Screenwriting contest scam

[clotje]

Hello guys,
I received an e-mail today informing me about a screenwriting contest which is a scam. I just thought I'd warn you.
Below are the links:

http://www.scriptwritercontest.com/home.html

http://joewilson.journalspace.com/

[Maryn]

Looks bogus to me, too. How can a screenwriter (or any writer) take seriously a writing competition announcement with a punctuation mistake in the first line, multiple plurals formed with apostrophe-s, capitalization without reason, misuse of it's (my pet peeve), and a link to Gap coupons at the bottom?

Never mind that they will take a spec of 220 pages!

Ridiculous. And sad, how many people seek to take advantage of aspiring writers' hopes.

Maryn

[Mac H.]

If you think they are scammers (or to be more polite, think that they aren't of sufficient importance in the industry to be judging your work) look at where they want you to send your work.

Their address is "Magnum Opus Foundation, PO Box 3106, Albany, GA 31706"

A quick google of their address shows that they are also ...

Emmanuel Community Baptist Church
Po Box 3106, Albany, GA 31706
(229) 639-0715

They are big industry players, all right.

How can they be so incompetent that they can't be bothered to get another PO Box !??

Mac

[Ivonia]

I find it strange that they mention this right away:

"A reversion clause will not be added to the Purchase Contract."

I mean, I heard this one was hard to get in the first place, but dang, they point straight out that "If I buy your hard-work, you're never getting it back no matter what, even if I let the screenplay sit for the next 50 years".

So not only is this contest expensive to enter (and I hope that you guys spread the word about this "contest" if anyone ever needed a "live example" of a scam, here's one), but if you "win", not only do you get very little money (which I'm sure will be scale of the WGA MBA), but you also sign away all your rights to your screenplay, so damn if you wrote the next Star Wars, Harry Potter, or LOTR script.

Speaking of which, isn't there a contest in Hollywood called "Submit your script to producers"? With the grand prize of "winning" being your script gets optioned/purchased (and hopefully legitimately)? I think I'd rather enter this contest than that one posted here lol.

[poopycacacom]

Hi,
I'm the source of the dope on this contest.

I moved the info on screenwriting contest scams and sleazy reps to a new blog, "Due Diligence For Screenwriters," located at http://duediligence.journalspace.com, which will be used only for the purpose of giving writers a heads up. As always, if you get any info on any scam contests or rip off artists, e-mail me or leave a comment on the blog.

There is also a link to that blog from Poopycaca.com, which is admittedly an easier URL to remember.

Thanks!

-Joe

[poopycacacom]

Also, the above information regarding the address also being listed to a church.

That telephone number has been disconnected and the fact that both entities appear with the same PO Box does not necessarily mean that they are one in the same. It may be the fact that the church had the PO box, dumped it, and then Ann Lunnen or Magnum Opus Foundation started renting it.

-Joe

[Mac H.]

That telephone number has been disconnected and the fact that both entities appear with the same PO Box does not necessarily mean that they are one in the same. It may be the fact that the church had the PO box, dumped it, and then Ann Lunnen or Magnum Opus Foundation started renting it.

That occurred to me after I posted it. Pretty obvious, but I guess it was late when I posted.

It is interesting looking at the types who do run several diverse businesses out of the same PO Box.

There is one dubious type who used to run an Internet florist, "self defence" tourism and a screenwriting contest from the same P.O Box. In that case, it wasn't just an old address.

I don't mind people having their fingers in more than one pie. But when they run an Internet florist as a day job, you can probably discount their claims of 'industry experience'.

And that's before you get to their huge cash prize - but they refused to announce who won the money!

Sheesh.

[Vipersniper]

:hat: It goes to show that old saying of P.T. Barnum and if you fall for it then you have made a sucker out of yourself. You know this is what I like about this site. You do have warning labels for this sort of thing. I also have another saying. When it comes to some churches I sit on my hands and keep my checkbook in my pocketbook. Especially around Baptists.

[PerditaDrury]

:hat: It goes to show that old saying of P.T. Barnum and if you fall for it then you have made a sucker out of yourself.

That particular misquote is NOT from P.T. Barnum.

"There's a sucker born every minute" was uttered by Syracuse investment banker, David Hannum in 1869.

Barnum, a flamboyant American if there ever was one, was Prince of Humbug and, accordingly, he was never disrespectful of customers, potential or otherwise.

Hannum, in fact, was paraphasing Barnum's quote: "There's a customer born every minute".

And there is.