Bettina Viviano

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  • #16
    Re: Bettina Viviano

    Originally posted by jtwg50 View Post
    IMHO, there is a larger and more important issue here -- writers (even working ones) are treated like s**t all the time in Hollywood because of a lack of respect, based on our place in the food chain. I applaud the OP for standing up for common courtesy and respect for his ambitions.
    Let's just suppose that Ms. Viviano had desperately wanted his script to close a big studio deal. And let's suppose she had an appointment on the Paramount lot an hour after her scheduled meeting with the OP (writer). Then let's suppose that right before this important meeting -- a bridge meeting for Ms. Viviano to then go get her big deal as producer -- the OP (writer) suddenly cancelled.
    Where would that have left her? And how woulod she have she have reacted (understandbly)?
    Get real, folks. If you don't stand up for yourself, no one else ever will. That's the bottom line. And too many writers eat s**t because they think they have no choice.
    Wrong.
    Just ask Joe Eszterhas. And he did just fine making THEM play by the accepted rules of organized business, while simultaneously writing out many of the biggest paychecks ever seen in town.
    Okay, this is the sense of misplaced entitlement that I was talking about in my previous posts. Meetings get bumped because you are a low priority. Not just because you haven't proved that you can write something with genuine commercial potential rather than just the whiff of artistic promise, but because your meeting isn't time sensitive--unlike, for example, production stuff.

    You think this sort of thing only happens to screenwriters? There's hierarchy in every industry whether it be finance or publishing or used cars. Deal with it. Work hard. Prove yourself. Make as much money for studios as Joe did at the peak of his career and then you can throw your tantrum when someone moves your meeting--even when its with a perfectly acceptable two hours of notice.

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    • #17
      Re: Bettina Viviano

      Originally posted by MrEarbrass View Post
      I don't know what was said in those phone calls and I know nothing about Ms. Viviano, so my response was undeniably too harsh. My general point is this: as an emerging writer it's advisable to just take what you can from any given exchange and move on. Yeah, sometimes it sucks... you have to deal with meetings being moved and flaky people changing their minds. But the point is to build a circle of fans in the industry, and there's no margin in coming onto DD and bashing someone who liked your script--especially if it would be very easy for them to identify you.

      I hear and understand both arguments, but I'd have to take Earbass' side of the line.

      I'm in a similar situation with the head of development at one of the more successful prodcos of the last 5 years (they've release 6 theatrical, and several indie -- and all have made twice their budgets at the B.O.)

      But anyway, long story short, I grabbed her interest a couple years ago when i submitted several of my scripts to her. Loved the writing, but not the scripts in particular.

      So after a writing hiatus, I starting writing like crazy and queried her again this year hoping she hadn't forgotten about me since it'd been awhile ANd the company had enjoyed literally about $225 million in domestic box office receipts since I last corressponded with her (3 movies, two years).

      Not to mention she got engaged to a fast rising director (googled her name and links to pics of her on the red carpet with him surfaced) -- so I figured she'd forgotten about lil ol me.

      Well, turns out she didn't. However the company did switch their submissions policy to the dreaded "not accepting any... blah, blah".

      BUT -- one day out the blue she leaves a very JUBILANT voicemail about the past work I submitted and how she "DEFINITELY" remembered me and my work and wanted to see any and everything I'd written since.

      Well, I submitted in early may -- And I've sent numerous emails since then (not to rush her, but emails about other projects, a possible rep referral, etc.) with no response.

      This past Tuesday, she FINALLY responds and it turns out she'd just finished the first of the three scripts I sent to her. Since the phone call she'd done two film festivals, went on vacation for a couple weeks, had heavy meeting schedules on the development of upcoming GREENLIGHTED projects, etc, etc.

      Moral of this long-winded story??

      Guys, these hollywood types ARE pretty busy. I'm definitely not the one to defend them, but before I got pissed at her for "leading me on" with the uber-excited phone call (not email, but the rare PHONE CALL) -- I realized a couple things...

      1- At the time she requested my work in May - her company had a strict NO SUBMISSIONS stance, and I know it was strict by fellow writers who tried to query the company through it's normal email addy and got shot down (I happened to have her personal AND company email addy from our previous corresspondence in '07.)

