peek at our Projects page! There you’ll find all sorts of information about the many things we make and do, with links to each of their dedicated sites in case you want to dig deeper.

Then to stay on top of all things Jacky Winter—including job openings, events, artist happenings and all the rest—follow along on our Instagram, Behance and Newsletter.

Sometimes! Throughout the year, we have various opportunities at all three of our locations. All job openings, including work experience and internship positions, are advertised on our Instagram and newsletter, so follow us there to stay updated.

If your question isn’t answered in our FAQ, please email us at info@jackywinter.com and we’ll do our best to help you out. All requests for Jacky Winter artists will be passed on to the artist, and they’ll contact you directly if they’re available. However, please note that many of our artists receive many of these requests each year and so it’s often not possible for them to respond individually.

We love meeting people and sharing our knowledge and love for the arts, so let us know the situation and we’ll see what we can do. Email us at info@jackywinter.com with the dates you have in mind and we’ll talk.

If you work for an advertising agency or design studio and are interested in hosting one of our live Open Tabs events—a fast-paced, lighthearted exploration of trends and pop culture, held exclusively on-site at agency offices— head over here.

Lamington Drive is situated right where our Australian HQ is (52 Budd St, Collingwood) and hosts a new exhibition each month. To find out everything about our latest shows and opening hours, visit our gallery website.

There is no relief or relaxation when we are in the samsaric world; there is always some kind of struggle going on. Even when we are supposedly enjoying life, there is still struggle and all kinds of discomfort. We may try to solve that problem by going out to restaurants or the cinema, or by enjoying our friends; nonetheless, nothing really helps. That is what is called the first noble truth, the truth of suffering. Seemingly we are trapped without hope or any way out. And once we are in that situation, we are always in that situation: we are in pain all the time…the more we understand our state of being, the more we will understand why we are in pain. What we find is that the more into ourselves we are, the more we suffer, and the less into ourselves we are, the less we suffer…the reality is that we are all trapped in samsaric neurosis, everybody, without exception. It is best that you work with reality rather than with ideals. That is a good place to begin.

—Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche

We love this question—but it’s a complex one. It's usually the first thing people want to know and we get it! To that end we've actually made a brand spanking new pricing page to give you some hard and fast figures. Click here to see it.

We love it because every time we talk money it means an artist can get paid for their craft and we can be a part of bringing brands, agencies, startups and the wider community world-class artwork that inspires people, wins awards and makes people talk. But it’s complex, because in the visual world there isn’t a one-price-fits-all solution.

So the short answer is—we don’t know (right now). But we’ll be able to tell you quickly once we understand your project. The cost depends on a number of factors. Some of them include: what your project is, the artist, the deadline, where the work is going to be seen, among others. We take all this into consideration and also take information from standard day-rates set out by professional societies like the Association of Illustrators and NAVA.

Costing is an art that we take seriously; it's a delicate balance between the best value for clients and fair compensation for artists. Our entire ethos is built around supporting a healthy creative ecosystem. This means enabling artists to be full-time creators and ensuring clients have access to the very best in the business. We champion fair and competitive prices that benefit both sides of the equation. We also offer our clients the kind of premium service you won’t get anywhere else—five stars and then some.

Having said all that, we know vague answers aren’t satisfying in the slightest. So below is some more information about what goes into quoting your project.

• —•What’s the project? First step is to determine what you want—what the project is, why it’s going to be great and how we can help you out. You give us the details, we’ll ask a bunch of questions to figure out the best solution for your brief and what the options are for bringing it to life.
• —•What kind of client are you? We work with a variety of companies—from startups to charities, branding studios to advertising agencies, publishing houses to government departments—and each has different needs, budgets and audiences.
• —•What’s the creation time? This is exactly what it sounds like—the time it takes the artist to create the artwork you need. Once we understand the brief, we’ll give you an experienced estimate of this time, including room for feedback and amends.
• —•Where will your project be seen? Licensing and usage is a big part of working out an estimate, so it’s handy for clients to understand a bit more about it. Chances are, you’ve already come in contact with licensing multiple times today. Creative licensing is all around—in the songs we listen to and the TV shows we watch. The work created by our artists is similar, so that’s why their creative content is licensed for use. If you’ve bought an image from a library like Getty, you’ll be familiar with how usage plays into costs. We work in a similar way, but with a far more tailored approach.

