Your take on this, please.

Collapse

Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • #16
    Re: Your take on this, please.

    Originally posted by hscope View Post
    No one wants to commit until it is unavoidable.
    Exactly, I think that works better, either of you can walk away if you feel the other is not putting in the work necessary. There is nothing worse than being stuck with someone who you hate/vise versa for a certain amount of time and have to waste each other time for whatever term the contract states.
    "We're going to be rich!" - 1/2 hr COMEDY written/directed/edited by me, I also act in it.
    SUBTITLED
    Episode 1 (Beef pills)
    Episode 2 (African commercial)
    Episode 3 (Brenda's rescue)

    Comment


    • #17
      Re: Your take on this, please.

      I like the freedom to walk, too, if necessary. That said, I can also see the advantages of entering into a more formal agreement.

      Thanks for all your great comments, by the way.

      Comment


      • #18
        Re: Your take on this, please.

        I'm not sure everyone responding understood the timeline you laid out in your post. You've been waiting a month for notes, and then your manager just politely told you it would be a few more weeks, and personally I think that's too long. No doubt your manager really is busy, but it shouldn't take 6-7 weeks to get notes. A week or two at most IMO.

        Comment


        • #19
          Re: Your take on this, please.

          It's depends on the rep whether they are working over the holiday. Most use that time when the town shuts down to decompress and normally writers do too.

          Either way, it may all hinge on whether you're perceived as a true client or someone they are hip pocketing.

          If she's a newly minted manager, she doesn't have an established list so she may be trying to get clients who are making money or close to it up and going so she can make money.
          Quack.

          Writer on a cable drama.

          Comment


          • #20
            Re: Your take on this, please.

            Originally posted by ducky1288 View Post
            It's depends on the rep whether they are working over the holiday. Most use that time when the town shuts down to decompress and normally writers do too.

            Either way, it may all hinge on whether you're perceived as a true client or someone they are hip pocketing.

            If she's a newly minted manager, she doesn't have an established list so she may be trying to get clients who are making money or close to it up and going so she can make money.
            Have you ever waited 6-7 weeks or even a month for your reps to read a draft?

            Comment


            • #21
              Re: Your take on this, please.

              Originally posted by NoNeckJoe View Post
              Have you ever waited 6-7 weeks or even a month for your reps to read a draft?
              I haven't, and I probably wouldn't allow it without a good explanation -- for example my agent just had twins last month so I'm sure his extra time is non existent right now. But I also know I'm on a main client list and not being hip pocketed, which I can't say about this situation. Plus my reps haven't been just promoted so they're well oiled machines with assistants.

              If this has to be a cut and dry situation: if a writer doesn't like the way they are being treated or handled then cut ties and move on, it's that simple, but there are far worse situations to come down the road than read times, trust me.
              Quack.

              Writer on a cable drama.

              Comment


              • #22
                Re: Your take on this, please.

                Yeah, this seems unfortunate, but not terribly surprising.

                I think you should ride it out, although you need to be aware if it goes on too much beyond 3-4 weeks.

                The fact that you got a reasonably prompt response to your email is a good thing.

                One thing that really helps with this:

                Start working on your next project. My goal these days is to be able to switch gears the day I send in a draft. That can be challenging, but it's really easy to fritter away months waiting to hear back from people.

                It's a lot easier to wait three weeks if you're got something you're working on in that time, as opposed to if you feel like you're twiddling your thumbs.

                Comment


                • #23
                  Re: Your take on this, please.

                  Everyone in Hollywood has the most difficult and time consuming job in the whole world. It's all very interesting, because you would think that even if this were indeed the case, specific jobs within the industry would have varying degrees of difficulty and time consumption. But each and every one is the absolute worst at everything. Which is obviously impossible.

                  On the upshot, if you ever do become a "name" people all over the place will fall over themselves to lick your shoes. And then you'll get to send a messenger out with your scripts to people at their house or office and they have to read the script on the spot, then hand it back. Because you and your script are just so important.

                  I did some temp work for Bruckheimer in the past and even people at restaurants giving me the lunch order would practically try to blow me because I worked for Jerry Bruckheimer! Oh my God! Here's a box of free pies! And I already triple checked and labeled the whole order for you but let's go through it again one-by-one while you watch and all the losers behind you in line wait because oh my God! Which I always found funny, seeing as I was just a temporary employee of the lowest order and none of the executives let alone Jerry himself actually got lunch with the rest of the office's order anyway.

                  So if you make it, you've got that kind of respect to look forward to. But until that day comes, you don't exactly have a whole host of options. I've seen firsthand the way reps treat some clients on completely uneven playing fields. Usually, the poorly treated clients would go elsewhere. If only someone wanted to sign them.

