My mom read it and thinks it's good.

February 25, 2006 1:59 PM

Looking for an ego boost? The fine people over at The Screenplay Agency are the place for you! No logline too stupid, no script too poorly written! Are you tired of agency after agency telling you that they don't want your 20 year old screenplay about how much you love peanut butter just because "It doesn't make any sense, and is written with crayon on a pile of dirty gym socks?" I know I was! Until I found out about The Screenplay Agency, who promptly accepted every criminally copyright infringing idea I threw at them until I just KNEW I was every bit as good I writer as I've always told myself I am. And all they asked of me was approximately $250 in fees paid to coverage agencies no one has ever heard of and which seem to be owned by the same company that owns The Screenplay Agency! Sure, you've heard of publishing scams like Publish America (part 2) thanks to the diligence of sites like Making Light and our own thread on the matter, but The Screenplay Agency is totally different! For one thing, they only rip you off boost your ego through screenplays. Now, some legitimate screenplay writers high and mighty hollywood types have gone and pranked this excellent automated delusion reinforcer. But don't let those spoilsports spoil your sport! (God, I am such a great writer. No wonder they loved my screenplay!) Go ahead and generate your own rave reviews!
posted by shmegegge (14 comments total)

Here's what I sent them, and they LOVE IT.

How Did You Hear of Us?
It was on a tattoo
The Title of Your Work:
Loss Tin Space
Logline/Synopsis:
Some dude discobers junk bonds may dwith maggy kink so there not junkee a tall!
Your Name:
Mason Jahr
Your Email Address:
[e-mail]
Has Your Work Been Edited or Critiqued, and If So, By Whom?
Charlie Kaufman said it was "Even worse than MY scripts. I love it."
Your Bio:
You know that song "Bad Company?" That's about me.
posted by shmegegge at 2:04 PM on February 25, 2006

what
posted by Spacelegoman at 2:18 PM on February 25, 2006

At last.
posted by Astro Zombie at 2:28 PM on February 25, 2006

You stole my screenplay idea, shmegegge. You'll hear from my lawyers.
posted by languagehat at 2:40 PM on February 25, 2006

Pretty funny, but I'm amazed Warren even gives them the benefit of the doubt.
posted by O9scar at 2:50 PM on February 25, 2006

Now now, O9scar. If you're going to denounce people as charlatains and frauds, you've gotta at least give them a CHANCE to prove you wrong first.

That, and I'm sure the blog author revelled in getting to have a Producers moment of selling the world's worst screenplay. :-)
posted by InnocentBystander at 3:27 PM on February 25, 2006

I hear they're Uwe Boll's first choice when it comes to prospective new projects...
posted by RokkitNite at 3:51 PM on February 25, 2006

How Did You Hear of Us?
VIA THE INTERWEB
The Title of Your Work:
COCKGOBLINS GO TO AFRICA
Logline/Synopsis:
MAN THERE IS THESE MIDGET GREMLIN GUYS WIT HUGE DICKS AND THEY GO TO AFRICA AND LEANR ABOUT RACISM
Your Name:
GOD SHAMGOD
Has Your Work Been Edited or Critiqued, and If So, By Whom?
I DID
Your Bio:
I WAS BORN IN A SMALL TOWN IN INDIANA. ONE TIME I SAWR A BLIMP.
posted by mosessmith at 3:56 PM on February 25, 2006

This reminds me of a similar poetry scam. Back in high school my brother once sent in a poem he wrote and was at first elated to hear that it would be published! ....in a special volume - which he could purchase for about $65. hmm.

I just mentioned this to my roommate, who said that his entire high school English class sent in poems to the same website, and surprise surprise - every single one of them was accepted for publication! And all they had to do was each purchase a $65 volume to see their work in print.
posted by PercussivePaul at 5:18 PM on February 25, 2006

I just mentioned this to my roommate, who said that his entire high school English class sent in poems to the same website, and surprise surprise - every single one of them was accepted for publication! And all they had to do was each purchase a $65 volume to see their work in print.

The best thing about this scam is people will come into the bookstore I worked at looking for a copy of their book.

Actually no, that's the worst part for me.

I've deciding I'm going to start doing this for films. We'll make your movie, but you have to pay all the production costs and we'll shoot it in VHS on RCA camcorders from 1985 and we'll charge hollywood rates.
posted by drezdn at 5:22 PM on February 25, 2006

PercussivePaul: This reminds me of a similar poetry scam. Back in high school my brother once sent in a poem he wrote and was at first elated to hear that it would be published! ....in a special volume - which he could purchase for about $65. hmm.

Aw, man, my best friend's wife totally fell for this scam a few years back. She and he were both so excited that she was getting published that they were telling everyone they knew. It was genuinely heartbreaking for her when she discovered it was a scam.
posted by Joey Michaels at 7:31 PM on February 25, 2006

My mom fell for the poetry scam. She submitted a poem of mine and I won. She told everyone she knew and still doesn't understand why I wouldn't let her buy the book.
posted by arcticwoman at 9:43 PM on February 25, 2006

How did you hear of us: link on the web

Title: Fly Boy

Logline/Synopsis: It's in the future, and a young boy, whose name is Sam, who likes to raise flies as pets is devistated when the government uses insecticide to kill all the flies in the planet. Then he finds out that their's one fly left alive in a secret lab under some mountains, and he goes on a big quest with his autistic friend Milo to free the last fly and put nature back in balance.

Name: Max Renn

Has your work been critiqued or edited: my GF read it and couldn't put it down

Bio: I just graduated from HS. My dad owns a car dealership and my mom used to run the PTA, but I don't know if she still will because I'm graduated
posted by brundlefly at 10:52 PM on February 25, 2006

Nicely done, Shemegge, and thanks for the post on this. I'm glad that folks are starting to spread the word about The Screenplay "Agency" and their unscrupulous behavior.

And O9scar, I was just trying to be diplomatic and give them every chance to prove my suspicions wrong. Of course, they failed miserably on all counts.

Warren Hsu Leonard
posted by whl at 2:38 PM on February 26, 2006