Clark Management (Vicki Clark)

VICKI CLARK, CLARK MGMT.
Glendale, CA.

My experience--

She demands 15% and refuses to pay for any up front expense-- e.g., copies of scripts.
Disorganized-- didn't read the work, lost scripts, didn't follow up on leads.
Unprofessional -- has no record of sales, no valuable contacts, broke our contract.
Has other priorities- she's a Real estate agent.

Just thought you should know.

Re: SCREENWRITERS! BEWARE OF

living in L.A. for many years, and being involved in the film business, I can tell you that there are MANY such people who profess to be agents or producers. Most are full of you know what. It's the easiest thing for a person to come up with a name, a business card, and email address, and some hype. The movie business is the crap shoot of all crap shoots, the emphasis on CRAP. Be VERY aware of who and what you may be dealing with when it comes to screenplays, as even many so called legitimate people in the business are full of the same substance.

BEWARE OF VICKI CLARK CLARK MANAGEMENT COMPANY!

Unfortunately, as a newbie screenplay writer, I took the first "manager" I could get, namely, Vicki Clark of Clark Management Company.

I did most of the peddling of my work, the marketing and the groundwork; unbeknown to me, Vicki Clark was taking my leads and using them for other writers in the stable at Clark Management Company, though I never gave her explicit or implicit permission to do so; this is an illegal/unethical activity called leveraging. (Basically, by promoting the works of other writers over my own by using the leads I garnered, Ms. Clark effectively sabotaged my marketing efforts and created internal, unwarranted and highly unwanted competition that I did not need.)

Fortunately, I fired Ms. Clark (but before doing so, I signed on with a legitimate agency in Europe) for incompetence and for unethical and illegal behavior. And yes, she does lose paperwork; she doesn't know crap about how to operate a computer, and doesn't understand the concept of keeping a master copy of a document in an office in case copies of that document get lost in the mail. (She would frequently ask me why I had sent her a screenplay not having punch holes in it; and I would patiently, over and over again, explain that this version of the screenplay I sent her was a master copy, and that in case it was needed, she could take this master copy to Kinko's and make a copy for mailing from the master copy; this concept -- not exactly Einsteinian physics or rocket science -- seemed to go way above her head.)

Also, I did write the California Attorney General, the Better Business Bureau of Southern California, the Writers Guilds of America West and East and several other agencies about her activities (leveraging and other issues, etc.). In turn, she also, at one time, had a Web site, and on her Web site I posted a warning message to potential writers, actors, etc. At least 39 people wrote me regarding this message (before Vicki Clark discovered it, though it took her about a year to do so! LOL) and I let them know, in detail, exactly what happened; I still correspond with a few of these people, and they still thank me for steering them away from Vicki Clark.

I did this because I'm tired of seeing writers getting ripped off; everyone thinks they can treat a writer like a **** and get away with it; Vicki Clark did not get away with anything; perhaps she might have a few low-buget sales here and there (even blind hogs find acorns once in awhile), but the point is, her karma is coming back to her; I search the Web once in awhile, and I'm finding more and more negative remarks, etc., about her, her unprofessionalism and her overall incompetence in leading Clark Management Company.

As of this writing, today, I have an agent here in the U.S. (whom I signed on with in 2004) and, of course, the one in Europe; I've got lots of options, I've got sales and life in the Bay Area is perfect!

Firing Vicki Clark (which I did in June, 2003) was the best I ever did artistically, professionally and personally!

Thanks for letting me vent!

VICKI CLARK, ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

I wanted to write some additional information to help fellow writers out there avoid *******s like Vicki Clark.

Here are the tips that have helped me:

*If someone wants to represent you, do a thorough background check on them; that means doing an Internet search, writing the WGAw, contacting the Better Business Burea and posting notices online, etc.; and if possible, meet with the person; if your gut instinct says no, then don't sign on with the agent or manager; why suffer?

*If possible, visit the building in which your potential agent/manager has their office; at the time, when I signed on with Vicki Clark, I was living in the greater Seattle area, and couldn't easily go down to the greater Los Angeles area; and unfortunately, I didn't have a chance to visit her "offices" in Glendale, CA. (I eventually did; as the first poster said, she's a real-estate agent; she has an rinky-dink office in Glendale that her mother owns, and that Vicki Clark uses for free.)

*Regarding the above point: After I fired Vicki Clark in June, 2003, another agent contacted me; I went to Los Angeles and looked for his office; and oh, he had an office in a nice building in Beverly Hills all right...He had one of those small mail boxes in a UPS (formerly Mail Boxes, Etc.) Store. Needless to say, I passed on signing on with this jerk who claimed he worked in the "heart of Bevery Hills" in a "multi-room office".

