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[Management Co.] Blair Silver & Company

rlavall

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Blair Silver...yeah...right

I talked to Blair Silver. I called to submit a script. He asked me to give him a pitch. I did. He liked it. He asked if I would be against going through the script with him. I was confused but he explained, "Walk me through the script."
I did. Talked for on phone for almost an hour.
He said he loved the concept. Loved the script. "Send me a copy. I have a couple meetings this week and I would love to take it with me. I can't make any promises, but I think this script could pull in the 250 to 500 range. Only because it would be your first produced script. But with today's market you never know. We might be talking about a million. Call me back in a couple days."
I send it next day express.
Waited...counting the seconds...for three days. A million dollars.
Called. "Mr Silver this is R.Lavall. Checking in with you."
"Who?"
"I sent you a script for "blank""
"Did you maybe talk to my assistant?" -mind you the number he had me call when I pitched was his personal cell phone.
"You asked me to send it so you could take it in a meeting."
"I had to cancel my meetings. I had some emergencies on the set I needed to take care of. Go ahead and send it and I will take a look. What's it about?"
"I already sent it to you sir."
"Great. When it comes in I will take a look. I only really get a chance to check my mail on Sat. Call me back in a week or so."

waited a week...
Called...Left messages...Nothing.
Just a writer that was given a tease of success only to be broken.
Word to the wise...STAY AWAY FROM BLAIR SILVER.
 

Danek

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Although posted years ago, I recently ran across the childish rant by RLAVALL.

Unfortunately, such baseless tirades can linger on the Internet, like so much noxious gas, which is where I found this one by happenstance.

For over a year, Blair and I have had a growing professional relationship, which has proved to be rewarding for me both as a writer and a business professional.

I'm a produced screenwriter of an award-winning feature film that will be out next year. Along with a number of successful pitches and subsequent contracts as write-for-hire, rewrite opportunities and more, Blair recently helped close a deal to adapt a book for a movie production company.

He and everyone associated with the company have always treated me with respect.

I would like to offer some constructive advice to up-and-coming writers, if they expect to get anywhere in any business venture or creative endeavor. Professionals at the top of their field get inundated with pitches and requests for representation. Fledgling writers need to understand this and not expect immediate attention or replies to their unsolicited queries.

Because I have studied the business of writing and the years I have spent marketing my projects without representation, I know full well how difficult it is to secure an agent or manager.

I am grateful to have found Blair Silver & Company.
 

waylander

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Care to name the award-winning movie or the book that is to be adapted or the movie company who have bought the adaption?
Within such checkable facts your assertions carry no weight
 

Mac H.

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According to IMDB the people he manages are:
* Jennifer Edwards
* Casey Hendershot
* Kristine Kay Kelly
* Amanda Melby
* Tracy Bennett
* Marc Appleby
* Olivia Lopez
* Tirzah Briscoe
* Zuzana Monroe
* Linda Howell
* Danek S. Kaus
* Jason Scott Johnson
* Albert Stroth
* Elinor Price
* Melanie Miller
* Donovan Keith
* Katherine Makinney
* Rebecca Rogers
* Oksanna
* Teri Lee Johnston

I'm guessing the Danek listed here is our very own Danek. Congrats on the film.

One thing, though - it is difficult on a board to to post almost anonomously and expect your statements to carry much weight.

I'm a produced screenwriter of an award-winning feature film that will be out next year
Especially when some of the things you are saying sound a bit suss. (eg: Your film has won an award before it has been released)

I can understand if the script had won awards .. but generally films don't win awards until they've been released.
And it's really doesn't sound right that the feature film has been produced, won an award AND picked up distribution yet it isn't listed on your IMDB credits. (Unless it's the one from 2008. The one that got the great review in Variety? But it's already been released .. it did the rounds of film festivals. Or is it going to be released on DVD next year? I dunno - this is confusing)

Anyway, if your profile is wrong just update it yourself. It's pretty trivial.

