Ok, so I've recently started sending Query letters to agents, and one came back from an Eddie Kritzer:

http://www.eddiekritzer.com

After talking with him about his policies, he agreed to read the script.  The next day he sent me a letter saying he wanted to do business.  He attached a contract.

Now, Mr. Kritzer isn't an agent.  He puts together single deals and takes them around to production companies, producers, etc.  So because of this he requests a $500 advance.  

Now, I looked him up and he seems to look legit, but something doesn't feel right here.  (probably the $500)  I just get the feeling that his "production company" would accept anything. Odds are this will all fall through (because it's really hard to part with 500 unless I'm 100%), but what do you guys think?

Quoted from dresseme So because of this he requests a $500 advance.

Run away. A real agent's fee is 10% of the purchase price of your script. Which means he gets paid if you get paid. Anyone asking for money in advance is scam.

EDIT: I noticed he doesn't call himself an agent. I don't know what he is supposed to be. But the $500 in advance is a big red flag.

Yeah, that sounds about right.   I think my favorite part of dealing with this guy was asking him "What did you like about the script?"

His answer:  "I liked the ending the best, it was so ironic."

Right....

Quoted from Mr.Z I noticed he doesn't call himself an agent. I don't know what he is supposed to be.

He doesn't call himself an agent, but his listing is posted on agency listing websites.  Which is odd, because I used a website that's usually quite dilligent in weeding out frauds/scam artists.  

I have no idea if this guy is legit or not, but I wouldn't trust anyone who chooses the pretentious "hand on chin" approach when posing for photos. And the bad toupee doesn't help either.

There's plenty of scam artists out there who ask for money for reading fees/administrative costs/ etc.  I'd keep away from anyone asking for anything like that.


Phil

No.  Do not hand over your hard earned money to this guy.

Just what exactly is he promising for this $500 dollar advance.

If he sees $ signs because of the work you've done, he can do his job and upon completion get paid.

It's not as though he's laying out physical supplies to do his work:  Like say a house reno person who needs to buy roofing tiles.

My husband works for companies doing computer technical work.  He gets nothing until after the job is done.

He could create service contracts with some, but smaller companies can't afford to outlay regular payments on something which isn't "broken" yet--so it's by requirement.

I really don't like the sound of this guy.  If he charges everyone $500, and assuming he can sucker one person per day and work five days a week; he can conceivably make  $10,000 a month.

With that kind of money he ought to be able to "buy" a couple contracts to make himself "look" legit.

Well, I really don't know and I apologize to him big time if he is legit, but I don't think you should have to "buy" a job.

Sometimes, I think that all of the artists are busy struggling in the name of "art"... and then all the vultures, they're out there just waiting for the next number from the uninitiated--the next generation to pop up.

That cliched line of "There's a new sucker born every minute," is so true.

It's like all of the pyramid schemes and shmancy "get your whatever diploma" schools out there.  We're all working for the man and the men who've figured out a way to scoop up extra from that man (who doesn't have any scruples) are often the same-- lacking in scruples.

How can he prove to you afterwards that he's even done his $500 dollars worth?

It's a pretty hard thing to prove.

Be careful.

Sandra

Man, that Kritzer guy has SLEAZEBALL written all over him.  Well, I'll just say what I've said many, many times before (including on my website):

If they ask for a fee -- any kind of fee -- run away.  Writers don't pay agents and manager.  Agents and managers pay the writer when work is secured for the writer. Never ever pay anyone to rep you.  Never.  

Got it?

To the OP: Where did you get this Kritzer's name from?  I'm assuming he didn't come out of the Hollywood Creative Directory or the WGA website.  Listen up, folks.  If you're gonna search for agents, managers and/or prodcos to send your scripts to, get the names from the HDC and/or the WGA.  If you're pulling them off some arbitrary website, or a CraigsList ad, then you're just asking for trouble.

Don't get ripped off.  Educate yourself!

I was going to start a thread on Eddie Kritzer, only to learn that someone had started one back in 2007.

Eddie contacted me today.  I had apparently replied to a posting he placed on craigslist, saying he was looking for feature length scripts.  His name rang a bell, though I couldn't remember where I heard it before.  After listening to him talk about himself for ten minutes, I looked him up.

While he may have done some production work fifteen or twenty years ago, with some big names attached, his claim to fame, now, is acting as an agent or manager or some other time of rep only to charge the writer a reading fee of about $500.

Legit agents and managers do not charge the writer any money in advance.  They get paid a percentage of the sales; if you don't get paid, they don't get paid.

Another problem in dealing with Eddie is that he doesn't know when to stop.  He's been known to harass writers to get them to 'sign up' with him.  When that doesn't work, he resorts to a barrage of insulting e-mails and telephone calls.  You can google his name to get the full story.

Should he somehow contact you, end the communication as quickly as you can.  You have nothing to gain in dealing with him.


