Ok, something is bugging me.

Over the past couple of weeks I've been receiving e-mails from people who have "read" my screenplays on here and they ask if they can do stuff with them.  This is where I've just picked up on a pattern...

For the people who "read" Addiction(seniors in high school, ironically the same age group as the kids in the story), they ask if they can act part of it out in a talent show or something, it's never actually film.  And then today I got an e-mail from a "7th grader" who read Scorsese and wanted to make it with his friends.(ironically, the main characters in Scorsese are 7th graders).

Then I notice at the bottom of this "7th grader's" e-mail he gave me two links to visit which had absolutely nothing to do with film, screenplays, or anything at all.  And then I looked back at some of the other requests and noticed that in their signatures they had a link with purchasing offers and stuff.  Kind of like pop-ups.

So, here's what I'm curious to find out.  Has anyone else experienced this kind of thing?  Could it be some kind of scam?  When the e-mails first started to come with the "can we do this as a skit" thing I said sure, what harm could it do?  But now I'm very skeptical as to the authenticity of these people if they're real at all or simply pick up on the script descriptions so they can e-mail me junk.

Thanks

Greg,

I've noticed something strange, too.  I get script submissions that are nothing but advertisements.  I also get comments on http://www.simplyscripts.com that are nothing but tons of links.  

Don

Do do do do
Do do do do

I've been there as well...
I think... Yeah, probably so.

That person can laugh it up; but guess what?



I'm not tellin the what...

Ha Ha Ha Ha

Cindy
  

Alright, I'm glad to see that it's not just me then.

Cindy, I read your message and your issue sounds very similar to mine.  You have far more experience in this field than I do, thus your "offers" deal with actual numbers and figures.  I'm curious, is "The Awakening" a script with mature themes and whatnot?  Is it something that would be more suited for adults?(I'm yet to read any of your stuff and I'm behind on a lot of stuff on this site cause of work, but I will eventually!  Promise!).

Scorsese-Main character: 7th grader(I get an offer from a 7th grader)
Addiction-Main character: high school senior(I get an offer from a  HS senior)
Lost Ghost-an eerie short, so I got an offer from a "college" student this time but who's signature matched the patterns.

So is The Awakening leaned more toward the adult side?  That would really give us a clear picture here, but I think this is just one person trying to have fun or there's bots that have become more intelligent.

Either way, I made it clear that if this "kid" uses my work without my permission then I will take action.  This kind of stuff shouldn't happen.

Thanks again, guys.

Quoted from greg Scorsese-Main character: 7th grader(I get an offer from a 7th grader) Addiction-Main character: high school senior(I get an offer from a  HS senior) Lost Ghost-an eerie short, so I got an offer from a "college" student this time but who's signature matched the patterns.

Sounds pretty weird.  I'll let you guys know if I get any offers from a lounge singer, a chick with a superhero fetish, or a strange homeless man who guards a tree to prevent dogs from peeing on it.


In these emails, have you responded?  Had actual conversations or anything that would lead you to suspect a bot?

Quoted from greg Either way, I made it clear that if this "kid" uses my work without my permission then I will take action.  This kind of stuff shouldn't happen.

You know he's serious when it's stuff and not shtuff.

Anyway, yeah, I've gotten emails, and I havent quite made up my mind as to their reliability.

Greg,
Halloween Games - The Awakening definately needs a rewrite. I posted that here back in 2004. This one is a comedy about a demon who has possession of a high school girl named Elizabeth. She was in Halloween Games. In this one a couple people who I eventually killed off with rewrites of Halloween Games are still alive, too, but the  demon is still after Susie, that is until he sees someone else he fancies better at the High School Halloween Dance.

A big scam that everyone here should watch out for are predator/editors.  These guys pose as agents and tell you they can sell your work... but it needs a little work.  They recommend a script doctor who will give you a discount on their services because they know your agent.  After you pay them, things will go quiet for a while and the editor will tell you it has to go back to the doctor for more work.  Some people have been to give thousands of dollars to these con artists.


Phil

Quoted from dogglebe A big scam that everyone here should watch out for are predator/editors.

I've often considered this problem myself and it's good of you to confirm this actually happens, Phil..

As the writer yourself (I don't mean you Phil I mean all of us here), never pay anybody else to re-write a draft or produce a revision of your script. The Producer does the paying..

Kev

Okay,
I wasn't going to post this, but now I am.
I received an e-mail from a producer (or so I thought) asking about one of my scripts.
We went back and forth through e-mails. He sent me a contract via e-mail.
A one page contract made out to someone else for a different script. That someone else is a member here.
When I pointed it out to him, he said sorry, he would get me mine... Okay...
I did a google search for the producer's name and company. The only thing I came up with was he was a screenwriter/photographer in the UK and a member of Freelance Writers Database. His e-mail was the same so I know it was in fact the same person.    
I asked him about this. He told me he worked in radio for a while, and produced a couple things for television. He didn't say anything about being a writer himself.
When I got my contract it was very vague. There was mention of me selling the script, but no mention of who was buying it, and it was still one page long AND for a different script of mine.
I've been thinking about it, and thinking about it. Could it be on the up and up? Got me. If not, why would someone do something like this? Take all the time to go back and forth like this?

Cindy and Greg,

List the name of the person and the production company.  Let's see if it's the same person.



Phil

Look, I'm myself seem to be dumbchicano to many of clever guys around there asking about shorts script, but I never heard something about it ever.

Many of the requeries tha asked me were students in moviemaking or people that want to make their second movie.

I've gave up of the membership of The Writers' Guild of the Great Britain  mounths later (I can't support any more  the anuality in pounds) and as I was one of its member. That time they help me one time when someone take my money when I was written OPORTO'S BRIDE script in Portugal.

I saw the contract that Cindy received and it was extremely suspicious.  A lot of money was mentioned, but the contract was so vague and unprofessional that it wouldn't hold up in court.


Phil

Here's who I've gotten and as much info as they gave:

The most recent was from "Stick Figure Studios." The writer only calls himself mangafan.

Then you had Adam
Keketsi F. Neo from the University of Lesotho,
Raheeq, but who's e-mail name was Kiwi,
and last was Phillip Tai and Aaron Zeilberger.  

No companies were given since these "people" are all students with very similar e-mail messages and who are advertising something in their signatures and all of their message dates were very close to one another.

Any names look familiar?

Cindy received a so-called contract, offering her a lot of money for her work.  I'm not talking film students.


Phil