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A quick check on IMDbPro says this guy is on the up and up, however he has about 22 (!) projects that are either in development or pre-production.
That could add up quickly.
Keeping in mind that I haven't sold anything and therefore have no clue what I'm talking about... is there a way to verify via IMDbPro that this is the person is who he says he is? If the pro version has its own messaging system, it would at least verify that he owns the account.
If this person really is just going to shop the idea around, I'm with Kham and wonder why they need money for that. It's one thing if your script is some bizarre story where a proof-of-concept reel really helps, but in that case I'd expect the producer to take longer to decide to do it.
Optioning the script short-term for cheap does sound like the best plan. Long-term options have all the risks already mentioned.
Hey Steve - just thought I'd throw my own angle in on this; it'd be a pity to throw a good opportunity away, but there's some questions you'd need to ask this guy:
First off, if you are putting money in, then you're effectively an executive producer, and with that hat on you'd be expected to have some control over the cash and the budget. What is the total budget for the film? Often films attract additional funds if they already have funds, so is $7k the total or is he hoping to raise more?
Has he done a cost break-down for the film? It's unlikely he'd need all the money up front; casting and location scouting doesn't cost that much, and as an exec producer with control over at least some of the finances, you would usually release some of the costs against the budget and then get some kind of feedback, so you know where that part of the money has been spent (and if the budget is on track).
You're not optioning nor selling your script; the budget includes an amount for the script, and as exec you are playing a different role from that of script-writer, so keep these roles separate and discuss what you'll get for the script as a separate deal.
When costing, look at pre-production costs, production costs (including talent), and post-production costs - also check if he has any distribution people interested.
Lastly, be prepared to lose your money - even if the films gets made and goes to cinema - if you can afford to lose it, then fine, if not and you have an expectation of a return on your investment, then do not put cash into low budget filming.
Hey Steve - just thought I'd throw my own angle in on this; it'd be a pity to throw a good opportunity away, but there's some questions you'd need to ask this guy:
First off, if you are putting money in, then you're effectively an executive producer, and with that hat on you'd be expected to have some control over the cash and the budget. What is the total budget for the film? Often films attract additional funds if they already have funds, so is $7k the total or is he hoping to raise more?
Has he done a cost break-down for the film? It's unlikely he'd need all the money up front; casting and location scouting doesn't cost that much, and as an exec producer with control over at least some of the finances, you would usually release some of the costs against the budget and then get some kind of feedback, so you know where that part of the money has been spent (and if the budget is on track).
You're not optioning nor selling your script; the budget includes an amount for the script, and as exec you are playing a different role from that of script-writer, so keep these roles separate and discuss what you'll get for the script as a separate deal.
When costing, look at pre-production costs, production costs (including talent), and post-production costs - also check if he has any distribution people interested.
Lastly, be prepared to lose your money - even if the films gets made and goes to cinema - if you can afford to lose it, then fine, if not and you have an expectation of a return on your investment, then do not put cash into low budget filming.
Yes it would be a shame if I’m wrong about this. And he did stress that it was a producer role, but at the end of the day I’d still be putting up money to get my screenplay made/sold, so it’s a means to the same end. Sort of.
I’ll just keep send off my queries like a good little writer.
Just Murdered by Sean Elwood (Zombie Sean) and Gabriel Moronta (Mr. Ripley) - (Dark Comedy, Horror) All is fair in love and war. A hopeless romantic gay man resorts to bloodshed to win the coveted position of Bridesmaid. 99 pages. https://www.simplyscripts.net/cgi-bin/Blah/Blah.pl?b-comedy/m-1624410571/