industry are tv companies safe to deal with?

I get a sleazy feeling reading some of the tv production company announcements.
But since my work is sleazy, it might be the right place for me.

30 minute horror stories, shot in video, cheap plots.
Like Outer Limits from the 1960's
I suspect some scam script calls on LA craigslist are connected to tv companies.

Does anyone have any experience here?
Can I trust my script, which represents years of blood dripping from my eyeballs, to a tv production company?
 
I recently saw a web page of a tv company accepting script material.
I think you need to check the credits of that specific company. What have they produced previously?

I wouldn't simply send a script to them without knowing anything about them.
If they have credits and you can actually watch (on tv or on streaming) shows that they've produced, you might consider submitting a synopsis.
 
There's more to it than whether they've made stuff or not. The legal issues trump all. Why would they issue and open call to script writers? Nobody with any brain would read a solicited or unsolicited script unless it came from a reputable source, an agent with a good reputation, an entertainment lawyer.. If some company read your script then rejected it, they will have set them-self up for a lawsuit should they EVER produce anything that is even remotely similar to what you showed them.

What do you mean "tv company"?
 
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I get a sleazy feeling reading some of the tv production company announcements.
But since my work is sleazy, it might be the right place for me.

30 minute horror stories, shot in video, cheap plots.
Like Outer Limits from the 1960's
I suspect some scam script calls on LA craigslist are connected to tv companies.

Does anyone have any experience here?
Can I trust my script, which represents years of blood dripping from my eyeballs, to a tv production company?
I have experience with TV production companys.

You can trust a legit TV production company. It's not uncommon for a prodCo
to sent out requests for scripts - clearly not a Guild signatory. You give no useful
info so you'll only get general advice. If your description is accurate I find it
odd they specified shot in video - no one is shooting film...
 
There's more to it than whether they've made stuff or not. The legal issues trump all. Why would they issue and open call to script writers? Nobody with any brain would read a solicited or unsolicited script unless it came from a reputable source, an agent with a good reputation, an entertainment lawyer.. If some company read your script then rejected it, they will have set them-self up for a lawsuit should they EVER produce anything that is even remotely similar to what you showed them.

What do you mean "tv company"?
I have included the specifics below. They appear to have the most extensive security questionnaire of any company I have seen. I am representing myself now. Are you saying that if a production company were reputable they would refuse my script unless I had an agent?


"CRYPT TV SUBMISSIONS

Crypt TV is always looking for great ideas, content and new creators. We welcome your submissions but we have to take certain precautions with submitted materials. Before submitting anything to us please carefully read through the Submissions Agreement, provide your information and check the appropriate boxes below. Unfortunately, we cannot accept or review any submissions which are not delivered through this process with all the required acknowledgements.

By utilizing this submissions service, you are acknowledging that you have read and understand the Submissions Agreement and agree to be bound by its terms, as well as the Terms of Use and Privacy Notice for this site.

Link to Submission *
(Link examples: Dropbox, Google Drive, Hightail, YouTube, Vimeo)
Project Title *
Are you the sole and exclusive owner of all rights in and to the submitted materials? *

Yes
No

If others own rights in and to the submitted materials, provide details:
Have the submitted materials ever been published, distributed or exploited? *

Yes
No

If published, distributed or exploited, provide details:
Are the submitted materials based on any underlying work (e.g., a book, etc.)? *

Yes
No

If based on an underlying work, provide details:
Are the submitted materials part or derivative of any existing work (sequel, prequel, short based on a feature, etc.)? *

Yes
No

If part or derivative of any existing work, provide details:
Are the submitted materials subject to any guild or union agreements? *

Yes
No

If subject to any guild or union, provide details:
Are the submitted materials subject to any claims, liens or encumbrances? *

Yes
No

If subject to any claims, liens or encumbrances, provide details:
Anything else you think we should know:
Submission Agreement

Last Updated: January 31, 2018

YOU MUST READ, UNDERSTAND, ACKNOWLEDGE AND AGREE TO THE TERMS OF THIS SUBMISSION AGREEMENT PRIOR TO SUBMITTING ANY MATERIALS (AS DEFINED BELOW) TO COMPANY (AS DEFINED BELOW). PLEASE READ THIS SUBMISSION AGREEMENT CAREFULLY.

IF THE TERMS OF THIS SUBMISSION AGREEMENT ARE NOT UNDERSTOOD AND ACCEPTED IN FULL, YOU DO NOT HAVE PERMISSION TO SUBMIT MATERIALS TO COMPANY BY ANY MEANS, INCLUDING VIA VERBAL PITCH, OR ELECTRONIC OR PHYSICAL MAIL DELIVERY.