The usual reason is that the person putting them in just accepts the default - so the credit goes to someone else on the database with your name. (So if your name is 'John Smith' it will default to 'John Smith (I)' instead of 'John Q. Smith' (I have one of my IMDB credits given to a guy on Deep Space Nine who is much more successful than me)

In that case, just fill out a correction on line and they'll move it.

Hmm - maybe I should do it for my own. That Deep Space Nine guy has been riding on my coat tails for too long ....

Mac
(Not anonymous either - this is what I'm called in real life as well.)
 
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Danek

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Are You Really Arguing for Quitting?

All right, guys. Here's the deal.

I don't usually do forums. In fact, I haven't done one for several years. I'm too busy WRITING SCREENPLAYS. But now, like Micheal Corleone, you've pulled me back in.

So Waylander, is that your real name? Huh? Since you're advocating being factual, and all. How can we check out this Waylander? How do we know you really exist? What have you done that give your words so much more weight than mine?

I don't really care whether you believe me or not. You're missing the point, which is, don't give up after a single disappointment. Are you really arguing for that? Sure seems that way. If this business was easy, everyone would be doing it. Except those that prefer to whine and feel sorry for themselves.

As author Richard Bach said, "Argue for your limitations and they're yours."

Mac, the reason I didn't post my real name is I simply forgot. Like I said above, I don't normally do forums. But then, why don't you ask the same of the others? Why do they get to hide behind handles?

As far as the award goes, the film took the gold in the thriller category at an international film festival in Houston. Name of the event escapes me. One of nine it's been accepted in in N. America and Europe. That's how it got an award before being released.

I'm not mentioning the other projects because I don't want to subject the producers to this petty B.S.

Even if I didn't do the things I said I did, would that then make it okay for rlavall to be a quitter? Are you guys really trying to convince me and the world that we should give up our dreams if they don't come true in a weeK?

Mac, I read your post again. Check out the trailer for "The Ante." Yes, it's the one that got the great review in Variety. You'll see my name in the credits. I wrote most of the film. The producer hired me to do a major rewrite, so I have to share credit. Still not mentioning the other projects because I don't want these other clowns (not you) hassling the producers.

Trailer: http://www.imdb.com/video/wab/vi2988049177/

Variety Review: http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117939525.html?categoryid=31&cs=1

Danek S. Kaus
 

Mac H.

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Hi Danek,

I wasn't being particularly critical of you - the film isn't my genre but it got such a great review in Variety I'm willing to guess that it came out pretty damn good.

So you should be pretty chuffed with it. I would be if I were in your shoes!

But then, why don't you ask the same of the others? Why do they get to hide behind handles?
I'm not asking anyone to out themselves. Everyone gets to hide behind handles if they want. I was just saying that an anonymous post that says 'in my personal experience AAA is a good guy' or 'in my experience AAA is a bad guy' doesn't carry a great deal of weight.

You are right - the earlier post doesn't doesn't carry much weight either. A guy sent a script in to someone who liked the sound of it, but then got instantly forgotten. I think if that's the worst thing that happens in someone's career then they've had some pretty smooth sailing ! (Although I'd be pretty peeved too. I'd probably drown my sorrows in Chocolate milk, though, rather than write a message board post)

BTW - the title of this subforum sounds a bit scary ... 'Bewares, Recommendations & Background Checks'. But it doesn't mean that everything is a beware ... all the agents have entries here. It's really just a filing system for comparing notes and experiences. It doesn't mean that one person's bad experience will weigh particularly highly.

It doesn't sound like Blair Silver is the manager for me - but I'm glad he's worked out well for you.

Good luck,

Mac
 
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waylander

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So Waylander, is that your real name? Huh? Since you're advocating being factual, and all. How can we check out this Waylander? How do we know you really exist? What have you done that give your words so much more weight than mine?

