Anyone outside America been read by CAA?

Collapse

Announcement

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

  • Anyone outside America been read by CAA?

    Hi all, my first post here, but been a longtime lurker without an account.

    Approx 6 weeks ago I queried a bunch of agents and got a read request from one at CAA - the agent forwarded my email to their assistant who replied asking me to send the script over along with a submission release form.

    I followed up with the assistant last week and got no reply, and also got no reply when I sent over the script. All that combined with the submission release form saying State and Zip Code for the address bit makes me think that the overworked assistant took one look at the form and decided that my not being in America (UK) was a good enough reason to not read it (I'd have probably done the same thing, to be fair).

    Of course, I'm not saying that otherwise, if they had read it, they'd have been rushing to tell me how great it is, but it's just my gut feeling.

    Anyway, I ask because, looking at my pitch, I can see now that my pitch sucked, so I figure I might as well have another go at pitching it as it's probably been long enough that they'll have forgotten my first email. (Not putting too much hope into getting interest from an agent, but figure it's worth a try before I start querying prodcos.)

    So yeah, anyone outside the US actually been read by an agent(s) at CAA?
    Last edited by Done Deal Pro; 05-28-2019, 06:26 AM. Reason: Fixed formatting for readability.

  • #2
    Re: Anyone outside America been read by CAA?

    If you have something great your location won't matter. Could be a silent pass. However, even with good existing relationships at CAA and the possibility of slower business due to the WGA-ATA it took a month for us to get a read back recently.

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: Anyone outside America been read by CAA?

      i mean, six weeks ago was just after all the **** started going down between ATA and WGA so... most ATA agencies have largely shut down considering new material from writers until things get resolved, from what i can tell

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: Anyone outside America been read by CAA?

        Originally posted by JoeBanks View Post
        i mean, six weeks ago was just after all the **** started going down between ATA and WGA so... most ATA agencies have largely shut down considering new material from writers until things get resolved, from what i can tell
        There's nothing stopping them repping non-WGA writers, and surely it would be obvious to any agent that anyone querying them right now isn't going to be a WGA member?

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: Anyone outside America been read by CAA?

          Originally posted by Satriales View Post
          If you have something great your location won't matter. Could be a silent pass. However, even with good existing relationships at CAA and the possibility of slower business due to the WGA-ATA it took a month for us to get a read back recently.
          Are you US-based?

          Figured a silent pass was just as likely, but kinda thought I'd at least get a reply to my follow up if that were the case.

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: Anyone outside America been read by CAA?

            Originally posted by BariNeon View Post
            There's nothing stopping them repping non-WGA writers, and surely it would be obvious to any agent that anyone querying them right now isn't going to be a WGA member?
            Sure, but most agents aren't going to want to take on a new client just to sell one piece of material and then get fired again, which would happen the moment the client had to join the WGA.

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: Anyone outside America been read by CAA?

              Originally posted by BariNeon View Post
              There's nothing stopping them repping non-WGA writers, and surely it would be obvious to any agent that anyone querying them right now isn't going to be a WGA member?
              if they signed a non-WGA writer just to sell a spec script that would then get the writer into the WGA, they would have to be fired the next day (as it currently stands)

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: Anyone outside America been read by CAA?

                Originally posted by Lahlowen View Post
                Sure, but most agents aren't going to want to take on a new client just to sell one piece of material and then get fired again, which would happen the moment the client had to join the WGA.
                Dunno, I've heard of a lot of newbie writers getting hip-pocketed, so don't see why now would be any different. Surely with all their writer clients gone, one sale is better than nothing?

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: Anyone outside America been read by CAA?

                  Originally posted by BariNeon View Post
                  Dunno, I've heard of a lot of newbie writers getting hip-pocketed, so don't see why now would be any different. Surely with all their writer clients gone, one sale is better than nothing?
                  Maybe you should think about the long game. I'm not sure running to CAA right now is going to make you a lot of friends once you break in.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: Anyone outside America been read by CAA?

                    Wow, ok, I just got a reply to my follow up email which I sent a week ago:

                    "We very much respected the writing but it is not something we can get involved with at this time. Of course these things are subjective and we wish you all best with the project."

                    I guess this answers my question!

                    Wonder if they say they "respected the writing" to everyone they pass on...

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: Anyone outside America been read by CAA?

                      Originally posted by BariNeon View Post
                      Wonder if they say they "respected the writing" to everyone they pass on...
                      I would be more curious by their statement of: "...it is not something we can get involved with at this time."

                      This sounds so mysterious. Does it refer to the fight with the WGA? Does it refer to the subject matter of the material?

                      BariNeon, what was the genre and do you consider it to be high concept?

                      It's not easy to get a read request from CAA without a referral.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: Anyone outside America been read by CAA?

                        Originally posted by BariNeon View Post
                        Wow, ok, I just got a reply to my follow up email which I sent a week ago:

                        "We very much respected the writing but it is not something we can get involved with at this time. Of course these things are subjective and we wish you all best with the project."

                        I guess this answers my question!

                        Wonder if they say they "respected the writing" to everyone they pass on...
                        it just sounds like the garden variety "nice" pass. "good, but not for us"

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: Anyone outside America been read by CAA?

                          Originally posted by BariNeon View Post
                          Wow, ok, I just got a reply to my follow up email which I sent a week ago:

                          "We very much respected the writing but it is not something we can get involved with at this time. Of course these things are subjective and we wish you all best with the project."

                          I guess this answers my question!

                          Wonder if they say they "respected the writing" to everyone they pass on...
                          Sounds like a nice pass.

                          I've had strange dealings with CAA in the past, I used to call up an assistant and pitch them. They'd say yes and give me their email to send the screenplay. I'd email the screenplay, then I'd get a generic email back from a legal department saying they do not accept unsolicited material and what I sent went into the bin. Um... it wasn't unsolicited, they asked for it,...

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: Anyone outside America been read by CAA?

                            Originally posted by JoeBanks View Post
                            it just sounds like the garden variety "nice" pass. "good, but not for us"
                            Yeah pretty sure it was this. They mentioned "subjective" so I don't think it has anything to do with the WGA stuff.

                            It's a black comedy with some weirder elements, so probably not something an agent would be willing to take the risk on.
                            Last edited by BariNeon; 05-29-2019, 03:26 AM.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: Anyone outside America been read by CAA?

                              Originally posted by BariNeon View Post
                              Wow, ok, I just got a reply to my follow up email which I sent a week ago:

                              "We very much respected the writing but it is not something we can get involved with at this time. Of course these things are subjective and we wish you all best with the project."

                              I guess this answers my question!

                              Wonder if they say they "respected the writing" to everyone they pass on...
                              It was a polite pass form letter. Nothing more. A pass.

                              Comment

                              Working...
                              X