The terms of this Submission Agreement (“Agreement”) apply to your use of the website located at www.crypttv.com and any and all related sites, contact information and included services and features (the “Site”) for purposes of submitting personal information, professional information, ideas for literary or entertainment programming, audio, audiovisual, photographic and/or other works or content, stories, formats, plots, scripts, takes, treatments or other literary materials, characters, drawings, or any other information, ideas, proposals, suggestions or content which you voluntarily submit to Company (collectively, “Materials”).

Access to and use of the Site for the purpose of submitting Materials is provided by The Crypt "
 
I have experience with TV production companys.

You can trust a legit TV production company. It's not uncommon for a prodCo
to sent out requests for scripts - clearly not a Guild signatory. You give no useful
info so you'll only get general advice. If your description is accurate I find it
odd they specified shot in video - no one is shooting film...
this production company does not talk about video, film etc. I was just saying that as an example of the low budget tv productions, like Outer Limits, that were made in the 1960's.

you can see the URL etc I posted in another response.

is this information specific enough for you?
 
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Are you saying that if a production company were reputable they would refuse my script unless I had an agent?
I'm just saying that from my experience, they would be setting themselves up for litigation down the line if they didn't. This kind of situation is in the papers sometimes; a company makes a movie then someone comes out of the woodwork claiming the company stole their idea. The worse one I heard of involved a person suing because he disclosed an idea during a friendly conversation with a producer he was talking to during a social event. A movie was made. The guy claimed that some portion of the story came from his mentioning it in a conversation. It wasn't even written down!.... I wish our resident lawyer would chime in on this but he hasn't posted in a while..

I submitted a complete package to Artisan Entertainment a long while ago. Script, budget, casting choices, letters of intent, and some artwork depicting the main antagonist. Before I sent the package out I received advice on how to do it. I first sent a letter to a specific person at Artisan announcing that he would receive my production package in a few days, then I sent the package.. Around 2 weeks later I received a package back from Artisan along with a legal letter stating the company does not accept unsolicited scripts and that they only looked at it enough to determine what it was (they determined it was a script). That's fine. It made sense and I should have expected it. It was a shot in the dark that I hoped might hit the target but it didn't... Anyway, a couple years later a movie was released that had a character that looked striking similar to one of the drawings I sent to Artisan Entertainment. Did they steal my design? I don't know. Probably not, but it's the kind of thing that I suppose I could have sued over. Instead I told myself that if it was stolen, at least my design was worth stealing.

A questionnaire for you to fill out is fine but unless they are going to audit your claim to an unencumbered, solely owned original script, they would have no idea where the script came from. They don't know you and you haven't presented the script through someone they do know... Do you watch the tv show Frasier? In one episode, Ros found a publisher willing to publish a book she wrote based on a story her mother use to tell her as a child... She was very happy about this until her mother told her the story from her childhood was from the book Heidi written by Johanna Spyri..
 
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this production company does not talk about video, film etc. I was just saying that as an example of the low budget tv productions, like Outer Limits, that were made in the 1960's.

you can see the URL etc I posted in another response.

is this information specific enough for you?
It is. Thank you.
 
If they are on cragislist I'm sure you will find financing, perhaps even from a Nigerian prince.
 
I submitted a complete package to Artisan Entertainment a long while ago.....

It looks like they did not specifically request the material from you. I would have sent a query letter first. If they asked for a script by name, I would send it.
A questionnaire for you to fill out is fine but unless they are going to audit your claim to an unencumbered, solely owned original script, they would have no idea where the script came from. ....

If they can prove I lied on any question, that might destroy any chance I had in court in case of copyright dispute.
 
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If they can prove I lied on any question, that might destroy any chance I had in court in case of copyright dispute.
Let's say you don't own the script even though you say you do.
Let's say they tell you 'thanks but no thanks' then produce the movie anyway.
You're right, if you tried to sue them and if they could prove the script doesn't belong to you, the case would be thrown out.
... but what about the person who does own the script? That person could sue them, and probably win. During litigation the courts could order that all distribution stops until the case is settled. There's a word for that but I can't think of it.

All I'm saying is this isn't about you. It's about them, the tv studio. I just can't imagine a 'studio' that is in the position to produce movies not knowing the kinds of legal problems they'd be setting themselves up for by accepting scripts from anyone who sends them. The only thing I can think is maybe they are fishing for ideas that they will use to write their own scripts. Remember, an ideas is not copyright-able, only the expression of the idea.
 
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