Scott Carr Management SGC

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  • #31
    Re: Scott Carr Management SGC

    Originally posted by ScreenRider View Post
    It's true. I got the same email from him. I would be willing to pay if he charged the same as the blacklist or contests. Doesn't seem unreasonable considering that he has a good reputation and contacts.
    Very disappointing.
    Write, rite, wright... until you get it RIGHT.

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    • #32
      Re: Scott Carr Management SGC

      Bwahahahaha!! PASS.

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      • #33
        Re: Scott Carr Management SGC

        I'm guessing he does like reading queries, but is so inundated with scripts that he's wanting a filter (and no doubt wants to make some money off it). Problem is, it's a complete 180 of his brand. He's the guy that's out there talking on Scripts and Scribes about how to query him, and that he just sold a spec (or multiple specs) off of a query.

        I agree with the above, he does seem like a real down to earth, smart guy who is very non-Hollywood. It's part of the reason why this is so earth shattering.

        There's pretty much only one other manager who's doing this in Hollywood (who refers people to consultants and has been talked about ad nauseam on this board). And that person is referring people to his wife without disclosing it. That's not company you want to keep.

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        • #34
          Re: Scott Carr Management SGC

          He read something of mine in the past for free. Maybe he tells people he charges so they don't fill up his in box or bug him constantly?

          JD
          Last edited by hockeyjason; 01-17-2018, 03:57 PM.

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          • #35
            Re: Scott Carr Management SGC

            Well, I think Scott Carr is one of the good guys so I simply wrote to him today to ask him what's up. He sent a very thoughtful reply and he said I could cut and paste it for ya'll to see.

            Though my knee-jerk reaction was along the lines of "Oh, no!" to the post here, reading his explanation makes sense to me. I applaud his transparency and I can see the situation from his point of view. I expect notes from Scott Carr are totally worth the price so it's not like he's asking for $$ just to read your query. You get something potentially helpful, perhaps invaluable out of the read.

            Here's what he wrote:


            Yes, unfortunately my business model no longer supports reading unsolicited blind queries for free - I get way too many submissions for unvetted material to consider every request and my time commitment to my current crop of clients makes it difficult for me to make the additional time to request and read the volume of unvetted queries I now get on regular bases. I would have no personal life if I made the time to read queries that way (and I already don't have much of one with all the time I spend working!).*

            However, I do value the query letter process and want to justify the time to consider unknown and unvetted screenwriters so they can feel it's possible to directly access a professional manager. The middle ground for me was to change an affordable fee for my time, which also gives writers an opportunity to have their material seriously considered. Most reps don't even respond to queries. So if a writer truly believes in their work and wants to dedicate a reasonable fee to have direct access to a rep (and not need to just go through the paid contest and paid script websites on the off-chance the script will stand out or get noticed), I'm offering cleaner access, but I can't do it for free anymore. I could several years ago when I was just establishing my business, but for writers to expect that of a busy managers for the entirety of their career is unrealistic. And, of course, a writer can just say No, but to expect that I will accept all queries is perplexing concept to me. Not sure the tenure of the DDP thread but I can imagine there are serious disgruntled writers that feel I've sold-out haha. Sorry, guys, but I could just say I won't consider any queries like the rest of the town because the value on my time has changed and then give no one an opportunity to be directly considered. There's probably no winning in this situation for me, since the expectation is that I just read blind queries for the duration of my career, but evolution is inevitable. I hope writers out there can appreciate that.*

            So, for a fee, I will carve out the time to read your script and provide you with substantive actionable feedback on the idea, the writing and the execution. If it's not something I respond to for representation, you will at least receive thorough industry feedback, which you can use to enhance the material or to better navigate the market. If I do respond to the material/writing, there's a possibility I will consider you for representation, which would require a follow-up call or meeting to discuss the project and the bigger picture for your career.

            This is the only way I can justify the time it takes to seriously consider material from a writer I do not know. If you want to also clarify my POV on this on the DDP website so writers can understand why this is now the case, feel free to cut/paste my response to you on there. Business models evolve, time becomes more scarce and sacred, and priorities need to shift, yet I still wanted to figure out a way to consider the query letter method without completely abandoning it due to its unlikely odds of finding something truly inspiring.

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            • #36
              Re: Scott Carr Management SGC

              I've been lurking on this thread, but I was going to mention yesterday that "maybe his model has changed." So, it can happen.

              It doesn't seem he's doing this change for the money, but to further filter the deluge. It's entirely understandable. Now, does that mean I'm saying, "go ahead and send him your money?"

              Not a chance.

              Just as he has limited time, most of us have limited funds.

