Writer's Literary Screenplay Agency, Screenplay Writers' Agency,The Screenplay Agency

eqb

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sherryfine said:
What's your real risk anyway?

Nice cut-and-paste technique, Sherry! Too bad you can't list any sales.

Seriously, we answered that question already. Writers risk losing money, time, and opportunity if they sign with one of your scam agencies.
 

MadScientistMatt

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Hello, Sherry. As long as you're here, I'd like to ask you a question.

I believe you were the one who replied to my logline submission to the Screenplay Agency. I sent it in under the alias of "Danny Timecube." I'd like to hear more about what you thought about my logline. According to my email, you said, "Based on your
query form information we would like to see your work and learn a little bit more about your goals and your work."

I have one question for you. The logline that you said that about read, in its entirity, "A fish of soap reflected green velvet and turned on the wooly log." Do you honestly believe that you could sell a script with that logline?
 

DaveKuzminski

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Should we remind Sherry that four sales divided by six agencies is less than one sale per agency?

If you're not up to the math, Sherry, we'll do it for you. I understand fractions are very impressive to newbies. ;)
 

similan

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[font=&quot]For me, the hard part will be when I tell my love ones, and I only have three people who I care deeply for. Now I have to explain to my wife and her mom that it’s just a scam. That’s all. And it’s only been two days since we shot straight through cloud nine. What a ride it was, too. I feel like such a looser for letting them down. They were so excited when I told them the big news. My wife was several hundred miles away at work...man she broke down and cried when I phoned her. We’ve been married for three years and I’ve never, ever seen or heard her cry. I guess a real chance at leaving this cruddy tin shack we called home overwhelmed her. [/font]

[font=&quot]But the hardest will be telling my daughter. See I created an email account for her when she was born seven months ago. I’ve been sending her emails every now and then letting her know about the things she did that put smile on our faces. My last one I’d told her about this very exciting news daddy has just received. Finally, I can provide care for you the way I wish I could. No more county hospital where your doctor treated us like cockroaches. Ok, I didn't say that last bit but...LOL Maybe I'll log in to her acct and delete that mail. hehe [/font]

[font=&quot]Anyway, I’m very sorry for this rant and I’m not trying to be dramatic. I won't let it happen again.
smile.gif
It’s just that I’m completely devastated. As if the crap we have to put up with living below poverty in a third world country isn’t punishing enough. Thank god my friend in LA forces me to wait until after she registered my script with WGA before I send my script to them. And no, I didn’t send them the 95$ for the critique. My left brain eventually returned and I started reading through the emails again and if you read them carefully, you can spot them trying to scam you. Google brought me here! You guys rule! :D
[/font]

[font=&quot]And Sherry Fine AKA "me, Joan" (that's how the uber editor that's going to critique my script introduced himself in the email) AKA Robert Fletcher, I've changed my mind and my check is on its way. Really! I'm so impressed with your extra uber fast replies that I gave you all my moolah. Just make sure you have a lighter handy, you're going to need to light it open cuz the check is inside the red tube thing.
tongue.gif

[/font]

[font=&quot]Ok, now I feel a little better.[/font]
 

JerseyGirl1962

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Similan,

First - :welcome:

And secondly, don't be too harsh on yourself. The mind boggles at the scammers who aren't afraid to come between you and your money. Consider yourself fortunate you didn't send them any.

If you look at some of the other scam threads (check out the one on Publish America), you'll see what I mean.

Give your wife and daughter some hugs, hmm? :e2grouphu And don't be afraid to ask questions and do some research here. You're among friends. :)

~Nancy
 

Gravity

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Once you've heard the truth, everything else is ju
Sim...I know it hurts, my friend. But know this. There's a little thing around called "payback." In the Christian world it's known as "sowing and reaping"; others call it karma. Whatever the label, Fletcher is stowing up a boatload of the stuff. And when all his misdeeds finally catch up with him...as they surely will...the resulting show will be spectacular.
 

Chacounne

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Oh, Similan,

Your message breaks my heart. Remember, this is but one agency, and they don't deserve you. Now's the time to research and find real agencies to query.

I wish you the best of life,
(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((Similan)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))
Chac
 

Sassenach

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Am I the only one who's wondering about Similan's veracity? Perhaps I'm wrong, but...

'tin shack'
'below poverty in a third world country' ???


If you do, where did you get the money for WGA registration and Internet access?
 

xhouseboy

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Sassenach said:
Am I the only one who's wondering about Similan's veracity? Perhaps I'm wrong, but...

Maybe I'm as cynical as you, Sass. But there's a 'twang' throughout the post that doesn't (to me) suggest tin shack and all the rest of it.

I get the impression that there's a tongue firmly in a cheek somehwere.
 

similan

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JerseyGirl, Gravity and Chac,

Thanks guys. My desire to have my script read by a Hollywood agent momentarily blinded me. Boy, having my ego storked really was a trip, but in the end, reality bites. Hard! lol Better start doing it the hard way by sending query letters. Anyway, this could be karma or retribution for hurting someone who I cared about in the not too distance past, so I deserve it.

