What does it mean to have your material packaged?

Packaging can include the attachment of a director, actor(s) and/or financing. If your project is packaged it is generally more likely to be made and therefore the financing will be more accessible, and sometimes distribution will be easier to obtain. Investors look to the attachments of projects more so than the quality of the project when determining where to put their money. But be careful-not all attachments are the right ones.

Read The Albert Tross Affair screenplay, by Russell Nomer and Tony Hilton:

 

Read "300 Gods of War" by  Tony Hilton & Russell Nomer

Who are the 'big agencies' and what does it all mean?

ICM, CAA, William Morris, Endeavor, UTA, and Gersh are the big six agencies, and this has everything to do with the talent they represent. Since these six agencies represent 98% of all the top acting/directing talent in town, they are able to attach said talent to projects which makes those projects more desirable to studios and financiers.

How does an agent or agency become “Guild Franchised”?

An agent or agency is said to be franchised when it becomes a signatory to the Writers Guild of America's collective bargaining agreement known as the Minimum Basic Agreement (MBA). This means that the agent/agency undertakes to comply with the working conditions set out in the MBA - including pay scales, screen credits and so on.

Agents/agencies that are not franchised are not necessarily disreputable. However, they will not guarantee the same working conditions as are established in the MBA. As a result, a writer who is with a non-franchised agent is likely to be paid less and doesn't have the same recourse in terms of guaranteeing screen credits, etc.

I'm not quite clear on the difference between an executive producer and a producer. Any insight would be appreciated.

A producer is very hands-on at all stages of production. The producer is involved in casting, script development, hiring the crew, managing the film's budget, dealing with day-to-day issues that arise during shooting, etc. While the director oversees all creative aspects of the production, a producer supervises the business/logistical side of things.

An executive producer on the other hand is often an investor who has made a financial contribution to the film but does not become involved in the day-to-day running of the production. The title executive producer may also be more honorary than real. Sometimes it is bestowed on the film's stars as part of their contract. A production company or studio executive that had some initial involvement in the project might also be given the title of executive producer as a kind of thanks.

If you have an agency representing you, can you contact a production company yourself, or do you have to have the agency contact them for you?

You can certainly approach producers and production companies on your own behalf. However, it would be best to talk to your agent about a strategy for contacting such people. Let your agent know who you want to contact. Make sure you are both aware of where the script is being sent so that you project a united front and don't contact the same people twice etc. Since agents tend to be overwhelmed with work, most will be very pleased to have a client who takes such a proactive approach to his career.