The price of the licence fee is calculated by a number of things. Mostly, we look at how you’re going to feature the artwork and make sure you only get charged for what you’re going to use. Here are some of the things we consider:

• —•What kind of media (TV, online, print etc.) will it be seen in?
• —•How long will it be used for?
• —•Where in the world will it be seen?
• —•What is the audience of the client?
• —•Is the artist in demand or an up-and-comer?

Licensing exists to help both clients and artists. It gives clients better value for money and working closely with our agent-producers means they can price this accurately. It also means artists can keep creating for a living and you’ll always have access to the best talent around. On the whole, the way we price things helps keep the visual industry afloat and it’s a super important part of what we do. We feel so strongly about this that we spent years crafting a campaign, called Use It Or Lose It, with the sole aim of helping clients and artists better understand how licensing works. If you’d like to learn more, that’s a brilliant place to start.

Work such as logo design, ambient media, or paid pitch/research such as storyboarding is a little different, and these usually have their own usage terms. For editorial work, it’s different again. Your agent-producer will explain the details before the project starts, and we promise to make it snappy!

Would you sell your house yourself? Probably not. It’s a pain and there’s a bunch of people who can do a better job than you. So, as with anything important, you hire an expert. When it comes to the visual world—we’re your experts.

Many agents get a bad rap, and deservedly so. Jacky Winter is not a take-the-money-and-run operation. Sure, we’re great agents who represent and look out for our artists, but we’re also talented producers who understand the needs of our clients. We’re there to organise the contract, budget and schedule, but once the project kicks off we’re also there the whole way along to make sure it runs as it should.

Our agent-producers come from a broad variety of backgrounds—like advertising, editorial, marketing, design and animation—so we’re fluent in the languages of both artists and clients. Most of all, we know our artists really, really well. We know how they like to work, how to get the best out of them and how to communicate feedback in a way they understand. This may not sound like much, but you’d be surprised how differently each artist works, what they respond to and what makes them want to pull their hair out. Equally, we take the time to get to know our clients and their brands. Having a committed and proactive production partner that understands both worlds and who can build a bridge between them is vital to a successful and pain-free project.

Overall, our commitment to clients is the same as our commitment to artists: we’re there to ensure nothing gets missed; that the brief, specs and timeline are clear; that everyone knows what they’re agreeing to in terms of budget, licensing and scope. We make sure the client’s money is spent where it should be and they’re only paying for what they actually need. We keep everything on track and hold our artists accountable for what they’re delivering. We are a dedicated point of contact that a client can call whenever they have questions, need revisions, want to change the brief or deliver difficult feedback. We look after both sides of the commercial equation—while the artist focuses on the artwork, we’ll make sure the client's brief, time and money are respected. We’re the artist’s best friend because we’re also the client’s best friend. The two are co-dependent and without positive conditions and outcomes for each, neither can thrive.

Making the work is the best part. We also know it can be the most time-consuming and stressful part if not managed properly. That's why we’re here—to handle the production process and artist management so you don’t have to. We tailor our trusted process to your specific project and your agent-producer will be there to take you through each step of the journey.

To make things seamless, we have a range of custom-made and off-the-shelf online and digital tools we use to quote, gather feedback, keep schedules, showcase work and keep in touch. Again, we tailor the tools for the project—so if we can’t find something that works, we make it.

The exact steps from contact to completion vary from brief to brief, but there’s a solid framework underpinning everything we do. For a taste of how it goes, read on.

STEP 1: GET IN TOUCH

It’s tough choosing between incredible talent, so let us help. If you already know what you’re after—great. If not, even better, because as a creative partner we can add more value early on. Our agent-producers are trained specialists—they know their stuff. So with every project we’ll see red flags before they become an issue and tell you if an idea is feasible within the timeframe and budget. Bouncing ideas off someone else helps. We’ll talk through your ideas, make recommendations and propose workarounds if the budget isn’t stretching as far as you’d like.

STEP 2: PICKING YOUR A-TEAM

We match the agent-producer to the project. As well as being highly experienced across the full gamut of creative production, each has particular specialties. You’ll work with an expert who’s been through it all before and who will find you the best talent for your brief.

While each artist has their own style, they’re incredibly diverse in what they can do. You’ll get thorough insight into each of them from our site, but we know their work better than anyone so if you don’t see exactly what you’re after, chances are we can find the right reference material from our enormous internal system or dig up the perfect match through our extensive network.