Sassenach,

I completely understand. In short, I used to live all over So Cal; LA, Eagle Rock, Burbank, Cerritos, N. Hollywood, Reseda and Alhambra. I moved back here (Thailand) several years ago. Initially it was a vacation, but met a girl and eventually we married. Things were decent at first. Had a decent paying job and was doing all right at first, but turned out I'm not much of a salesman. This computer, bought it when I first decided to stay. Now I'm jobless and been living at my mother-in-law's for a while. She's dirt poor but extremely kind. Anyway, got a writing gig last month but the project was put on hold. sigh...

Oh, my friend in LA registered my script with WGA for me and she even paid for it.

Take care guys.
 

Roger J Carlson

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similan said:
Anyway, this could be karma or retribution for hurting someone who I cared about in the not too distance past, so I deserve it.
I personally don't believe that anyone deserves this kind of treatment. But if reincarnation is true, then Bobby and his crew should come back as Myxomycetes (slime mold). They don't just steal people's money. They steal their dreams.
 

similan

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Got a LONG email from him yesterday! Basically, it (and I'm not refering to the mail) says you guys are wrong and to trust...it!

Is there anything we can do to shut him down as I'm almost certain many more will fall for this scam. Losing money is one thing but to most writers, it more that money he's taking. And some people might not cope all that well.
 

James D. Macdonald

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similan said:
Is there anything we can do to shut him down as I'm almost certain many more will fall for this scam.

Write to the New York Attorney General, the Florida Attorney General, and your home state's attorney general.

Tell the facts about your interaction with Robert Fletcher.
 

xhouseboy

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I was reading this thread a few days ago, and based on Sherry's claims I decided to put her agency (once more) to the test. This has been done many times before, but who knows, perhaps she was telling the truth (yeah, right!).

So I sent this utter nonsense to her:

Title of Work: Honey Patter and the Goblet of Water

Synopsis: A young boy discovers he possesses magical powers, and he must
fight evil forces to realise his true destiny.

NYP-Work Been Edited: No.

NYP-Bio: Aspiring screenwriter for several years. I have only just purchased
a copy of Final Draft, which I believe wil make my screenplays even better.

Today I got this utter nonsense back. BTW, it landed in my spam folder. My emphasis.

Thank you for your query to the Screenplay Literary Agency. Based on your
query form information we would like to see your work and learn a little bit
more about your goals and your work.

1) Would you please send us an electronic copy
of your screenplay for further evaluation?

Err, No. I don't actually have any screenplays that are a blatant and nonsensical rip- off of the Harry Potter franchise.

Please email your manuscript to
[email protected] .
(We accept Final Draft, Movie Magic, Screenwiter, and pdf, doc, and
rtf)

You accept anything.

2) Would you please answer these 2 questions
in the body of the SAME email? (Just copy and paste
the questions).

A. How long have you been writing, and
what are your goals as a writer?

To avoid scamsters like you.

B. Do you consider your writing 'ready-to-go',
or do you think it needs some polishing.

Again, no to the first question. It was a complete load of bollocks. To the second question; it needs reading, is what it needs, mate. And if you had read it, you too would have realised it was bollocks. Oh but wait, I forgot, it's my money you're really after. Sorry, my mistake, carry on.



SNIP - scam nonsense

Please see the
FAQs below.



We believe we are very different than other agencies.

Yeah, too right.




==========================================================
We believe that we are unique in that we are willing to develop an author
and their talent. We like the metaphor of a business incubator as a
description of how we will take time to bring an author's work to the proper
quality level, even if it takes months to do so. We take pride in the fact
that we answer every email personally within 2-3 days.

And this personal response lands in one's spam folder.


Also, you may understand how a Literary Agency works, but many authors
don't, so please excuse me while I take a minute and let you know how the
process works. As your Literary Agent, our mission is to assist you in
finding a buyer for your work and to coach you along the way in various
options available to you. We don't edit your work, our mission is to sell
for you. As for compensation, get paid on success only, meaning we only get
paid if you get paid. Typically we will receive 10% of what you receive if
we are successful.

I have an agent. She takes 15%. We both do all right out of the arrangement. After all, 85% of something is a whole lot better than 90% of hee-haw, not to mention the 'service' (sorry, fees - see below) charges old Sherry would soon be tagging on. Real agents don't charge clients a penny, Sherry.


We do not charge fees, so our compensation is based on success only. Along
the way, we may suggest that you improve the quality of your work and or how
it is presented. Once your work is deemed 'presentable', then we'll start
shopping it to buyers. We never promise a sale, but we can tell you that we
have a model that works.

You never promise a sale because, quite frankly, you never make any sales. Nor do you intend to.




We look forward to receiving your materials.

