Surviving the Wild West of the screenwriting industrial complex…
Today, as I was casually stalking my new connections on LinkedIn, I came across a particular contact whose profile caught my attention. Much as the hairs on the back of your neck might prick up around someone with nefarious intentions, something about his profile piqued my interest.
I couldn’t put my finger on why, but it gave me a bad feeling...
Now, he himself wasn’t the issue. What struck me was that he led with the fact that he was an agented writer, despite not having a very active profile on the site or anywhere online. Again, none of this is a red flag… for him.
Screenwriting is a notoriously difficult industry, and even with consistent work, many of us have projects that never see the light of day and therefore yield no credits. However, the agency he was repped under was one I hadn’t heard of before, so I looked at their website.
That’s when I realised what it was about his profile that made me so uncomfortable. One look at the agency website gave me the strong suspicion that this new contact of mine was being repped by a SCAM talent agency. Oh, the horror!
Now, there are different levels of “scam” when it comes to screenwriting agents or services. The the benign types, things like creator courses and paid-for newsletters claiming to ACCELERATE your career but that never really pan out, and then there are the really dangerous ones that are simply a front for phishing and fraudulent payments.
A scam talent agent is one that falls somewhere in the middle – not outright dangerous but designed mostly to part ambitious fools with their money. My first interaction with this type of scam was back when I was in university working for a cinema chain. There were two lovely girls (albeit hopeless dreamers) who I learned were actors repped by a local talent agency.
“How exciting!” I thought, until one of my colleagues pulled me aside and explained the situation. Yes, the girls were repped by an agent, but they were paying to be on their books. Not only were these girls PAYING to be on the books of this agent, but the agent in question had secured them little to no work even after months of being signed.
Even back then when I was hopelessly green I thought that seemed like a strange arrangement, yet I had no idea how common this scenario actually is. So, going back to my friend on LinkedIn I won’t name and shame, (I also can’t 100% confirm that they are with a scam agency), but I do want to discuss the suspicious signs, so those of you reading can avoid the same trap.
6 signs of a screenwriting scam
It's pay to play
When dealing with any talent agent, production company or publishing house, if they ask for payment to be on their books or any other form of “pay to play” – RUN! This is a huge red flag. No one who is a legitimate rep will be asking you to pay fees upfront, they take their fees as commission once they score you work.
Producers are slightly different, since they aren’t usually commission based, but if you’re approaching a production company and they’re offering to read your scripts… for a fee. They’re not legit. You are the talent and people make their money from helping to sell or package your services. Money should always flow “to” you not “away” from you, so if the roles are reversed, be wary.
Unprofessional website
This is a little less certain than the previous point, since a bad website doesn’t automatically mean a bad business, but it’s something that should prick up your ears. When I clicked on the website for the suspicious talent agency mentioned above, the first thing that greeted me was a blown out, pixelated banner on what was already a bit of a janky website.
Now, a boutique agency run by an older individual who still does everything on a rolodex might not see the benefit of spending money on a proper website, but that doesn’t make them any less legitimate. However, when a company is claiming to be “one of the most successful agencies in London”, yet has no name recognition and an unprofessional website, it should make you suspicious.
Dubious clientele
This one goes hand-in-hand with the last point in the sense that, in isolation, this isn’t always a red flag. Say you’re dealing with an experienced agent who has recently started their own boutique agency after years in the industry. It stands to reason that they might have a smaller clientele made up of less “high rolling” creatives.
However, if their client roster is made up of small fry with no real credits or professional proof, and their greatest achievement is that they eat paper, then you might want to question why your proposed agent would choose to represent them.
If this agent has a ton of clients, but doesn’t appear to be able to score any of them the type of work you want to be get, you might want to give them a miss.
Bad reviews
After vetting my suspicious agency against the previous signs, I took a look at their reviews on Trust Pilot. And before you say it, yes, you should always take reviews with a grain of salt, but even obviously fake ones can be quite telling.
The agency in question had 7 reviews total – most were absolutely glowing – FIVE STARS! BEST AGENT EVER!! – while the rest were utterly scathing – THIS AGENCY IS A SCAM! For a self-proclaimed “one of the most successful agencies in London” to only have 7 reviews, good or bad, is a little bit odd. The fact that they’re so polar opposite is also alarming.
I’m not one to trust 5-star or 1-star reviews, since I assume the former are likely to be paid, friends or paid-friends, while the latter might have had one bad experience and an axe to grind. However, reviews offer data about a business, and if you’re already having suspicions about them, reviews can serve as a final confirmation.
They approached you
Okay… this one sounds mean, but please hear me out. I’m not saying you’re not deserving of being sought out by a talent agent, producer or publisher. However, you need to be a little bit self-aware of where your skills and experience stack among other people in your field, and ask yourself… “have I proven myself enough to attract the attention of a gatekeeper?”
The creative industry is saturated, and gatekeepers are sent hundreds of pitches by people who more prepared and much more experienced than you every week. Why would a busy gatekeeper approach you based on little to no experience in the industry? I mean, yeah, maybe you are that good… or quite possibly they’re a scammer inflating your ego to get a payday. You decide.
Trust your gut
You have instincts for a reason, and usually we’ll get a feeling that someone has bad intentions, even if we don’t know why. Much like me, I knew from looking at my connection’s profile that something was off, even if I didn’t know exactly what it was. If you feel like something is off, and you notice any of the above signs, be on the defensive.
I truly believe that the right opportunities will come to you when you are ready for them, so don’t trick yourself into thinking that spending a bit of money can help you cheat the system and get there faster. The easy route is paved with landmines that can derail your progress (or just take all your money!), so be smart and trust your “ick”.
Unfortunately, there’s an entire sub-industry that likes to prey on the hopes of people aspiring to be in the creative industry. It’s a difficult industry to crack, especially for newbies who lack connections, so be dubious of any industry “guru” who claims that their service will “rocket you to the top of the industry for a low, low price”.
If it was that easy, everyone would be doing it...
Invest in yourself, yes, but invest in upgrading your skills and growing your connections. Invest time in making an amazing portfolio and learning how the industry operates so you can grab opportunities as they come up. Most importantly, remember – if a deal or opportunity sounds too good to be true… it probably is.
Looking for something new to listen to?
If you are looking for a coverage report or need help with editing your screenplay we can help, make sure to check out our list of services here.
We are also open to commissions for screenplays including, Features, TV Shows, Social Media scripts, Podcasting, etc.
***
Our aim at Obsidian Elephant is to help writers learn about the industry through practical examples without them having to spend lots of money on courses and programs.
Let us be your one-stop shop for everything writing related.
If you found this helpful, don’t forget to share it with other writers as that really supports me and helps me keep producing great content for you!
To support my work please consider donating at Ko-Fi
留言