Once you’ve settled on someone, we’ll work with you to flesh out the details of the job. This part is important because it helps us put together a more accurate estimate and make sure we can prepare to bring your project to life exactly as you need it. From there, we’ll let you know your artist’s availability, get going with quoting and work out a schedule.

STEP 3: THE BRIEFING

Alright, the estimate is approved and we have a production plan in place so we can make sure we’re meeting timings, budget and final deliverables. Now, on to working with your agent-producer to brief your artist.

Briefing your artist is probably the most important step because it’s here you define what you want and get to know your artist and their process. If you say you don’t mind what colours are used, but deep down want to see orange, now’s the time to say it.

Your agent-producer will work with you to decide the best way to do the briefing, it might be over the phone, in person, via video chat, or through a great collaboration tool like Basecamp. By the end of the briefing session, everyone will have a better idea of what they want, and our job is to make sure it all happens.

STEP 4: THE PRODUCTION PROCESS

Each artist approaches their projects differently. Some like to write out the idea first, some like to sketch, and some do a more detailed picture right off the bat. If it’s live-action or animation we get into treatments or storyboards. Either way, we’ll keep you posted on what to expect at each stage and what feedback is required to keep things moving.

These projects are collaborations and feedback is a vital cog in the machine. We’ll help you figure out the best way to communicate with your artist so they can make the required adjustments over several rounds of revisions. We build a certain number of these into the original quote, based on your specific needs, so you’ll always be aware of what you’re covered for.

The whole process of crafting the idea may go back and forth a few times until everyone is happy and super excited about taking it to the next step. If your job is, for example, a gigantic car park mural or live storyboarding event, there will be a load of logistical work your agent-producer will take care of behind the scenes so your artist can concentrate on what they do best. However, no matter how big or small the project, the crucial idea of working collaboratively throughout the process remains the same. You’ll always have direct access to your artist with us there to steer the ship from start to finish.

STEP 5: THE FINAL COUNTDOWN

Ok, when approvals have been signed and the team is happy, it’s time to go to finished art, the shoot, building the installation or exporting the final render of an animation. You will have seen your project evolve throughout each stage, but there’s nothing quite like seeing the final thing come to life! Final art is supplied according to the job—it could be anything from a digital file, an installation or a framed oil painting.

When we’ve all high-fived for a job well done, an invoice will be raised and your license will be issued. We’ll make sure you’ve got everything you need before you go, and we’ll be waiting and ready for anything else that comes up.

Glad you asked! We’ve got just the thing for you.

Fair licensing agreements aren’t like your keys or bus pass—to keep on top of them you can’t just buy a snazzy lanyard and call it a day. It takes ongoing reevaluation to keep these contracts relevant and effective, but that in itself can be a daunting task. That’s why we created Use It Or Lose It—a campaign looking to ignite a conversation around the current practice of licensing and usage by providing reliable information and encouraging both clients and artists to educate themselves on the importance of fair licensing and usage fees.

We’ve spent years building the research and knowledge to pull it together and have included everything you need to know, explaining the importance of usage and licensing for both sides of the contract, as well as FAQs and an ever-growing list of resources that will help you learn more about this vital issue. We’re hoping that by starting this conversation we can keep our industry healthy and thriving for many more years to come.

Unless you change your mind on what you’re after, or need to go through extra rounds of revisions to get things just right, the estimate won’t change! It’s our job to understand your project, what it will take to realise it, and give you accurate costs to work into your budgets.

Of course, we understand that things change. Maybe you need a few extra pieces or want to increase the usage. Whatever it is, we’re here to help you make that happen and keep things moving as smoothly as possible. And we’ll always send you an estimate of the overages to sign-off on before any extra work commences.

We do! And it’s been very carefully crafted over many years to look after the health of all sides of the industry. Most importantly, it’s all written in plain English, so everyone can easily understand the fine print. No nasty surprises for anyone.

You’ll be able to read through all of these when we deliver the estimate. We understand that clients and projects have different needs, so we tailor the specifics to fit snugly with each and every one.

If you have your own contract, that’s fine too! We’re all set up here to review it, talk it through with you to make any required adjustments and make sure the artist understands the terms.

The Field Guide is our annual (and highly coveted) guide to everyone on the Jacky Winter roster. Considered an invaluable industry sourcebook, the publication is given a full redesign every year and has become somewhat of a collector’s item. If you’re in the business of commissioning art, think you’d like to work with us one day, or simply have to get your hands on one head on over to our very special VIP site for more info.

