Last month I posted about some unsavory job listings for screenwriters on Craigslist. The article was picked up by a couple of blogs. So it comes as a disappointment, though not a surprise, that the same unprincipled individuals are at it again.
Same M.O. — this ad is directed towards novice screenwriters. It intends to exploit them.
Like the earlier ad this one:
- $1000 to be piecemealed as payment over six weeks. [Never allow anyone to give you payment this way.]
- Must meet with “team members” 90 minutes per week this time in Hudson Valley.
- Work to be done on an existing script. This time it’s Horror instead of a “Dark Comic Thriller”
- You must waive any right to the work you create upfront.
- The ad uses disposable Gmail addresses to conceal identity.
New Twists:
- “Writer must also understand that if we edit the script we will share a writing credit.” [Translation, we will edit the script to the point where we will claim we wrote it, and you will get no credit.]
- “We may be willing to pay a little more to the right person and only upon the delivery of a project that is so good it simply leaves us breathless. So think of it as a generous bonus to an amazing job well done!” [The Gall! They hope to rope and make writers slave with some whimsical idea of a "bonus."]
Remember folks $1000 is way below the rate for a re-write or development of existing material. Never write material for free unless you are spec-ing your own show or feature or have a personal investment in the outcome. You have no way of knowing who these individuals are or what they intend to do with your work. This is not how real writers and producers do business. Avoid at all costs.
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