Illumination Ent - Be Warned!

[scripto80]

*removed*

[killertv]

Yeah, they screwed over the guy with story credit on DESPICABLE ME:

ComingSoon.net: When did the pitch for "Despicable Me" first come your way?
Chris Meledandri: Well, I had been the President of 20th Century Fox animation and I had been at Fox for about 13 years, having built a business there that was a CG animation business starting with "Ice Age." I acquired a group called Blue Sky Studios and built them up into a full-fledged movie company. I developed a bunch of movies for them to make. After 13 years I got this desire to build something again and this opportunity from Universal arrived to do just that. The idea was to build that company from things I had learned at Fox. We do some thing very similarly and other things very different. I was just about a month into the new company when a Spanish animator named Sergio Pablos came in to see me. He had worked for Disney for many years and he had moved back to Spain. He had a set of about 15 drawings and he pitched me this story about Gru, this supervillain whose life was transformed when he ended up crossing paths with three little girls. While the world saw him as a villain, they saw him as a father. That was a little over three years ago. From there I had a very, very quick reaction. A very positive reaction. I loved the idea of a supervillain as ultimately the protagonist of a movie. I brought aboard directors and writers who I had worked with on earlier films like "Horton." It was a very, very fast process given the normal timeframes for animation.

Read more: Exclusive: Despicable Me Producer Christopher Meledandri - ComingSoon.net http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movie...#ixzz1gkswLnCC

/sarcasm

just because you think everyone wants your story doesn't mean anyone's going to take it. also, they've used one writing team for all their films so i doubt WGA will ever be getting involved

[Wes Tooke]

Your manager has to sign a release form to submit your script?

[mrjonesprods]

I say be aware of managers who need to sign release forms to deal with companies who have first look deals with studios.

[MargoChanning]

Thanks for the warning, scripto. I must admit: I'm often guilty of not reading the fine print on these things, wrongly assuming that they're all the same.

You may have saved someone a lot of heartache. Much appreciated.

[scripto80]

Originally Posted by mrjonesprods

I say be aware of managers who need to sign release forms to deal with companies who have first look deals with studios.

What is with everyone not reading around here??? C'mon, people.

a.) It wasn't my script.

b.) He's never had someone ask him to sign a release to submit anything before.

Anyway....smcguinn, no problem. But definitely get into a habit of reading all print, no matter how small!

[mrjonesprods]

Originally Posted by scripto80

What is with everyone not reading around here??? C'mon, people.

a.) It wasn't my script.

b.) He's never had someone ask him to sign a release to submit anything before.

I never said it was YOUR script. C'mon man, read.

One of the reasons to have representation is so you don't have to sign release forms. If you have to sign one, or your manager does, to deal with a studio based producer - you need better representation.

[scripto80]

You were basically taking a dig at my manager's ability. Them asking him to sign a release to submit his client's work had nothing to do with him, obviously because, again, THAT HAS NEVER HAPPENED TO HIM BEFORE.

So it says more about Illumination (as does there absurd terms), than it does the manager, since the manager has never had someone ask HIM to sign a release to submit his clients' work. He has seen many releases in his time, just like we all have, so their terms were shocking and he told me all about it. I thought I'd warn people using this intel.

Take it or leave it.

The end.

[mrjonesprods]

Originally Posted by scripto80

You were basically taking a dig at my manager's ability. Them asking him to sign a release to submit his client's work had nothing to do with him, obviously because, again, THAT HAS NEVER HAPPENED TO HIM BEFORE.

So it says more about Illumination (as does there absurd terms), than it does the manager, since the manager has never had someone ask HIM to sign a release to submit his clients' work. He has seen many releases in his time, just like we all have, so their terms were shocking and he told me all about it. I thought I'd warn people using this intel.

I've been read by, met with, and pitched Illumination before. My agent did NOT sign a release of any kind. Signing release forms is a practice reserved for those who do not have a relationship with the company in question. Hopefully your manager has better relationships elsewhere and this is the only time he (I know, not your script) needs to sign a release.

[Wes Tooke]

Originally Posted by mrjonesprods

I've been read by, met with, and pitched Illumination before. My agent did NOT sign a release of any kind. Signing release forms is a practice reserved for those who do not have a relationship with the company in question. Hopefully your manager has better relationships elsewhere and this is the only time he (I know, not your script) needs to sign a release.

+1

I would add that counseling people to avoid a rising producer--and maybe even Universal itself--based on a potentially unenforceable clause in a boilerplate release that nobody with a decent shot of actually working with the company will ever be asked to sign is probably not the greatest advice.