Terminating Mgr Contract - Clause - Question

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  • #16
    Re: Terminating Mgr Contract - Clause - Question

    Originally posted by Craig Mazin View Post
    The 90 day clause is pretty common, and I believe it's a get-out-of-contract-free card if three months go by without work.

    Just send the letter, and you're done.
    Yes, the 90 day out is pretty standard in agency contracts.

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    • #17
      Re: Terminating Mgr Contract - Clause - Question

      Thanks Craig and Geoff. Much appreciated.

      And for the record and perhaps to give this some closure:
      Despite the results, my current manager has worked his butt off (I think). However, I think it's just time (sh*t happens) . . . and perhaps on some level, he might very well feel the same way.

      Cheers.

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      • #18
        Re: Terminating Mgr Contract - Clause - Question

        I have never had a positive outcome when past managers have said, "I'm just going to trickle this one out to a few select friends/associates" -- at the time I thought this was a cool thing -- like a strategy they'd thought through or devised or whatever but in hindsight I think this is a sign that they're not fully onboard with the script. They're not confident and they're looking for outside validation regarding the quality of the script or the marketability or whatever because they don't know how to sell it.

        Any time a rep has been fully onboard with one of my scripts it's been pretty much blasted out into the marketplace.

        I'd be curious to get Geoff's take on this.

        If a writer does indeed hear, "we're not going wide with this, we're just going to send it to a few friends" is that indeed the beginning of the end (unless the friends like it, I guess?) in terms of the writer/rep relationship. It has been for me in the past and sounds like it is for acqua in this case. Taking his contact info off the script is just odd.
        "I hate to break it to you but there is no big lie. There is no system. The universe is indifferent.- - Don Draper

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        • #19
          Re: Terminating Mgr Contract - Clause - Question

          Originally posted by joe9alt View Post
          I have never had a positive outcome when past managers have said, "I'm just going to trickle this one out to a few select friends/associates" -- at the time I thought this was a cool thing -- like a strategy they'd thought through or devised or whatever but in hindsight I think this is a sign that they're not fully onboard with the script. They're not confident and they're looking for outside validation regarding the quality of the script or the marketability or whatever because they don't know how to sell it.

          Any time a rep has been fully onboard with one of my scripts it's been pretty much blasted out into the marketplace.

          I'd be curious to get Geoff's take on this.

          If a writer does indeed hear, "we're not going wide with this, we're just going to send it to a few friends" is that indeed the beginning of the end (unless the friends like it, I guess?) in terms of the writer/rep relationship. It has been for me in the past and sounds like it is for acqua in this case. Taking his contact info off the script is just odd.
          I agree Joe. And if he had reservations, that's totally cool. However, he kept waxing poetic about how excited he was . . . so then I'm counting down the days until everyone got back from Sundance and then we circled a date on the calendar . . . and then . . . and then . . . not much.

          Just a few people. And yes, some with a pseudonym, like we're trying to fly under the radar or something. And then the strange and sudden lack of communication about status, who it went to, me wanting to do a follow-up call for a de-brief on what (if any) feedback he got, next steps, etc. And the lack of communciation for us (and from him) is rather unusual.

          So if nothing else, when I bring this up this week, I think it'll lead to a candid conversation about the current state of affairs. However, my mind is pretty much made up. It's cool.

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          • #20
            Re: Terminating Mgr Contract - Clause - Question

            Originally posted by joe9alt View Post
            I have never had a positive outcome when past managers have said, "I'm just going to trickle this one out to a few select friends/associates" -- at the time I thought this was a cool thing -- like a strategy they'd thought through or devised or whatever but in hindsight I think this is a sign that they're not fully onboard with the script. They're not confident and they're looking for outside validation regarding the quality of the script or the marketability or whatever because they don't know how to sell it.

            Any time a rep has been fully onboard with one of my scripts it's been pretty much blasted out into the marketplace.

            I'd be curious to get Geoff's take on this.

            If a writer does indeed hear, "we're not going wide with this, we're just going to send it to a few friends" is that indeed the beginning of the end (unless the friends like it, I guess?) in terms of the writer/rep relationship. It has been for me in the past and sounds like it is for acqua in this case. Taking his contact info off the script is just odd.
            First, it certainly seems that Aqua is reading the tea leaved correctly, mostly because the whole bit with pulling contact info is just bizarre, and then the uncharacteristic lack of communication, all looks pretty clear.

            On a general note, sending to a small group isn't always a sign of a lack of passion or commitment, the strategy is going to be determined by the nature of the material. If it's something that has a more limited set of buyers, say a coming of age dramedy, then it's not going to a ton of folks.

            As well, if it's something that would benefit from some sort of element, a director, or cast, then it might be slipped to a couple of director or actor driven companies first.

            However, if it is something that, based on genre and concept should have wide appeal, say a studio type action comedy or thriller, and the rep is only sending to a couple of people, and not because they are an avenue to attaching an element, then it's safe to say that they aren't certain how it will be received and want to test it out a bit.

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            • #21
              Re: Terminating Mgr Contract - Clause - Question

              I think Geoff has pretty much nailed it. Agree on all counts here.

              Plus, I've vetted the premise with some select and reliable sounding boards, as well as a key Austin contact from last October's festival (from Pixar), so the non-committal behavior to the script is not due to some esoteric genre or story premise that will be a tough sell in the marketplace.

              Thanks again.

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