Help! Producer Wants To Move Forward, But Asks If I Can Invest

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  • #31
    Re: Help! Producer Wants To Move Forward, But Asks If I Can Invest

    Originally posted by Incognito View Post
    There is no misunderstanding. This person is taking advantage of desperate, inexperienced writers by trying to get 10k out of them. No real producer does this. Don't kid yourself, this guy is slime and for anybody to say otherwise is a great disservice to honest producers everywhere.
    +10,000,000.

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    • #32
      Re: Help! Producer Wants To Move Forward, But Asks If I Can Invest

      Originally posted by Edward View Post
      His name is Eric Charles Wilkinson of Apothecary Films.
      According to Studio System, this guy is also the co-writer on A FALL FROM GRACE. No one should be asking for an investment, least of all a fellow writer. Stay away.
      "Write every day. Don't quit. The rest is all bullshit." - Brian Koppelman

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      • #33
        Re: Help! Producer Wants To Move Forward, But Asks If I Can Invest

        Originally posted by Edward View Post
        Hi everyone, just wanted to give you an update.

        I didn't receive a response from the producer when I said that I didn't have $10K to invest so I sent one more email asking if there was still interest in producing the script on his end. He replied to the second email and said that he liked my script and shared it with his producing partners, but that they have another script, just as good, with a writer who is "going to pay $10K-$15K for [them] to start to package and produce" so they are deciding to go with that project instead. He also said that if something changes he'll let me know or that if I "come into some money" let them know and they can revisit the script.

        I kind of regret mentioning the name of the producer, but what's done is done. I have no real bad feelings towards him. He seems like a pretty cool guy and was always prompt with his replies. It's unfortunate that nothing came out of this because I really felt like something finally would and I guess I got my hopes up. I'm not sure if a lesson can really be learned from this situation since technically nothing happened. Maybe LateNightWriter is right, and this can all be chalked up to a misunderstanding. I don't know.

        Regardless, thanks to everyone who replied with their advice!
        What you need to do is thank your lucky stars you didn't even contemplate giving this guy money. I have no illusions that this guy got money from another writer, or his/her parents. Desperation and false hope are the food these guys feed on and for a lot of would be screenwriters looking for a shortcut, when there really aren't any in real life, anyone offering one is going to look really good. Real films don't get made this way. They just don't. And "producers" who offer crap like this aren't thinking about you or your script. They are thinking about your money though. Move on. You've learned a valuable lesson and done a service for others on this site by letting them learn it with you.

        As a writer, you need to understand that if you have written a script that someone wants to invest in, you're a valuable piece of the machinery that is filmmaking. Yes, they may jettison you in the process, something that has happened to many produced writers (me included), but you also GET PAID, not the other way around. Unless you are making a film yourself and you are in charge, You never pay. Ever. Never. Ever. Not one dime.

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        • #34
          Re: Help! Producer Wants To Move Forward, But Asks If I Can Invest

          Another clue...when a "producer" has an imdb page that lists a bunch of script projects languishing for years, is he really looking for another script from a new writer or for a new source of money? And good luck to anyone providing this and thinking their 10K would actually go to their project.

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          • #35
            Re: Help! Producer Wants To Move Forward, But Asks If I Can Invest

            Originally posted by Edward View Post
            I kind of regret mentioning the name of the producer, but what's done is done.
            Well if anything you have helped me make note of someone to stay away from, regardless of how much of a guilt trip you're getting for posting the guy's name. Thanks.
            One must be fearless and tenacious when pursuing their dreams. If you don't, regret will be your reward.

            The Fiction Story Room

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            • #36
              Re: Help! Producer Wants To Move Forward, But Asks If I Can Invest

              I never heard of him but you said nothing bad about him, you just stated that he asked you for money? The FOP calls all the time asking me for money and so does our Governer, John Kasick, when he is running for reelection and I am like you I tell them no!

              Good luck and hope you find someone who will pay you! They are hard to find these days.