Danek S. Kaus

I don't need to give out my real name because I'm not turning up on a board sounding like a sockpuppet for a dodgy agent. We get plenty of sockpuppets turning up here trying to defend scammers and incompetents; your first post was indistinguishable from one.
I'm glad you've come back to flesh out your credentials; it makes Blair Silver look far more solid. Shame you didn't do that first time around.
The mere fact that I have over 3,500 posts on this forum might suggest I've been around a while and might have learned a few things, like how to identify sockpuppets. If you really want to know who I am, drop me a PM and I'll identify myself. In the meantime I'm glad to welcome to the board and I hope you'll stay around.
 

brianm

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Danek,

Welcome to the cooler.

We have a rule around here that we respect our fellow AW members and using terms like petty BS and calling members clowns isn't a great way to start out here.

I hope you'll stick around, as this is a great forum for writers in all stages of their careers. Just keep the rule in mind when posting.

~brianm~
 

Momento Mori

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Danek:
I don't usually do forums.

No kidding. I could have guess that by the way you've gone off the deep end in the rest of your post.

Danek:
I'm too busy WRITING SCREENPLAYS.

Mazal tov.

Danek:
But now, like Micheal Corleone, you've pulled me back in.

Nobody pulled you back here, love. You came back all by yourself, just like you managed to resurrect a thread that had been dead for 2 years all by yourself and the proceed to be rude to everyone, all by yourself.

Danek:
So Waylander, is that your real name? Huh? Since you're advocating being factual, and all. How can we check out this Waylander? How do we know you really exist? What have you done that give your words so much more weight than mine?

Grow up.

You pitch up on an area of a website designed to help authors avoid potential scams or agents/publishers/authorial service providers who may not have the experience to do what they claim to do. You post aggressively to rubbish previous posts made here and claim a different experience without citing titles or your own name in support. Anyone with half an ounce of common sense (or indeed anyone who's ever used the internet before) will know that there's potential for other people to see such remarks as work of a sock puppet.

If you don't like that, then it's within your control to fix it - either by modifying your tone, providing evidence or leaving the forum altogether.

For future reference, being a rude and aggressive wanker does nothing for your credibility - regardless of where you're posting.

Danek:
You're missing the point, which is, don't give up after a single disappointment. Are you really arguing for that? Sure seems that way. If this business was easy, everyone would be doing it. Except those that prefer to whine and feel sorry for themselves.

No, you're missing the point.

No one here has said that you should give up after a rejection. Again, look around the forum and you'll see that most of us are intent on being published or produced writers (and some of us are published or produced writers). We know that writing is a matter of perserverance, so you can stop preaching to the choir.

Danek:
But then, why don't you ask the same of the others? Why do they get to hide behind handles?

Because not all of us are posting in defence of someone and citing our own (unnamed) work/experience in support of our argument.

Danek:
As far as the award goes, the film took the gold in the thriller category at an international film festival in Houston. Name of the event escapes me. One of nine it's been accepted in in N. America and Europe. That's how it got an award before being released.

Congratulations. My friend works for a small film production company so I know how much of an achievement that is and how much work it took to get there.

Danek:
Even if I didn't do the things I said I did, would that then make it okay for rlavall to be a quitter?

Given that no one here responded to rlavell's posts before you resurrected the thread, I'm at a loss to explain where you're getting the impression that anyone is saying to rlavell that they should quit. No one has in fact said anything to him until you came stomping in and throwing your weight around.

Danek:
Are you guys really trying to convince me and the world that we should give up our dreams if they don't come true in a weeK?

Erm no. No one is trying to convince anyone of that and indeed, no one has tried to convince anyone of that.

Really, you might want to check out the forum and the site (or even read through the previous posts on this thread) before making hyperbolic and grossly inaccurate accusations.

ArthurIhde
nooo ,i dont work with them

Do you actually ever have something constructive to say? Every post I've seen you make has been a typographical mess filled with irrelevancy.

The conclusion I've come to here is that rlavell was posting with a grudge but Blair Silver & Co seem to have a track record.

MM
 

CaoPaux

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ArthurIhde said:
nooo ,i dont work with them
Do you actually ever have something constructive to say? Every post I've seen you make has been a typographical mess filled with irrelevancy.
Hmm. Looks like his smilie is some sort of post tracking link. *whips out +2 Spatula of SPAM Smacking*