              So what are our opportunities now? There's this fellow (and I've heard of others like him, both in the rep and producers' sides). And contests. And VPF, Inktip, Blacklist, etc. etc. And endless consultants and courses and live and on-line pitchfests. I'm sure I've left lots out.

              Pitching by email is free, though a lot more work. It's endless. As a long-time practitioner of the method, mostly due to my utter lack of funds, I have found that mostly it yields no reward. A few times I receive a pleasant surprise; after 10-30 pitches to a company over several years, it has generated a reward.

              (A reward, of course, is a read request. Nothing else counts.)

              But this has always convinced me that no matter what anybody says about not having the time to read "queries", that is quite different from not having the time to read "scripts". Obviously. We know that. But queries? Our recipients really take the risk of missing out, if they don't at least glance. To even determine that the email is in conflict with their "no unsolicited policies", they have to read some of it.

              It takes 2-5 seconds to digest the sender's name, and if recognition strikes one way or the other (pro or con, good or bad reputation), then they surely read the title, first sentence, and logline. 2-5 seconds.

              It's nasty that we have to subject our fate to somebody reading little more than that in our simple queries, but it's a lot cheaper than the no-guarantee fate that befalls us for participating in that extended list of paid "pitching opportunities", above. Cheaper, but a lot more work.

              Yeah, it's a tough one, out there.

              And no, I don't have some witty breakthrough that will solve all of our problems, as writers trying to break in.

              Well, I'm a fan of www.scriptrevolution.com; at least it's free. And just as Mr. Carr no doubt spends time on Blacklist or 32 or those other places, someday we may hope that legitimate producers and competent reps may spend as much time on scriptrevolution. Someday.

              Till then? Keep shelling out those bucks, if you want to and if you have 'em, or do it the old fashioned way - networking face-to-face or long-distance or however else you can do it. And be very very lucky.

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              • #37
                Re: Scott Carr Management SGC

                So many things here. I'll try to look at this beat by beat:

                Originally posted by DayJobWriter View Post
                I get way too many submissions for unvetted material to consider every request and my time commitment to my current crop of clients makes it difficult for me to make the additional time to request and read the volume of unvetted queries I now get on regular bases. I would have no personal life if I made the time to read queries that way (and I already don't have much of one with all the time I spend working!).*
                First of all, I get that he's a one man show and has to be careful with his time. Totally get it. What I don't really understand is how binary his thinking is when it comes to queries. He's basically saying he's either going to read every single query letter that comes his way or he's going to read none of them, so his solution is to only read the ones where somebody agrees to pay him first. Imagine this policy applied to another part of the industry. A producer is getting too many calls from agents pitching their clients. He can't possibly return all those calls, and he doesn't have an assistant, so he puts his voicemail on and says that if you want to pitch your client, you have to pay him first. What happened to judgement here? Why is Scott different than any other rep who decides to either stop taking queries (what most reps do once they fill out their client list) or, heaven forbid, read the emails with an interesting title, then, if he wants to, read the script for ones with an interesting logline. Nobody is asking him to read every single email he gets. It's not all or nothing.

                Originally posted by DayJobWriter View Post
                So, for a fee, I will carve out the time to read your script and provide you with substantive actionable feedback on the idea, the writing and the execution. If it's not something I respond to for representation, you will at least receive thorough industry feedback, which you can use to enhance the material or to better navigate the market. If I do respond to the material/writing, there's a possibility I will consider you for representation, which would require a follow-up call or meeting to discuss the project and the bigger picture for your career.
                Ok...so to be clear, he'll read and give feedback on any script for a price. This is a standalone service that has nothing to do with his job as a manager, unless he "responds to the material/writing". So if I send him a script about a dish towel falling in love with a washcloth, and I pay him, he'll read it and give me notes. And THAT'S a better use of his time? And if I'm one of his clients, how am I supposed to react to this? That instead of reading my work or working to get my career going, instead Scott is busy with his side-hustle script notes business, reading material and giving notes for people he knows he'll never represent, and who he knows has no chance of success.


                Originally posted by DayJobWriter View Post
                Business models evolve, time becomes more scarce and sacred, and priorities need to shift, yet I still wanted to figure out a way to consider the query letter method without completely abandoning it due to its unlikely odds of finding something truly inspiring.
                Again, I cannot understand why Scott is different than any other rep in this regard. You know who I bet gets a lot of queries? EVERYBODY. And yet no legit manager in town is doing pay-for-play. Madhouse, Circle, Good Fear, Bellvue, Grandview, Industry, Gotham, Writ Large... all their time is scarce and sacred. Most of them don't have assistants or interns. And yet they somehow still find the time to read the occasional query letter. The fact that Scott doesn't want to abandon the process is sweet. But it sounds like that's what he needs to do if he doesn't have time for it. But doing pay-for-play and justifying it by saying that he's too busy for anything else? It's grimy, man... grimy.
                Write, rite, wright... until you get it RIGHT.

