Sara Putt Associates
Sara Putt Associates is a UK-based independent talent agency, founded in 1989 and based at Shepperton Studios, representing behind-the-camera Heads of Department, crew, and emerging talent for film and high-end television drama productions across the United Kingdom.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1989
- HeadquartersMiddlesex, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Sara Putt Associates does
Sara Putt Associates is a UK private talent agency founded in 1989 by Sara Putt, operating from Shepperton Studios in Middlesex. The agency represents behind-the-camera talent for film and high-end television drama, with dedicated rosters for Heads of Department (covering 1st Assistant Directors, Directors of Photography, Editors, Costume Designers, Hair & Make-Up Designers, Sound Mixers, Production Designers, and more), SPA Crew (camera operators, focus pullers, boom operators, and other technical grades), Makers & Creators (emerging directors and producers), and the annual Trainee Scheme cohort (~25 intake). Supporting products include the Sara Putt Associates Foundation Scheme (run by Nicola Lees), which scouts talent excluded from other industry entry programmes and currently tracks 100+ people across all grades, and the Sara Putt Associates Trainee Scheme, a professional development programme of approximately 10 Saturday workshops priced at £150 incl. VAT for the 2027 cohort delivered via Zoom.
The agency's underlying technology is a web-based client portal that provides password-protected access to production lists and talent profiles segmented by department, with no public pricing for representation services and onboarding via direct email enquiry ([email protected]). In 2021 Sara Putt Associates co-founded The Partnership Group alongside sister agencies Sayle Screen and The Artists Partnership, creating a combined above- and below-the-line representation network that cross-refers clients. The agency markets itself through its website, Facebook and Instagram presence, industry events, and PR coverage of client production credits, while GTM motion is direct B2B relationship selling to UK production companies, studios, and productions.
Revenue is generated through standard talent agency commission on placements, with no external investors, no disclosed revenue, and no parent holding company. Founder Sara Putt continues as Managing Director and Agent, also serving as Chair of BAFTA (Trustee since 2014), Trustee of the Film and TV Charity, and Advisory Board member of the British Film Commission. The agency employs 11–50 staff (approximately 13 named on the website) including six agents plus office, events, and finance support.
Sara Putt Associates firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Sara Putt Associates
- Legal name
- Sara Putt Associates
- Website
- https://saraputt.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1989
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Sara Putt Associates is a UK-based independent talent agency, founded in 1989 and based at Shepperton Studios, representing behind-the-camera Heads of Department, crew, and emerging talent for film and high-end television drama productions across the United Kingdom.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Sara Putt Associates industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Talent Representation Services
- NAICS
- Agents and Managers for Artists, Athletes, Entertainers, and Other Public Figures (7114), Employment Placement Agencies (561311)
- SIC
- Services-Allied To Motion Picture Production (7819), Services-Employment Agencies (7361)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Casting & Talent Placement (Sessions, Bands, Touring Musicians) (MPAIAGAM)
Keywords
Where Sara Putt Associates is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Middlesex
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Sara Putt Associates business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | One time/ perpetual license | Trainee Scheme - Professional development programme |
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
Sara Putt Associates product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Sara Putt Associates is a UK talent agency that represents behind-the-camera technical and production professionals for film and television productions. Its roster spans heads of department (1st Assistant Directors, Directors of Photography, Editors, Costume Designers, Hair & Make-Up Designers), SPA Crew (camera operators, focus pullers, sound technicians, production staff), emerging directors and producers, and trainees. The agency also runs a Trainee Scheme and Foundation Scheme to develop new and diverse talent entering the industry.
Product overview
Sara Putt Associates is a single, unified talent agency rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. The core offering is the agency service representing behind-the-camera technical and production talent for UK film and television, encompassing Heads of Department (1st Assistant Directors, Directors of Photography, Editors, Costume Designers, Hair & MakeUp Designers, etc.), SPA Crew (camera operators, focus pullers, sound technicians, production staff), Makers & Creators (emerging directors and producers), and Trainees. Supporting services include the Trainee Scheme (professional development programme with workshops) and Foundation Scheme (talent scouting for those ineligible for the main trainee programme). In 2021, the agency formed 'The Partnership Group' alongside Sayle Screen and The Artists Partnership. Clients access talent rosters through a password-protected Production Lists portal.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Sara Putt Associates Trainee Scheme: Professional development programme supporting trainees working behind the camera in High End TV drama and film, with approximately 25 annual intakes receiving training through interactive online workshops
- Sara Putt Associates Foundation
Products and services
- Sara Putt Associates Agency (Talent Representation) Core agency service representing behind-the-camera technical and production talent for UK film and television productions, covering heads of department (1st ADs, Directors of Photography, Editors, Costume Designers, Hair & Make-Up Designers, etc.), SPA Crew (camera operators, focus pullers, sound technicians, production staff), Makers & Creators (emerging directors and producers), and Trainees. The offering is aimed at production companies and studios seeking to staff productions.
