Screenwriters beware

If you are thinking of pitching the screenplay of your book to a film producer over the 'net, take care. This is a warning from John Scott Lewinski:

Quote :

If you've cleared the early hurdles and actually managed to submit your material to the company with a submission agreement, the most common fraud can surface.

You might receive a message via e-mail or regular post that praises you and your work. You could receive an option offer. I won't go into the details of options here as previous articles did that most thoroughly. Many independent companies will option a script for a year with an option to extend that term. Some smaller companies will option for a minimal fee with a guarantee of an acceptable sale price and a profit sharing package down the road.

However, you could also receive a more unusual offer. The producer may seek to gain the negotiating rights for the project by proposing a packaging arrangement.

For example, the deal might ask for anywhere from $100 to more than $1,000 to package and pitch your script to studio producers. This is different from a script evaluation service. Some of those are legit and can improve your work for a basic fee. The packaging deal essentially calls for you to pick up the tab of presenting your work to the industry.

Stop! Kill the deal. Demand return of your work and inform the packager making the deal that you will inform the lawyer of the incident. It's a come-on, pure and simple.

It's really very simple. No company worthy of professional consideration needs any of your money to sell your script. No production team capable of really getting your script noticed wants anything from you but a great screenplay

You can read the rest of the article here:

http://www.screenwritingsecrets.com/beware-of-online-scams.html

Thanks Shelagh,
as always, anything that looks too good to be true, usually is.

If you've been following the news, you may have become a Billionaire if you had traveled to Zimbabwe last week. They just devalued their currency and 10 Billion is now worth one dollar.
Everything is not always what is may sound/appear to be on the surface, eh?

If you are a writer, it has almost become unsafe to walk out the door without having a good lawyer at your side. To think there was a time in this business when a handshake was all it took.

The best thing a writer can do is vow to never give anyone a red cent. Except your spouse of course, and I'm even getting suspicious when that becomes necessary. "No, it's mine! I've worked hard for it and you can't have it!"

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The best thing a writer can do is vow to never give anyone a red cent.

That's another of the phrases that intrigue me. I have found several
explanations of the origin, the best of which has to do with the higher
copper content that pennies used to have, and were thus "redder" than
todays variety.

Another one is the phrase "Kick the bucket" that seems to have no definite point of origin.

Dick, I am sure that Jackie is taking good care of any funds you have given her. Just don't let her pay a company to handle the screen play!!

Dick Stodghill wrote:

"No, it's mine! I've worked hard for it and you can't have it!"

Since our wives are going to be around a lot longer than us, I expect they're just gritting their teeth... and waiting!!!

A hopeful writer I knew pitched his screenplay around for years and though it was never picked up, a film was eventually made that came as close to it as it could yet missed it altogether. Never found out if the writer simply sold the idea and it was morphed by the studios or if it was just coincidence. I like to think he sold the idea; he worked hard enough at it. (And he always kept an attorney on hand. His brother, I believe.)

Dick Stodghill wrote:

Except your spouse of course, and I'm even getting suspicious when that becomes necessary. "No, it's mine! I've worked hard for it and you can't have it!"

If my husband wins the lottery he says I won't get a penny.

Dear Phil,
I think the term "kicked the bucket" comes from the cow kicking over the milk pail while being milked. All the milk was lost. It is kind of like "bought the farm." If you are laying six foot under the grass that grows on it, you have bought the farm, so to speak. Who knows how these thing come to be a saying. They intrest me. too.

Dear Shelagh, tell him you want "red cents!" The new pennies are not all that much copper. Funny thing about pennies. The old ones with the wheat on them are now worth more than a penny in salvage weight. It is against the law to take pennies in for salvage or junk even if the weight of them is much more than the monetary value.

Love,
Betty