                  Comment


                  • #24
                    Re: Your take on this, please.

                    Originally posted by NoNeckJoe View Post
                    I'm not sure everyone responding understood the timeline you laid out in your post. You've been waiting a month for notes, and then your manager just politely told you it would be a few more weeks, and personally I think that's too long. No doubt your manager really is busy, but it shouldn't take 6-7 weeks to get notes. A week or two at most IMO.
                    Sorry for the confusion. With my first project, (which is now "sanctioned" and ready go to "go") my manager was uber prompt in her responses, notes, suggestions, reads, etc. She was junior level at the time.

                    After that was completed to her satisfaction, I worked on an original pilot that she wanted me to transition to a feature. I did as she asked; we went through a couple rounds of revisions and now I'm waiting on her latest notes. She responded that it might take her "several weeks" to get to it, as she was promoted to manager status, had to train her replacement, etc., etc.

                    In the meantime, while I wait, it was suggested that I delve into the my next script.

                    I just thought "several weeks" seemed excessive, as she's already read it a couple of times and really, I'm just anxious to know if I hit the mark with this thing.

                    I don't know.

                    Comment


                    • #25
                      Re: Your take on this, please.

                      Originally posted by hscope View Post
                      I

                      My reflection on this is that in the absence of any written agreement with these people, I wish I had approached other companies at the same time to keep the ball rolling.
                      If I were to attempt to keep the ball rolling, couldn't that backfire?

                      Comment


                      • #26
                        Re: Your take on this, please.

                        Originally posted by MargoChanning View Post
                        If I were to attempt to keep the ball rolling, couldn't that backfire?
                        Possibly.

                        You could have other writers read and give you feedback if you're just curious how it reads. Or just wait it out and work on another project.
                        Quack.

                        Writer on a cable drama.

                        Comment


                        • #27
                          Re: Your take on this, please.

                          Cool. When can I forward it to you duck? pm me.

                          Great stuff guys, thank you.I'll ride it out a little longer and see what happens.

                          Thank you.

                          Comment


                          • #28
                            Re: Your take on this, please.

                            Originally posted by juunit View Post
                            I did some temp work for Bruckheimer in the past and even people at restaurants giving me the lunch order would practically try to blow me because I worked for Jerry Bruckheimer! Oh my God! Here's a box of free pies! And I already triple checked and labeled the whole order for you but let's go through it again one-by-one while you watch and all the losers behind you in line wait because oh my God! Which I always found funny, seeing as I was just a temporary employee of the lowest order and none of the executives let alone Jerry himself actually got lunch with the rest of the office's order anyway.
                            A long time ago I worked at a movie theater in Hollywood. A young guy and his friend came to the box office to buy tickets. The young guy turned out to be Bruckheimer's assistant and expected to get in for free, as if it was normal. I thought he was joking. I was about to tell him to piss off when my manager stepped in and made sure he was taken care of.

                            True story.

                            Comment


                            • #29
                              Re: Your take on this, please.

                              A few weeks is nothing, especially considering the situation and the likelihood you are far from a priority client (if an official client at all). Of course it's easy to think "common courtesy" dictates she will get back to you in a matter of days, but in my experience in this industry people are all over the place and unless money is truly behind a project or it's the work of a legit earner (which you aren't by the sound of it), it ain't a priority.

                              One thing she was right about: move onto the next project. ALWAYS be working on the next thing. ALWAYS. It's the one thing you can control, and the one good part about how long everything takes in Hollywood. I'm talking YEARS for projects to be seen through. Months and months and even up to a year to see a paycheck after a deal has CLOSED. The pace of this industry, leading up to production, is Sisyphean. Then it's breakneck once into production.

                              It's grueling and terrible and sickening and drives you insane if you let it. Don't. Just keep grinding on new **** (and I always suggest working on prose as well for a variety of reasons if you have even an inkling of a desire to do so — it's IP, which is attractive, you don't deal with endless notes and development, you can get it directly to an audience, and you can sell lucrative TV and film rights down the road should it find an audience on its own — while still retaining copyright).

                              Comment


                              • #30
                                Re: Your take on this, please.

                                "Liked." Good luck with the film. And thanks for the advice.

                                Still wondering if hscope's suggestion to "keep the ball rolling" may be the way to go. I'm sorely tempted. But in the end, I'll probably wait it out. I believe it's been about three weeks since I sent her the revise, so I'll see how much longer this takes.

                                Comment

                                Working...
                                X