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                • #38
                  Re: Scott Carr Management SGC

                  No pay to play period. He should just say no unsolicited and leave it at that. I just got requests from Circle, Zero, Bellevue, Aperture and several others off a regular old query email. If they can read my scripts off a query, no writer should be paying for access.
                  Eric
                  www.scriptreadguaranteed.com

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                  • #39
                    Re: Scott Carr Management SGC

                    No pay to play period. He should just say no unsolicited and leave it at that. I just got requests from Circle, Zero, Bellevue, Aperture and several others off a regular old query email. If they can read my scripts off a query, no writer should be paying for access.
                    This.

                    Also, if he has no time or energy to read a script without being paid, how much time and energy will he realistically devote to you and your career if he DID rep you?

                    Maybe that's something to consider as well...

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                    • #40
                      Re: Scott Carr Management SGC

                      Interesting that he doesn't disclose his prices up front. If you have to ask you can't afford it? Or does he charge whatever he thinks the market will bear?


                      In California, the Talent Scam Prevention Act prohibits managers and casting directors from charging actors a fee to audition or be considered for representation.

                      If his business model involves something that people in related industries cannot do because of a law that actually has the word "scam" in its name, maybe he should give it a second thought.

                      The solution to too many unsolicited queries is to stop taking unsolicited queries, not to start taking money.

                      On the petty side, I don't know if I'd want notes (even free ones) from someone who doesn't know the difference between "tenor" and "tenure".

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                      • #41
                        Re: Scott Carr Management SGC

                        Originally posted by bmcthomas View Post
                        The solution to too many unsolicited queries is to stop taking unsolicited queries, not to start taking money.
                        This. Managers are not supposed to charge you money to read your work. This smells like a scam.

                        If he wants to open a script consultancy business, then fine, call it that. But it should not be a pre-requisite to getting considered for representation.

                        Late Night Writer

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                        • #42
                          Re: Scott Carr Management SGC

                          Holy hornet's nest, Batman!

                          See, the problem is that he's cornering himself into a referral business. Maybe that's good enough, if you have the reputation. But how's he supposed to announce someday in the future that "Hey folks, I'm now open for submissions once again!"

                          I say, thank goodness for email. So long as you're diplomatic and at least try to send topical queries that are appropriate to the recipient's interests, who's going to complain?

                          I do my research, so I don't deliberately send to places that do not want to look at anything. In fact, I appreciate the "We don't take unsolicited" responses to my emails, because then I can take them off my list. The only time these annoy me is when they send one after I'd pitched various contacts at the company 10, 20 or even 30 times over the last half decade.

                          Coincidentally, I just received two of those today, as a result of a 60 email blitz yesterday.

                          I say, if they have a website, it's not too much to ask to see "We don't take unsolicited pitches, treatments or scripts" somewhere in its content.

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                          • #43
                            Re: Scott Carr Management SGC

                            Originally posted by LateNightWriter View Post
                            This. Managers are not supposed to charge you money to read your work. This smells like a scam.

                            If he wants to open a script consultancy business, then fine, call it that. But it should not be a pre-requisite to getting considered for representation.

                            Late Night Writer
                            I wouldn't call it is a scam unless he doesn't deliver what he promises. He's offering to read and give feedback for a price. If he believes that a script is good, he will take the writer on as a client.

                            It might be a waste of money for most writers, but you could say the same about other script consultants, contests and the black list.

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                            • #44
                              Re: Scott Carr Management SGC

                              My two cents... Scott is a good, upstanding guy.

                              For a while, he was telling some unrepped writers that if I gave a passing-grade to a script, he would read it. Several other managers do the same thing because they trust my taste and know a "consider" from me is at least worth reading. I've helped multiple clients get repped that way.

                              Scott has some great writers in his stable so I know his time is very valuable. He isn't the type to go scamming anyone.
                              NOTES / COVERAGE
                              15,000+ Screenplays
                              [email protected]

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                              • #45
                                Re: Scott Carr Management SGC

                                It just cheapens Scott's brand. He's probably doing this because he needs the cash (or maybe is getting a little greedy) or else why wouldn't he just stop taking queries? Or only request the top 1% of queries instead of 5%?

                                The worst part about it is he acts like he's doing writers a favor by allowing this access. Like he's not benefitting at all. Scott never would've read blind queries in the first place if he didn't feel it was a benefit to his business model and I believe in doing so he was able to sign the Miss Sloane writer?

                                Anyway, this is a stunning turn of events for a guy who was totally on one side of the spectrum when it came to blind queries and then completely shifted to the other side.
                                Last edited by FeechLaManna; 01-19-2018, 01:46 PM.

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