- Production Lists (Client Portal)
Companies that use Sara Putt Associates
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Sara Putt Associates technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Sara Putt Associates partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.
- Sayle ScreencoreSister agency and founding partner of The Partnership Group, established in 2021 alongside Sara Putt Associates to maximise opportunities for all clients.
- The Artists PartnershipcoreSister agency and founding partner of The Partnership Group, representing above and below the line talent with similar values to Sara Putt Associates.
- The Partnership GroupcorePartnership established in 2021 between Sara Putt Associates, Sayle Screen and The Artists Partnership to maximise opportunities for all clients. Together they represent above and below the line talent behind and in front of the camera.
- BAFTAflagshipSara Putt, founder and MD, serves as Chair of BAFTA where she has been a Trustee since 2014.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Sara Putt Associates competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- United Agents: Major UK full-service agency across acting, writing, directing, and below-the-line talent. Competes on HoD placements from a wider portfolio scale; useful comparator for breadth-vs-specialization dynamics.
- Creative Artists Agency (CAA): Global full-service agency with substantial below-the-line and production-talent divisions. Functions as a benchmark for the scale and bundled-service offering that boutique UK agencies like SPA compete against in major production bids.
- WME (William Morris Endeavor): Global talent and entertainment agency with broad representation across above- and below-the-line talent. Provides scale comparator; relevant for assessing competitive pressure from major agency consolidations in production-talent markets.
- Independent Talent Group: One of the UK's leading full-service talent agencies with departments across actors, writers, directors, and below-the-line crew. Overlaps with SPA on crew/HoD representation but operates a much broader portfolio.
Emerging players
- ARG Talent: UK agency representing behind-the-camera and emerging talent across film and TV. Smaller, more narrowly focused competitor with overlap on department-head and emerging-creator representation.
Direct peers
- The Artists Partnership: Third founding partner of The Partnership Group, representing above-the-line and below-the-line talent for UK film/TV. Sister-agency relationship with shared values and mutual client referral pipeline.
- Markham, Froggatt & Irwin: Long-established UK agency specializing in behind-the-camera talent for feature film and television, covering producers, directors, and department heads. Closely comparable boutique model and customer base.
- Julian Belfrage Associates: UK talent agency representing select below-the-line HoDs (production designers, art directors, costume designers) for film and TV. Direct boutique competitor in the same behind-the-camera segment.
- Casarotto Ramsay & Associates: London-based agency representing writers, directors, and below-the-line creative talent for film and television. Closest UK peer in terms of behind-the-camera HoD and crew representation, with a comparable boutique curation model.
- Sayle Screen: Founding partner of The Partnership Group alongside Sara Putt Associates, representing crew and production talent in UK film and TV. Sister-agency relationship creates direct functional overlap and shared client network.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Sara Putt Associates social profiles
Digital presenceSara Putt Associates financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Sara Putt Associates leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles13 records
Sara Putt Associates funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Sara Putt Associates M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Sara Putt Associates
What does Sara Putt Associates do?
Sara Putt Associates is a UK talent agency that represents behind-the-camera technical and production professionals for film and television productions. Its roster spans heads of department (1st Assistant Directors, Directors of Photography, Editors, Costume Designers, Hair & Make-Up Designers), SPA Crew (camera operators, focus pullers, sound technicians, production staff), emerging directors and producers, and trainees. The agency also runs a Trainee Scheme and Foundation Scheme to develop new and diverse talent entering the industry.
Is Sara Putt Associates a public or private company?
Sara Putt Associates is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Sara Putt Associates founded?
Sara Putt Associates was founded in 1989. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Sara Putt Associates based?
Sara Putt Associates is headquartered in Middlesex, United States, in the North America region.
Who are Sara Putt Associates's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are United Agents, Creative Artists Agency (CAA), WME (William Morris Endeavor) and Independent Talent Group. ARG Talent is listed as an emerging player. Direct peers are The Artists Partnership, Markham, Froggatt & Irwin, Julian Belfrage Associates, Casarotto Ramsay & Associates and Sayle Screen.
Does Sara Putt Associates have an API?
No public API is recorded for Sara Putt Associates.
What industry is Sara Putt Associates in?
Sara Putt Associates's product category is Talent Representation Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAIAGAM, Casting & Talent Placement (Sessions, Bands, Touring Musicians). Its NAICS code is 7114 and its SIC code is 7819.