Gino Cabanas - The Vine Entertainment

[NoNeckJoe]

Got an email from Warren Durso, the VP at The Vine, to call Gino today (he's the CFO), but it said nothing about what it is regarding. Based on some old threads here, it sounds like they're going to pitch me their development service in some form or another, or maybe try to get me to come up with considerable funds to make a trailer, which would then be used to raise the full budget. But I'm wondering if anyone else has recently received an email like this from them. I don't think I submitted anything to them, but I may have sent them a logline or two on craigslist.

[La Femme Joyeuse]

I have met Gino, been in their offices and know a little bit about this company and think you should steer clear. If you want more information, you can PM me.

[mark7deep]

He tried to get me to put up 20k for a short version of my script.

Even though I am a newbie....it didn't pass the sniff test.

Beware...

[hdmdc]

Same here. (But talked to a different guy) I almost asked him, "are you insane?" Seriously.

[La Femme Joyeuse]

I withheld judgment about them until they approached me and asked me to funnel my consulting clients to them to take "classes" that cost thousands and then the writers would be able to be in their "writing stable" for "potential" projects. That was when I said okay that seals it - you guys are totally unethical. Yuck.

[NoNeckJoe]

Thanks for the replies, people.

So I called Gino's office as requested, and I get him on the phone, and it turns out he doesn't know who I am or anything about any script I've written. You'd think his "VP" (obviously just his assistant) would've at least tipped him off to the fact that there was a mark on the phone, so that he could at least give it the old college try to rip me off. But he was clueless. I was thinking maybe he or someone in his office had read my original post, and so he didn't even bother with an attempt, but if that was the case, why even take my call? Whatever. I pretty much knew from the moment I received the email it was a scam in the making.

[MARK11]

Dealt with them also.

They like my loglines...great converstaion until the money thing came up.

Then their crap started stinking real bad.

It got worst when they tried justifying their asking for cash.

Money? From a writer?

Then, when I questioned what they were doing...they got defensive.
real fast, real quick by trying to appeal to my ego...and my supposed fears and supposed desperation.

You know...if I don't put up my own money...no one's gonna believe in me or my work because I supposedly don't believe in myself enough to put up my own money.

Obviously, Ididn't tell them about spending 4 years in one of the top two grad film schools in the world; or previous paid writing gigs, etc.

STAY THE HECK AWAY FROM VINE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

:rolling: :rolling: :rolling: :bounce: :bounce: ;) ;) :eek: :eek: