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Contacted by Hollywood director? Believe or Get real?

M

Member389

Virgin
Joined
Oct 9, 2009
Posts
11
So I just got this feedback email from my most recent story (17 hours ago!) I checked the email address and it is actually that director's email according to Director's Guild of America. Is there any way to be sure?! The last thing I want to do is be chasing this down like a stupendous idiot to find out some joker set me up. :confused:


This message contains feedback for: Member389
This feedback was sent by: [redacted]

Comments:

389. The Girl Across the Way has the beginnings of a feature film. Want to work on it together? I'm a director/writer with a long list of credits in television
 
Member389 said:
So I just got this feedback email from my most recent story (17 hours ago!) I checked the email address and it is actually that director's email according to Director's Guild of America. Is there any way to be sure?! The last thing I want to do is be chasing this down like a stupendous idiot to find out some joker set me up. :confused:


This message contains feedback for: Member389
This feedback was sent by: [redacted]

Comments:

389. The Girl Across the Way has the beginnings of a feature film. Want to work on it together? I'm a director/writer with a long list of credits in television
Click to expand...

Who knows? Follow it up and check it out!

I checked out your story. Haven't read it yet but you have 1 view and 10 favorites. How you pulled that off I don't know but you have to share your secrets!
 
Odd, when I look at it, I see 4565 views, 1 comment and 10 favorites.
Despite that, the director hasn't done anything besides a few TV series episodes in the past five years. I believe that I'm being punked since the message wasn't sent directly from that email but was sent from the comment section. This has the smell of a practical joke being perpetrated on me by a co-worker who may have found me on here.
 
Member389 said:
Odd, when I look at it, I see 4565 views, 1 comment and 10 favorites.
Click to expand...

What we can see publicly doesn't update like your control panel view.

You might reply to the email and just ask if he sent the invitation.
 
Nothing ventured, nothing gained. E-mail him and ask. What can he say? Yes or no are the main two options.
 
NotWise said:
What we can see publicly doesn't update like your control panel view.

You might reply to the email and just ask if he sent the invitation.
Click to expand...

I believe the comments total on the submissions page updates only once per day, while the control panel updates every 10 minutes. Or something like that. I knew that was the explanation, but I enjoyed seeing those numbers.
 
Email addresses can easily be spoofed (faked) to look like they come from just about anyone.

My advice: If it sounds too good to be true, it more than likely is.
 
TriadWriter said:
Email addresses can easily be spoofed (faked) to look like they come from just about anyone.

My advice: If it sounds too good to be true, it more than likely is.
Click to expand...

That's some of the most important advice anybody can ever receive.
 
Well, I've posted before that I think film people should could here and look through the files for new ideas.
 
ChloeTzang said:
If you do follow up, use a separate email address that can’t be used to identify you.
Click to expand...

I think that's good advice.

I'm not in the film industry, so I don't have any real insight, but a couple things strike me as off about this email.

1.) Why is he contacting after you've only posted the beginning? It would make more sense to wait until the story is finished to see if you have the ability to deliver on a promising start.

2.) If it's the concept that's got him excited, why does he want to work with you on it? It would probably be less of a hassle just to buy the concept (or steal it) off of you.

I think you should follow up, but be cautious. Don't let yourself get carried away with the prospect of fame and fortune.
 
And now mebbe Member389 can wait for the next email which might perhaps suggest a small contribution of say $1000 - just to meet expenses of course. :rolleyes:

If Member 389 does have $1000 to spare I suggest he consider a case of Penfolds Bin 389, a very good shiraz.
 
Demand payment in advance. Cashier's checque only. In Swiss francs, for safety.
 
The story in question DOES have some interesting concepts. But unfortunately they aren't owned by the writer of this story.

Why? Well I have seen quite a few 70s pornos online that have window peeping by invitation as part of the plot.
 
Yeah I just read the story in question (which I hadn't previous to this thread).

I have been in the mainstream movie racket many decades ago and am not any longer thank god. Not anywhere near the top-line activities (mainly because I was just too young/innocent? by a handful of years) but close by enough to know stuff... If it were now I would demand co-writer credits!!

Anyway, back to the matter itself.

The story DOES have some key elements that are right down the path of decent screenplay writing. I'm not personally that worried by the fact that it shares story-line elements with pre-existing work - that's virtually a given these days.

If it were ever to be a mainstream accepted flick it would need to have work on tuning things to standards expectations - but the fact is, for me at least, the writing IS highly skilled.

Hmmnnn.
 
Thank you all

Thanks for all the comments, compliments, criticisms etc. To bring it back around to the point of my original post. It wasn't whether or not the work was good enough to be made into a screenplay (to me at least) it was whether or not anyone had heard of being contacted this way by an interested party.

My reasons for believing I am being trolled:

  1. On my new Win10 laptop, the log in insisted on using my hotmail address ID Member389 rather than my name and it took me a few days to straighten out. In that time a co-worker spotted my user name on the log in page, and snickered like a 12 year old.
  2. I was contacted anonymously, but given an email address for a real director whose address is readily available and real, therefore easy for a troll to include.
  3. I've been the victim of trolling by the aforementioned co-workers before, and I fear they may be joining together to see if I take the bait.
  4. Nothing this particular director has done even closely resembles adult subjects, in fact there has been a lot of religion themed work done by them.
  5. I'm a touch paranoid. Fool me once...

Truth is if a director was interested in a story of mine I would expect them to contact me FROM their email address, rather than use the anonymous contact button. I keep a close eye on my spam folder so I don't miss emails.
I've decided to pass. I have the belief that the trolls have been waiting to see if I mention anything about a director wanting to adapt one of my stories at work, if so they're disappointed.
 
actually you could have some fun with the coworkers.

We ALL could.

Whos to say they would recognize a faked reply email from the actual account?

What you need to do is hit the forward button, reply to the screen writers actual email, and when you get a reply you can alter what you get
 
Member389 said:
Thanks for all the comments, compliments, criticisms etc. To bring it back around to the point of my original post. It wasn't whether or not the work was good enough to be made into a screenplay (to me at least) it was whether or not anyone had heard of being contacted this way by an interested party.

My reasons for believing I am being trolled:

  1. On my new Win10 laptop, the log in insisted on using my hotmail address ID Member389 rather than my name and it took me a few days to straighten out. In that time a co-worker spotted my user name on the log in page, and snickered like a 12 year old.
  2. I was contacted anonymously, but given an email address for a real director whose address is readily available and real, therefore easy for a troll to include.
  3. I've been the victim of trolling by the aforementioned co-workers before, and I fear they may be joining together to see if I take the bait.
  4. Nothing this particular director has done even closely resembles adult subjects, in fact there has been a lot of religion themed work done by them.
  5. I'm a touch paranoid. Fool me once...

Truth is if a director was interested in a story of mine I would expect them to contact me FROM their email address, rather than use the anonymous contact button. I keep a close eye on my spam folder so I don't miss emails.
I've decided to pass. I have the belief that the trolls have been waiting to see if I mention anything about a director wanting to adapt one of my stories at work, if so they're disappointed.
Click to expand...

I'm glad you didn't fall for the scam.

I don't work in entertainment anymore, but what you're describing would likely never happen. Directors and producers have intern minions that read submissions for them. They don't go out trawling the smutty parts of the internet for new ideas.

Screenwriters do that.
 
Quote from Maeven+quinn:

"Directors and producers have intern minions that read submissions for them. They don't go out trawling the smutty parts of the internet for new ideas."

Factual point taken, now onto the slightly tongue-in-cheek aside....

That's only because nowadays, they are all illiterate and ignorant. And if you think the money they have (had...?) will always be there for them think again. They will find out that going broke happens even to the trans-luminati if you behave like stupid dumb assholes for long enough.
 
Desiremakesmeweak said:
That's only because nowadays, they are all illiterate and ignorant. And if you think the money they have (had...?) will always be there for them think again. They will find out that going broke happens even to the trans-luminati if you behave like stupid dumb assholes for long enough.
Click to expand...

It's true, and frustrating. A lot of ADs I've met have been pretty awesome people. Same with post production people, writers, actors, etc. They all work their tails off too.

It's always the people at the top, who hold the purse strings, who are the worst. Yay capitalism?
 
Yep. Matches what I experienced years ago.

... the older I get, the more I accumulate in experiences, the more fucking bizarre the whole thing seems to me.
 
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