In your dreams


Sherry Fine - V.P. Acquisitions



Frequently Asked Questions: (I've again deleted most of this garbage)


Q) Why is there no phone number? I want to talk to someone...
A) Quite frankly, we are deluged with submissions. It is our policy to
provide a contact number later in the process, assuming we would like to
proceed with you.

Real answer: because we're little more than an automated scam.


Q) How do I know you are for real?
A) All we ask is that you judge us on the professionalism of our
interactions together. We will never ask you for money, so that's one way to
judge for yourself. Our commitment to you is that we believe that we should
get paid only if we sell your work. Your commitment to us is that you will
do what it takes to make sure your manuscript is the best it can be and that
it meets or exceeds industry quality standards.

I have judged you on the professionalism of our interactions together. You failed miserably.



Q) What if you find errors or problems with my screenplay? Should I spend
time revising now, or later?
A) We receive very few 'ready-to-go' screenplays. We believe we are unique
in that we are willing to work with our authors along the way. Most that we
receive need some level of polishing before we can submit them to buyers.
Some need very little polishing. Some need a lot. Over the years, we've
learned that it is worth our time and effort to do what it takes to develop
new talent. We've learned that incubating new talent makes good business
sense.


For 'good business sense' read 'good financial sense'. For 'incubating' read 'fleecing'.



Q) Is this an automated email? Is there a real person out there?
A) Yes, and yes, and yes... We personally review each query form to
determine whether the story idea/synopsis sounds interesting. This tells us
which screenplays we would like to receive.

So you really would like to receive my nonsensical 'Honey Patter and the Goblet of Water'? Sorry, my apologies. I've completely misjudged you.


Best regards,
Sherry Fine - VP of Acquisitions
We Grow Talent

You GROW more and more disreputable as each day goes by.







---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
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James D. Macdonald

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Personal for Winter:

You can find your latest drive-by in the Bob On The Run thread.

What you can post up here is the name and author of any screenplay that The Screenplay Agency has actually gotten optioned by a legitimate producer.

Even better if it's getting produced.
 

Max_payne

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Ok ppl i'll try not to take sides here because if I said the company is

fine you're gonna accuse me of being a sock puppet and if I took

your side then I would be accusing the company with something

that I don't have proof on.

The case is that I sent my script to the screenplay agency and they

took it and sent me the contract and told me to get a critique

coverage and I did thru their sister company but the case is that I

payed for the critique and I got it and it was really helpful so I don't

regret paying this money even if it lands eventually in the pocket of

so-called Robert Fletcher.
And i've sent a friend of mine in NY to check out their building and e


should get back to me on monday.

Right now i'm making the adjustments advised by the critique and

they sent me a hot-sheet to fill which thy'll put in their database so i

think i'll go through and see where this leads.

I've been querying agents for two freakin years and all i got was an

agent that I won't mention his name who was elusive and always

asking for money and he done nothing but these guys aren't asking

for money except after the sale so I think i'll go through and i'll keep

you guys posted...
 

Roger J Carlson

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Max_payne said:
Ok ppl i'll try not to take sides here because if I said the company is
fine you're gonna accuse me of being a sock puppet and if I took
your side then I would be accusing the company with something
that I don't have proof on.
The case is that I sent my script to the screenplay agency and they
took it and sent me the contract and told me to get a critique
coverage and I did thru their sister company but the case is that I
payed for the critique and I got it and it was really helpful so I don't
regret paying this money even if it lands eventually in the pocket of
so-called Robert Fletcher.
And i've sent a friend of mine in NY to check out their building and e

should get back to me on monday.
Right now i'm making the adjustments advised by the critique and
they sent me a hot-sheet to fill which thy'll put in their database so i
think i'll go through and see where this leads.
I've been querying agents for two freakin years and all i got was an
agent that I won't mention his name who was elusive and always
asking for money and he done nothing but these guys aren't asking
for money except after the sale so I think i'll go through and i'll keep
you guys posted...
I think you could better spend your time by joining a critique group. You'll get better critiques and it won't cost you anything. (You can even post some of your work in Show Your Work forum right here.) If you must spend money to improve your writing, I'd suggest a writer's workshop. There are many around the country and they're honest about why they're taking your money.

The truth is that most rejections are a result of poor writing and not indifference on the part of agents and publishers. If you've submitted to dozens of agents and only the Screenplay Agency gives you any positive feedback (and asks for money to 'critique' it), it might be worth your while to investigate their motives.

Please do keep us posted.
 

MadScientistMatt

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Well, Monday is going to be very interesting here.

May I suggest you try a little test of your agent's legitimacy that you can do yourself? Make up a pen name and get a free email address somewhere like Hotmail. Use these to send the Screenplay Agency the worst logline you can imagine - cliched, ungrammatical, or thoroughly incomprehensible. They will accept it within two weeks, unless they have made some major changes in the past two months.