Thursday, October 25, 2012

The most amazing saga of slimy producers I have heard

Remember back when I talked about parasite PINOs - Producers In Name Only - and how their attachment to your script can often cause more headaches than benefits?  Well, I recently came across an amazing series of blog posts from writer Doug Richardson

As Doug introduces the story:

I’ve written about theft before. Both stories and ideas nicked by scumbag producers without consequence. What follows is an epic tale. All true. With multiple endings that, to this day, still leave me and others gob-smacked.

Set aside some time and read this.  It's an amusing, at times barely believable story.  But it's also a cautionary tale. Some of you may have already read it.  For those that haven't, I do not DARE even think of ruining all the twists and turns in this epic.

The Smoking Gun - part 1
The Smoking Gun - part 2
The Smoking Gun - part 3
The Smoking Gun - part 4

3 comments:

  1. Okay, so now somebody needs to make THIS into a movie. Jaw dropping - and also a handy reinforcement of the stereotypical Jon Peters-style producer shenaningans we on the outside all believe is commonplace in that town.

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  2. LOL. Cautionary tale, bad mojo... but the parts 3 and 4 were very LOL.

    Also interestingly and kinda relevant to me. See I've written a true story (which shouldn't have rights at all) but after writing the umpteenth draft and searching for some pitch material, I found a quote from an archaeologist which is fairly similar to my logline. And I do recall reading it before I wrote the story, I didn't at the time I was writing, but reading it again. Yep very familiar... what's the right thing to do here?

    I'm guessing I'm OK to try to sell it as is. (I don't think there's any legal dramas) Then once sale is under way(hopefully etc etc), contact archaeologist and work out a split for story rights and cash with them?




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