Meet The Team: Larisa Kline

How would you describe what you do in one or two sentences?

I’m a Creative Agent at Jelly NY, where I rep a roster full of fantastic illustrators, 3D animators, live action directors, stop mo artists, puppeteers, painters, and more. I also manage client relations, produce jobs from head to tail, and am always seeking out new talent to bolster our roster.

How long have you been working in the industry, and how did you get into it?

I started my career in 2014, when I landed my first internship at Seventeen Magazine. It’s 11 years later, and I’ve been a photo producer at Esquire, Cosmopolitan, and Women’s Health. I’ve been the lead creative on branded content shoots at Refinery29. I’ve spent the last 6 years honing my agenting skills and feel like this is the culmination of all the skills I learned in my previous roles.

Where does your taste come from? What shaped your eye and instincts growing up?

Growing up, I was always surrounded by art and music. My mom was in a band when she was younger, and there was always music on in the background. My parents love the movies, and we watched all the old black and white films every chance we got - everything from The Marx Brothers to The Thin Man to The Sound of Music. My parents encouraged all of us to pursue what we were interested in, so I did musical theater, took piano lessons, sang in the choir, took art classes. I was always collaging from magazines and found nick nacks in my room and scoured them for what my future life could be like. I distinctly remember an ELLE Magazine with Keira Knightley on the cover that was my prized possession - the fashion, the interior design of the rooms, everything was beautiful and interesting. I would say magazines, movies, and music have very much informed my taste and interests.

Is there something from outside the industry / a hobby etc, that feeds into how you work?

I’m very much a believer that “joy is not made to be a crumb,” and that’s something I apply to every aspect of my life. Let’s celebrate the big and the small and everything in between. There’s so much darkness in this world, that when we can find some light, I like to pump it up and make it brighter. So if an artist has a win, let’s give them a standing ovation. If a colleague has a success, make sure to congratulate them and ask about it. And with clients, for me it means getting to know them beyond their title, and actually getting to know them and celebrating their accomplishments in different aspects of their life.

Are there particular campaigns, productions, or moments you're most proud of facilitating?

I am very proud of this shoot for Refinery29. It was one of my last there, and it felt like the culmination of so much hard work. It was a prime example of choosing the right people to come together and create something bigger than themselves. The makeup artists had incredible ideas, the photographer Alistair Matthews (of Le Puzz) understood the vision and ran with it. Another favorite moment would have to be the poster for the Broadway revival of Funny Girl, commissioned by AKA NY. At my last agency, artist Pietari Posti brought the vision to life. Funny Girl happens to be my favorite musical and so working on this ~2 years after I started agenting, felt like a true full circle moment.

What do you look for when signing new talent?

I’m looking for something that stops me in my tracks. We’re so inundated with images and animations all the time, that I’m often waiting to be surprised or caught off guard. Someone with a unique point of view, someone showing me an angle I’ve never seen or telling a story I’m not familiar with.

[Above image: Refinery29 campaign, photographed by Alistair Matthews]

What's your philosophy when it comes to matching talent with briefs?

I try to look beyond their current breadth of work. What do they want to be working on, what skills have they been learning and pursuing – just because they haven’t done something like that before, doesn’t mean they can’t. I think having a healthy, close relationship with talent helps you to understand what they can do that maybe they wouldn’t even know they could do and should give a try. It’s also not only about their current skills, but their passions and their beliefs.

How do you think a good agent differs from a great one?

I think you can teach a lot about agenting, but there are some people whose personality fits so well and that’s something you can’t teach. There are people who are warm and curious and welcoming without even trying, and that creates a level of trust with clients and artists that you can’t get any other way. If people want to work with you because of who you are and how you make them feel, that’s everything.

Is there a value or belief that drives the way you run things?

Honestly, treating people with kindness. No matter the situation, I try to take a deep breath and remind myself that we’re all humans, we’re all worthy and valued and deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. A client and a colleague and an artist are all treated the same, no matter the situation.

What does your network in New York look like, and how did you build it?

My New York network started with the magazine industry. Some of my closest relationships came from when I was at Esquire and Cosmopolitan. We've been to each other's weddings, we watch each other's dogs, and try to work together whenever we can. I think the magazine world is so unique in that you’re really forced (in this day and age) to do SO MUCH with SO LITTLE. So you become a hard worker, you are a true creative problem solver, and you are always thinking outside the box. I love magazines, I subscribe to a few print mags to this day, and find the most inspiration from magazines. Because of the many changes in magazines, so many of these magazine people are now at brands and agencies, and they’ve continued to introduce me to others. We pursue working together, and try to recreate the amazing energy we had in our mag days. And then of course, just being an artist agent for the last 6 years, I’ve expanded my network to more brands and ad agencies. I like to keep in touch with folks I enjoyed working with, as I’m thinking they might have liked working together too…

When you're sitting across from a brand or agency, what are you really listening for beneath what they're saying?

I really do think that being an avid reader has taught me to read between the lines. I try to think of the greater context of what someone is sharing– did they just go through a merger? Did they sign a new client? Are they at risk of losing a huge client? I am a research-oriented girlina, and I like to be prepared with the background info so that I can infer and deduce what the client is REALLY talking about.

How has living or working in New York changed the way you think about creativity?

I’ve been in New York for 14 years and can’t imagine living anywhere else. Every day, no matter where you go, you are surrounded by creativity. You can find it at all times of day, you stumble upon it when you didn’t know you needed it, and you can really curate a community in ways I don’t think is normal outside of big, walkable cities. I know that art can come from anywhere, and that artists can look like anything. There are still new things to discover here, food I haven’t tried, art I haven’t seen, etc. I love that it’s always growing and changing.

What are your favourite creative scenes, spaces, or communities in NYC?

I love The Bell House in Gowanus; on any night there is an art performance or up and coming comedian performing and it’s still affordable!! I love the poetry readings and zines put on and out by Fallible House. I love RuPaul’s Drag Race watch parties and drag shows at Someday Bar and Branded Saloon. I still find great inspiration from a walk through The Met, the clash of old and new doesn’t ever get old.

Do you think of yourself as a creative person? How does that shape the way you agent?

Yes, I do think of myself as a creative person. I love handmaking cards, I shoot film, make scrap books, sing, and more. I’m not an artist in the sense that the Jelly roster is, but I am creative and love being surrounded by creativity. I think having my own creative practices makes me sensitive to how personal creating art is. It doesn’t matter if the artist is working on a personal project or a pharma brief, there is a level of sensitivity required to ensure they feel safe and protected and welcome enough to create without disruption or fear. I try to be encouraging and give what I would want in the situation.

Is there a type of brief or project that makes you genuinely excited? And why?

Anything movie/tv/music related, as those are three things I enjoy and love. And also when a brief comes in that is just SO obviously for an artist on my roster, when it’s a project that I know they can knock out of the park, that will help them to shine their brightest. I get excited knowing that they’re going to be excited and excel.

What do you care about in this industry that you don't think gets talked about enough?

I feel quite passionately about opening the door for those coming up behind us. I’m not a nepo baby, I had no connections to this world while I was growing up, and I try to remind myself that it’s amazing I am here and doing what I love. It’s so important that we make room for ALL types of people, regardless of age, race, sex, ability, etc. I want to make sure that artists really do come from everywhere, and agents too! I know that my personal experiences add so much to how I approach this job, and I would love to see folks from all backgrounds doing this and giving their two cents that ONLY they could give.

If you weren't doing this, what would you be doing?

I would probably run a karaoke bar, with both a grand stage in the bar and private rooms, because I truly love the best of both worlds.

Contact Larisa here.