              Snowman

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              • #37
                Re: Help! Producer Wants To Move Forward, But Asks If I Can Invest

                The producer may be totally legit and have credits...but that doesn't mean one should pay for the privilege of working with said producer.

                Sam Spiegel, an Academy Award winning producer of classic movies, was also an a$$hole to writers. He tried to screw Dalton Trumbo out of a paycheck for THE PROWLER. It happens.

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                • #38
                  Re: Help! Producer Wants To Move Forward, But Asks If I Can Invest

                  Originally posted by DangoForth View Post
                  Simply say, "No. Are you?"
                  Haha. The best response.
                  "Friends make the worst enemies." Frank Underwood

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                  • #39
                    Re: Help! Producer Wants To Move Forward, But Asks If I Can Invest

                    Ripped from the headlines...

                    Indie producer with multiple film credits charged with fraud.

                    http://www.latimes.com/entertainment...31-story.html#

                    "A retired firefighter from central Illinois, Elliott had self-published a book about his family's saga. Its message of faith resonated with many readers, and a mutual acquaintance introduced him to Eberts, who had producer credits on at least 15 Hollywood films.

                    The two met in Beverly Hills in 2009, and Elliott recalled that Eberts drove up in a $200,000 Bentley. The producer told him he would need money to get the film started, Elliott said. In the months that followed, he said, he fronted Eberts $615,000 from his family's savings.

                    But Eberts never made the film, and a federal judge ruled in a civil lawsuit brought by Elliott that he is entitled to nearly $1.2 million in damages from the producer. In addition, Eberts is scheduled to go on trial in U.S. District Court in Peoria, Ill., in April on seven counts of wire fraud and three counts of money laundering stemming from his dealings with Elliott."

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                    • #40
                      Re: Help! Producer Wants To Move Forward, But Asks If I Can Invest

                      Originally posted by canela View Post
                      Ripped from the headlines...

                      Indie producer with multiple film credits charged with fraud.

                      http://www.latimes.com/entertainment...31-story.html#

                      "A retired firefighter from central Illinois, Elliott had self-published a book about his family's saga. Its message of faith resonated with many readers, and a mutual acquaintance introduced him to Eberts, who had producer credits on at least 15 Hollywood films.

                      The two met in Beverly Hills in 2009, and Elliott recalled that Eberts drove up in a $200,000 Bentley. The producer told him he would need money to get the film started, Elliott said. In the months that followed, he said, he fronted Eberts $615,000 from his family's savings.

                      But Eberts never made the film, and a federal judge ruled in a civil lawsuit brought by Elliott that he is entitled to nearly $1.2 million in damages from the producer. In addition, Eberts is scheduled to go on trial in U.S. District Court in Peoria, Ill., in April on seven counts of wire fraud and three counts of money laundering stemming from his dealings with Elliott."
                      It premiered at Bel Air Presbyterian Church earlier this month.
                      Makes YouTube look better and better.

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                      • #41
                        Re: Help! Producer Wants To Move Forward, But Asks If I Can Invest

                        Sad thing is that "producers" have become extremely greedy. My experience is with one of the top producers, requested my script. He did nothing wrong, actually, but his lawyers deserve their money. The release form was nonnegotiable and one of the points stated that - "If they decide to buy the script I must sign automatically the agreement in which will be offered "reasonable" price. That price cannot be MORE than the min WGA rate!"
                        The general problem is most of the producers work only for their % of the budget e.g. Life of Pie - 120 mil. budget (WTF) - the movie is 80% CG and the studio R&H went broke after that movie - 10 mil for the VFX , 4 mil for the physical pool. The question is - even if we inflate the expenses up to 60 mil for the director, script, editing, etc., the remaining 60 mil? where? I suspect that only half of the money went into production, the rest in the big pockets of the greedy producers. It's win/win situation for them - even if nobody liked the movie they are perfectly fine with that "saved" money. For god's sake 120 mil. for a PIE - Lord of the Rings is made for under 100 mil $ per film!!!!!!!!!!!
                        Minds are like parachutes: they only function when open!

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