One of the best parts of our job is finding new talent, and we need new artists just as much as artists need agents! What makes Jacky Winter so great is the variety of creatives we have on our books. We’ve spent a lot of time shaping and building our roster. This means our people are not only supremely talented, but also ones we enjoy working with (and our clients do, too).

There’s a lot of talent out there. While we would love to bring on every talented artist we meet, we have to be picky. Who we choose to represent depends on many factors, but what it really comes down to is striking the right balance of artists that bring different styles to the mix and making sure that we can bring real value to those we take under our wing.

The Jacky Winter Group once exclusively represented Australasian artists (living abroad and locally), but now represents international artists in growing numbers. We’re always looking for talented people who can do things like:

• —•Illustration
• —•Typography
• —•Visualisation
• —•Animation
• —•Craft
• —•3D & CGI
• —•Installations
• —•Live art
• —•Anything interesting we haven’t listed above

What we’re looking for in an artist is a hard question to answer. Mostly we know it when we see it. However, the first thing we look for is a good attitude. Seriously. Our trade is commercial art, and as much as we represent artists, we need to be 100% confident that our artists will represent the agency and its clients in a positive light.

We also look for a consistent, inimitable style. When clients come to Jacky Winter, it’s usually for artists that are the best at what they do. We like to see personality shine through, and most of all, we like to see ideas and thinking behind your work.

If you’re interested in submitting your work, we suggest you first take a look at the roster and projects (we post a lot to our Instagram) and think about what you could bring to the table that’s unique. Then have a read of the submission guidelines below.

If you’d like to submit your work for consideration, please email us—we guarantee it’ll be seen. Send an email to submissions@jackywinter.com with a link to your portfolio or a small PDF featuring a selection of work.

Ok, this last bit is important. When you get in touch, tell us something about yourself that’s longer than one sentence, but shorter than an autobiography. Also, please don’t address the email to Jacky (there is no Jacky) or send your work to us in a long CC’d list of agents—we like to feel a bit special.

We understand you may prefer to go through your work in person and get feedback. If that’s something you’re interested in, you’re in luck! Our Choreus offering has you covered.

We really appreciate you sending us your folio. Seriously, we know how hard it is out there and we’re in awe of you just for doing the work. We’re so excited by just how much talent there is in the world—but that also means we receive so many submissions we’re only able to respond to those who are a good fit. We’re sorry it has to be this way!

If you’re not successful, it isn’t the end of the road and it’s not a negative reflection on your portfolio. It might be because what you do is really specific and there won’t be enough client demand (at this point in time). Perhaps you need more time to develop your work, or we already have an artist with a similar style.

So, what to do? You could always try another agency—each one is looking for (and offers) different things, so it’s worth doing your research to see which could be the best match for you. Or you could look into the on-demand production and consultation services we provide through Choreus. And you know what? Circumstances change and so do you as an artist. We definitely encourage you to continue sending your folio to us as your work develops—there a non-zero number of artists currently on our books that submitted their work a few times before coming on board, so keep your eyes on the prize!

Absolutely! That’s exactly why we started Choreus. Choreus provides on-demand production services to freelance creatives, who aren’t on the Jacky Winter roster. Whether you need head-to-toe project management, pricing advice, help with a tricky client, career guidance, a legal consult, or a community of like-minded artists—we’ve got you covered. The same team of specialist agent-producers and three levels of services to suit those at all stages of their careers. You can also book a single one-on-one session here.

Glad you asked! We’ve got just the thing for you.

Fair licensing agreements aren’t like your keys or bus pass—to keep on top of them you can’t just buy a snazzy lanyard and call it a day. It takes ongoing reevaluation to keep these contracts relevant and effective, but that in itself can be a daunting task. That’s why we created Use It Or Lose It—a campaign looking to ignite a conversation around the current practice of licensing and usage by providing reliable information and encouraging both clients and artists to educate themselves on the importance of fair licensing and usage fees.

We’ve spent years building the research and knowledge to pull it together and have included everything you need to know, explaining the importance of usage and licensing for both sides of the contract, as well as FAQs and an ever-growing list of resources that will help you learn more about this vital issue. We’re hoping that by starting this conversation we can keep our industry healthy and thriving for many more years to come.