Copywriter2
10-05-2005, 12:17 PM
I've been writing for many years and was just thinking about all of the flakes I've encountered along the way. A few of the biggest flakes:
1. A producer who requested one of my scripts via one of those email blasts. He read the script, then called to say he loved it -- and he wanted a free option. He said he was the founding partner in a very big Hollywood production company, but was now going out on his own. And he said he had $140 million in funding from studios and other investors. I checked him out on IMDB and he did have a couple of credits -- but for small indie type films. I asked him about this and he said most of his credits aren't listed because he was a "behind the scenes guy" who put the financing together. Being naive, I bought into his story. I gave him the free option, then spent the next year doing free rewrites.
All along the way, he kept guaranteeing that it would be produced either via stuidio or his own financing. In the end, of course, nothing happened. Turns out this guy was a total flake. A friend of mine picked up a bunch of my scripts from him and said he works out of a real dumpy apartment -- although it was in Hollywood. Hundreds of hours of rewriting for nothing. LESSON LEARNED: If they aren't going to pay you legit money for an option, don't take it. And don't be so eager to work for someone who claims they are a real producer. Ask plenty of questions and be sure you're completely satisified with the answers.
2. An agent at a very well respected (medium sized) literary agency loved one of my scripts. He told me that they wanted to sign me, but said that I have to come out and meet all the agents -- just as a formality. So I fly out to Los Angeles. I go to the agency and the guy meets with me for about 15 minutes. He tells me that the other agents don't have time to meet with me, but not to worry because I would still be signed. I fly back home, then get a contract in the mail, which I sign and send back. I still figure that I'm in good shape with this agency -- until a producer friend of mine calls me up and tells me that my agent was fired. I called up the agency and am told that yes, he was fired -- and all of his "clients" were released. I tried to plead my case to the owner of the agency, but she would never return my call, email or even respond by letter. I never heard of this agent again. He must have left the business. Rightly so. LESSON LEARNED: Be very careful about what you believe from agents -- unless you know for sure (maybe via google, Done Deal spec sales list, or these threads) that the agent is legit and stable.
3. Another producer optioned a script of mine -- for 2 dollars. He was going to raise the money himself and produce/direct the movie independently. He put together a business plan and had me do extensive rewrites. Then he rewote it himself -- and it sucked. He couldn't raise the money, so he used some of his own money and convinced friends of his to work on the movie on a deferred basis. Well, he shot about one fourth of the movie, then everything fell apart. I now have one fourth of a produced movie, which is awful. The guy turned out to be a terrible director -- and, of course, a horrible producer. LESSON LEARNED: Again, don't accept options that are free, or essentially free. Based on my experience, they are all flakes.
Anybody else want to share their stories about Hollywood flakes? Maybe there are newbies here who could learn from our experiences. Or maybe there are even some of you who have accepted free options that actually did turn into produced films.
1. A producer who requested one of my scripts via one of those email blasts. He read the script, then called to say he loved it -- and he wanted a free option. He said he was the founding partner in a very big Hollywood production company, but was now going out on his own. And he said he had $140 million in funding from studios and other investors. I checked him out on IMDB and he did have a couple of credits -- but for small indie type films. I asked him about this and he said most of his credits aren't listed because he was a "behind the scenes guy" who put the financing together. Being naive, I bought into his story. I gave him the free option, then spent the next year doing free rewrites.
All along the way, he kept guaranteeing that it would be produced either via stuidio or his own financing. In the end, of course, nothing happened. Turns out this guy was a total flake. A friend of mine picked up a bunch of my scripts from him and said he works out of a real dumpy apartment -- although it was in Hollywood. Hundreds of hours of rewriting for nothing. LESSON LEARNED: If they aren't going to pay you legit money for an option, don't take it. And don't be so eager to work for someone who claims they are a real producer. Ask plenty of questions and be sure you're completely satisified with the answers.
2. An agent at a very well respected (medium sized) literary agency loved one of my scripts. He told me that they wanted to sign me, but said that I have to come out and meet all the agents -- just as a formality. So I fly out to Los Angeles. I go to the agency and the guy meets with me for about 15 minutes. He tells me that the other agents don't have time to meet with me, but not to worry because I would still be signed. I fly back home, then get a contract in the mail, which I sign and send back. I still figure that I'm in good shape with this agency -- until a producer friend of mine calls me up and tells me that my agent was fired. I called up the agency and am told that yes, he was fired -- and all of his "clients" were released. I tried to plead my case to the owner of the agency, but she would never return my call, email or even respond by letter. I never heard of this agent again. He must have left the business. Rightly so. LESSON LEARNED: Be very careful about what you believe from agents -- unless you know for sure (maybe via google, Done Deal spec sales list, or these threads) that the agent is legit and stable.
3. Another producer optioned a script of mine -- for 2 dollars. He was going to raise the money himself and produce/direct the movie independently. He put together a business plan and had me do extensive rewrites. Then he rewote it himself -- and it sucked. He couldn't raise the money, so he used some of his own money and convinced friends of his to work on the movie on a deferred basis. Well, he shot about one fourth of the movie, then everything fell apart. I now have one fourth of a produced movie, which is awful. The guy turned out to be a terrible director -- and, of course, a horrible producer. LESSON LEARNED: Again, don't accept options that are free, or essentially free. Based on my experience, they are all flakes.
Anybody else want to share their stories about Hollywood flakes? Maybe there are newbies here who could learn from our experiences. Or maybe there are even some of you who have accepted free options that actually did turn into produced films.