      So she could've easily tossed that excuse at me from jump and NEVER read anything of mine.

      2 - As an unknown, struggling writer, how can I ever get mad at ANY **ANY** situation where a Development Exec or Rep responds to my queries and agrees to read my work??? When most queries are ignored, passed on, or flat out blocked.
      "U don' know me, muddafugga..."
      - Al Pacino, Carlito's Way

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      • #18
        Re: Bettina Viviano

        *WAKE UP PEOPLE*

        We're not talking about someone simply saying they will read your screenplay and putting it off. She broke two real meetings at the last minute. After a writer did what we all would do, got excited, left early, camped out before the meeting.

        And sense of entitlement?

        The only person who acted with a sense of entitlement was Viviano! She was the one who made promises and broke them. Setting and breaking two real meetings at the last minute without much remorse. The OP never did get that meeting did he?

        The OP kept his head the whole time. From what was presented, he acted more politely than Viviano deserved.

        Nobody works in this industry until a writer writes.

        But we have to be the ones who always are expected to plead, beg and forgive when wronged.

        HCD has her office at:
        8484 Wilshire Blvd Suite 220
        Beverly Hills, CA. 90211

        That isn't even a real office. She has a virtual office.

        http://www.loopnet.com/Listing/15792...erly-Hills-CA/

        To the OP, she did you a favor by flaking on you.

        Would you've rather had her tie up your script for months while she breaks more promises behind your back? Ones you're not privy to?

        You did fine. Dust yourself off and get back in the game.
        Last edited by Joe Eszterhas Jr.; 08-17-2010, 07:26 AM.

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        • #19
          Re: Bettina Viviano

          Originally posted by MrEarbrass View Post
          But the point is to build a circle of fans in the industry, and there's no margin in coming onto DD and bashing someone who liked your script--especially if it would be very easy for them to identify you.
          "Identify you?" YOU YELLOW BELLIED ENABLER!

          Yes, let's keep the names of the abusers out of print so they can continue to use and abuse us.

          I've never read such a writer running scared post as yours.

          He didn't bash anyone. He stated the events.

          He kept his real opinion (whatever that may be) private!

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          • #20
            Re: Bettina Viviano

            The point that I get from this, is: it's one thing to set up a meeting and cancel. That happens. Especially when said meeting is low priority for a very busy person.

            But: again, why in the world schedule and then re-schedule a meeting with a writer to then only tell him you don't want to waste HIS time because you are not in a position to take on new clients? WTF man. Don't schedule the meeting in the first place. I mean, DUH.

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            • #21
              Re: Bettina Viviano

              Originally posted by Joe Eszterhas Jr. View Post
              "Identify you?" YOU YELLOW BELLIED ENABLER!

              Yes, let's keep the names of the abusers out of print so they can continue to use and abuse us.

              I've never read such a writer running scared post as yours.

              He didn't bash anyone. He stated the events.

              He kept his real opinion (whatever that may be) private!
              Seriously, was it really worth registering for DD to post this brilliant little screed? Next time why don't you just write in crayon on your computer monitor...

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              • #22
                Re: Bettina Viviano

                Originally posted by Rantanplan View Post
                The point that I get from this, is: it's one thing to set up a meeting and cancel. That happens. Especially when said meeting is low priority for a very busy person.

                But: again, why in the world schedule and then re-schedule a meeting with a writer to then only tell him you don't want to waste HIS time because you are not in a position to take on new clients? WTF man. Don't schedule the meeting in the first place. I mean, DUH.
                Once again, I don't know the principals in this situation, but in my experience there's a stretch in most writers' careers where your stuff has promise but isn't strong enough or commercial enough to sell. During that stretch various people may reach out to you--maybe because they want to work with you down the road, maybe just to show support because they understand how hard that particular purgatory can be.

                My opinion is that you may as well use that stretch to build a group of fans of you and your work. So when someone reads your stuff and bothers to call you rather than just tossing it in the recycle bin, have a good attitude. Maybe they don't want to work with you today, but who knows where you (or they) will be in five years.

