Wednesday, October 26, 2005

Checking out a certain agent's website, I was surprised to see this:

5. In consideration of Agent's services, Client agrees to pay, by certified cheque or draft made payable to Scammo Entertainment Inc. [not its real name] an administration fee of $53.50/month to remain on the roster...

7. A one time start up cost of $107.00 is required upon signing of this agreement. Several hours will go into preparing and requesting several necessary documents and information and this cost is to be used for that purpose. In other words, the Agents time involved. All monies to be paid in American currency. The initial payment pertaining to the first signing must be in the form of a certified cheque or draft made payable to the full company name.

In my strong opinion (and that of the WGA), it is NOT KOSHER for an agent to charge fees. Charge for copying scripts, maybe. Charge for mailing scripts, uh, okay. Maybe. I paid those when I was just beginning. Charge for being your agent: just say no.

If they can't make a living from 10% of what you make with their help, you do not need their help.

The agent in question also claims to be a successful Canadian country music artist. I guess every singer-songwriter needs some way to make ends meet.

I love these numbers, though. $53.50, huh? Is that a round number in dinars?

10:53 AM

1 Comments:

I got an email from these cretins not long ago. They read a logline for one of my scripts, and sent me an email that said, "We like your idea! Are yoou represented?"

I replied, "No."

Then they said they wanted me in "their stable of writers." This, before having read word one of any of my scripts. Alarm bells.

By  Dave, at 12:54 AM  

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