Hello creative community, I hope you are well.
Here's what happened...
A manager/agent has read your materials (which you wrote with patience and suffering) and has someone in mind to offer them to. Great, right?
But when you finalize the details, he asks you to pay $1,000 for the cover and miscellaneous entertainment and services such as representing me.
Should I trust this?
Has this happened to you too? if so, what have you done?
Why do you ask me for an advance and don't immediately keep your percentage in case of sale of the project?
I hope this question is helpful to you too, let me know (I don't know what to do)
#doubts
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You should NEVER have to hand over money to someone to represent you. It's a scam.
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Scam. Mess with the hustler. Email him and say you have $100,000 cash and you want him to attach top talent.
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This hasn't happened to me, Ugo Cavallo, but it does sound like a scam. Avoid it.
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Not legit, next!
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A legitimate rep will not ask you for any fees up front to take you on as a client. Managers and agents take a commission on the fees you earn.
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It is a scam and if an agent does it they should be reported to the WGA because agents are not allowed to do that sort of thing if they are a member.
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Ugo, run away from that scammer!
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Hi Ugo - I wouldn’t trust this person. You can pay for a plane ticket or an Uber to meet a rep - I’ve done it many times - but you should never have to pay a rep to do their job. Their “overhead” is their business if they are real.
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SCAM!! run!!! dont think twice. But also - this is not a real manager, so tell us who it is!
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UGH! I did a whole thread on scams like this over in the writers' room. It is the new trend in the screenwriting industry unfortunately -- some ask for much more.
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This is a scam don't pay. Unless they are willing to sign a contract with agreed terms of delivery with penalties for failure
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Run, don't walk. Shut that door & don't ever look back. (imo & based on personal experience)
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Not to me, but I've heard of this screenwriter scam, which is akin to 'You've won a million lottery but we need you to send a $1000 gift card to us before we can release the funds to you."
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Yeah, never get involved with something like this that asks you for money.
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In the end I took your advice (and I don't regret it), I stood firm and said I'm not interested in this kind of "business" and then I walked out.
Now, not to think too much about it, I'm putting together ideas for my next screenplay.
Thank you community for all your comments and if it happens to YOU in the future:
DO NOT ACCEPT. DO NOT GIVE money, I speak from personal experience ^^'
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You're welcome, Ugo. Glad to hear you made the right decision. Thanks for making this thread. I'm sure it'll help other writers