Phil

I've been contacted by Mr. Kritzer as well. A couple years ago, i think. Same deal. $500 bucks. Seems your first instinct was the same as mine: something's fishy here. Needless to say, I stayed away. And I recall asking him something similar about my script and he have me a totally generic answer. Enough said.

Don't waste your time (or your hard earned cash).

Steve

OMG do not do it!!!! Run :)

Quoted from SAC I've been contacted by Mr. Kritzer as well.

I haven't been contacted  by Mr. Kritzer. Should I be upset?

R

Quoted from dogglebe You have nothing to gain in dealing with him.

Aside from a little fun, perhaps.

I was contacted by Pierre Chambers two days ago, but haven't replied yet. He writes: "My company now offers a service of submissions to studios and notable agents who are seeking projects right now. It would be "unsolicited" through our company. Let me know."

Before he asked to submit one of my scripts just like he wrote to a few of us here. I guess this time it's the same story. Did you write back?

Quoted from khamanna I was contacted by Pierre Chambers...

This guy didn't contact me either!

R

On a serious note, sadly, there's loads of answers to this stuff in here, usually under threads such as Interest In My Script. Beware  -

http://www.simplyscripts.net/cgi-bin/Blah/Blah.pl?b-cc/

R again.

Eddie actually tried contacting me this morning, asking for the logline I supposedly promised him.  I wrote him a polite thanks-but-no-thanks e-mail.  Hopefully, this will be enough.


Phil

Quoted from khamanna I was contacted by Pierre Chambers two days ago

I had some correspondence with this man recently. He eventually sent me a contract of the sort that no writer should ever sign -- it gave his company several rights and protections regarding the script without outlining any of their obligations.

I got the sense that he was more naive than anything else, but I may have misread the situation. In any case, just a reminder to always run things by a lawyer if you're unsure, I guess.

Thanks, Heretic.

I emailed him back and yeah... he wants money upfront for pitches. I'm not as nice as dogglebe so won't answer that one. He says I can submit "any project I want to get in front of a studio" - that alone is pretty crazy. Before he asked a specific script which gave him some credibility in my eyes.

Anyway, if I want to pay for pitching I'd do my own pitches and attend a pitch conference.

Eddie Kritzer is a fraud... though I've never dealt w/ him personally, I've seen his name hundreds of times over the past 5 years or so on Writer Beware and other sites and discussion boards, including Craigslist... all from writers warning other writers to STAY AWAY.

Another name I've been hearing a lot is Frankie Hopkins, some hack "film director" who has been re-creating other short films that have already been produced and posted on-line, and then passing them off as his own. He's even gone as far as just flat out stealing the short film completely and re-doing the graphics to make it look like he directed it.

http://www.reddit.com/r/filmmakers/comments/2d7y57/filmmakerdp_frankie_hopkins_is_a_fraud/

On his website, I watched one of his shorts called "First Date" and it was literally a complete remake of a Funny or Die sketch I saw a week before... and the quality of his "remakes" are horrible, terrible acting, horribly shot, etc. And he falsely claims these films as award winners or finalists... one he has as top 25 at Tribeca (clearly false) and he most recently claimed one of his shorts made the Austin Film Festival... Austin Film Festival's twitter account immediately debunked his claims.

As for Eddie Kritzer, I'd say stay far away...
http://freethoughtblogs.com/ashleymiller/2012/09/08/people-looking-out-for-hollywood-writers-eddie-kritzer-the-scam-that-will-not-die/

And there's tons more online about both these scam artists...

-- Michael

Is it weird that I always feel insulted that my stuff isn't even good enough to steal or scam? :P

You're right Kham...why the hell would someone pay this nobody to pitch for them when you can do it yourself at a pitchfest? I don't feel too bad for people who fall for his scam though, when all they have to do is Google his name.

After I spoke with Eddie on Thursday night, I researched him and learned of his reputation.  On Friday morning, he left me a voice mail, wondering where my loglines were.  I e-mailed him, saying that I didn't want to work with him due to his reputation.

He has, since then, e-mailed me twice, telling me of all the things he's done.  He went assofar as to say I wasn't sending him one sentence pitches because I didn't know how to write them.

Funny man.


Phil

You're too nice Phil. I'd be screwing with him big time, sending him some off the wall loglines and just messing with his head.

Quoted from mmmarnie You're too nice Phil. I'd be screwing with him big time, sending him some off the wall loglines and just messing with his head.

It isn't worth looking for it... but if it lands in your lap it's worth having a little fun with it. I do that with anyone that annoys me, like sales people on the phone or the front door, other drivers, people huffing in the queue behind me while I take my time considering my order. It's weird, because it actually makes me less annoyed knowing that I'm annoying them. It's degrees of annoying, you just have to notch it up the more they do. If it ends in a fight... so be it. Although I have to be careful these days... last time that happened I got 6 months.

If he thinks the screenplay is good enough to sell then tell him to sell it and you'll give him 10% of the sale price.

See how fast he will decline your offer.

The problem, these people won't simply leave you alone.  In the past, writers have filed lawsuits regarding how these scam artists harass them.


Phil