                IMO that's business 101. I think it's particularly true in a small town like Hollywood, and it applies to rising producers, directors, and executives as well as writers (believe me, some of those guys have to eat a lot more sh1t than we do on the way up). So just because a manager doesn't want to sign you at that moment doesn't mean there's nothing you can gain from that conversation. Be strategic. And certainly don't burn the bridge because there's no margin in that.

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                • #23
                  Re: Bettina Viviano

                  In this century, get a rep in the 25-35 age range. They're f'n awesome to work with.

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                  • #24
                    Re: Bettina Viviano

                    This happens a lot.
                    This too...

                    "Eventually I get a pass saying "they loved it but are working on a similiar project". Why request the script? They knew exactly what the story premise was."

                    Hey, I've done auditions where I read, and after they told me they were really looking for a blonde, which by no stretch of the imagination would you have ever imagined me to be by my picture.

                    Who knows why? It's what they do here. It will probably happen again with someone else before you're through. She's struggling like the rest of us. She read your script over the weekend and called you. Points in her favor. She didn't say she didn't like it. She liked it. Rejecting someone with at least the courtesy of a phone call to do it is hard. I wouldn't slag her.

                    (Not that you did, OP. People asked for info and you gave your experience. Just... Sometimes this board gets a little too comfortable knocking people from behind a screen name, when the knockee, trying to run a business, is left hanging out there on the Internet by their real name.)

                    These are ways of saying no. And I would call it a no with an open door and a welcome mat out. It may feel like a waste of time, but it was far less discourteous than most.

                    Shrug it off. Move on. These things happen. There's another someone out there for you.

                    I will very, very gently say arriving two hours early seems a little eager. It would be reasonable for her to expect you to not have even gotten on the freeway yet, even as bad as traffic is here. She was trying to save you a trip that she had no way of knowing you'd already taken.
                    Last edited by carcar; 08-14-2010, 10:20 AM.

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                    • #25
                      Re: Bettina Viviano

                      I've met Bettina. I worked with her years ago when she had a deal with Davis Entertainment. I met her again several years later when she had just set up the deal for SNAKES ON A PLANE -- which subsequently got entirely screwed up as a film, but which was indeed a great concept.

                      The woman's a character and a half. Yowza!! Not saying she's a "perfect" human being or doesn't make mistakes, but she's definitely for real. Whaatever else, she has clout and she has connections.

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                      • #26
                        Re: Bettina Viviano

                        Originally posted by Joe Eszterhas Jr. View Post


                        Nobody works in this industry until a writer writes.

                        An A list writer said:

                        "The screenplay does not guide the way in this town. A movie begins with the means to make a movie (the studio) and the ability to make a movie (the director) and the belief that a movie will return a profit (please get a star to commit, thank you).

                        Those elements collectively decide, then, what to make; should they choose to empower a certain screenplay, then the screenplay gains power.

                        A particular screenplay only becomes a guide when it is designated as a guide by the director, studio, and star."


                        so sick and tired to hear without the writer there is no movie.

                        so it is without a film loader.

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                        • #27
                          Re: Bettina Viviano

                          Originally posted by trujosh View Post
                          An A list writer said:

                          so sick and tired to hear without the writer there is no movie.

                          so it is without a film loader.
                          Load that camera and fire away. What are you going to film? What's the story? You'll end up with 24 fps of nothing.

                          Just because the finances exist to make a film (finances made off the stories of writers) doesn't mean that's the reason films exist.

                          You're an utter moron if you don't recognize that until a writer writes NOBODY works.

                          EVERYBODY who has EVER gotten a paycheck in the film industry can thank the writers who make their work possible. That paycheck possible.

                          I'm sorry you have an inferiority complex about this, but it's a simple fact.

                          Until a writer writes nobody works.

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                          • #28
                            Re: Bettina Viviano

                            Well said Joe! Well said my man!

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                            • #29
                              Re: Bettina Viviano

                              Glad someone's got their head screwed on straight!

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                              • #30
                                Re: Bettina Viviano

                                Joe, I think most writers agree with you their just too afraid to admit it!

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