*Never, EVER accept abuse from an agent or a manager; abuse comes in many forms; it can be verbal, and it can be in the agent's or manager's not doing the requisite work that a writer-agent/manager relationship requires. (More about this in a few moments, please.) Point is, if someone attempts to bully you, they are not your friend; and believe me, Vicki Clark IS a bully WHEN she thinks she can get away with it; and like all bullies, she's a coward; because of her lack of a backbone, she failed to go through with follow-up on two of my deals. (In other words, Vicki Clark likes to push beginning writers around, but if some producer snaps at her, she whimpers like a miniature poodle, wets the floor and hides under a sofa.)

*More about the above point: If your agent or manager does not have chutzpah (guts), don't go with them; wimps and wussies (like Vicki Clark) do not make it in Hollywood. Period. You need someone who's going to fight for you, not run away with their tail covering their genitals and the stripe down their back glowing bright yellow.

Vicki Clark did the following:

*She repeatedly failed to send out screenplays that potential producers and investors were waiting for. (I didn't discover these things until after the fact, that is, until after I got a call or e-mail from a producer or investor, wondering what in the hell was going on.)

*She bungled a comedy deal I was doing by telling the potential actress (a friend of Alice Cooper) that she, Vicki Clark, didn't know about the comedy screenplay I was writing at the time. (I had written Vicki Clark at least three times about this comedy screenplay, and had mentioned, at least three times, that I was going to contact this actress, whose manager, in turn, was going to contact her, Vicki Clark. Needless to say, the actress and her people have refused to have anything to do with me; in other words, Vicki Clark could have told the manager, Let me get with Bob about this and see what's going on; instead, she played the ignoramus who has her head shoved up her you know what and ruined something upon which I worked very hard.)

*She repeatedly lost my work and copies of my work.

People have asked, Why did you stay with her, then?

Why?

Because I was a newbie screenplay writer who believed that I "had" to have some form of representation in Hollywood, no matter how bad that representation was.

This I learned: Better to have no representation at all than to have crappy representation.

Don't be a victim, people! Remember: We are the music-makers/And we are the dreamers of dreams! It's our imaginations that Hollywood uses and exploits! Ultimately, we, as writers, have the say; we have the power!

Thanks again; please write me if you want further details!

REBUTTAL FROM VICKI CLARK, CLARK MANAGEMENT- DON'T BELIEVE EVERYTHING ON THE INTERNET

dear writers,

after speaking to a new client today, he directed me to a slanderous letter from bob prestridge written in 2003.

he was the only writer i ever let into my home, and the letter he wrote was filled with so many lies that i am prompted to write a rebuttal letter.

my reputation is all that i have, and i have a good one, and i think mr. prestridge forgot that karma goes both ways, that he is not above the karmic laws himself.

i had to get an attorney to stop bob prestridge and his pursuit to slander me, so a word to the wise, don't believe everything you read on the internet.

kind regards,

vicki clark, clark management

Why I love and respect Vicky Clark and her work

I am a writer in California, with various credits and accomplishments. Among these, in the 'what-have-you-done' category, are as many as six feature scripts optioned in the past four years, three paid 'for-hire' feature assignments in the last year (two in pre-production), numerous children's books, produced audio-plays, a new stage play, a documentary filming in South Africa, articles about my scripts and writing last year in Creative Screenwriting and Scr(i)pt magazines, years as a journalist, lots of 'spec' scripts, and you-name-it. I have been working with Vicki Clark of Clark Management for as long as six years or more. Rumors of her incompetence or malice really have no place in my thoughts, as someone who has known and worked with her. Vicky is consistently up-beat, uniquely positive, and a great encourager and friend for any writer. She always takes my calls, and although she is busy will usually talk with me about anything related to my plans and goals. She will frequently look at new scripts, without a fee, and has often contacted producers, studios and companies on my behalf with material she feels would suit the buyer. Vicky handled the option-deal and paperwork on my script 'Snowball's Chance' to Film Story Productions in Beverly Hills in 2003, and she did a great job---she reviewed the contract, sent faxes back-and-forth, helped me decide what to do and how to get the best deal, and made phone calls. That option-sale contract was worth $200,000 (the film was not made but it was nice for a beginner). Vicki did all this for her agreed-on fee of 15-percent of the deal, which is certainly reasonable. Aside from this, she reads my scripts, sends them out, and in many ways acts as a 'friend in the business' who I can call and talk to free of charge, to get advice or just a shoulder-to-cry-on. One of my projects this year (view details at www.cinewerx.com) is in hot pursuit of funding to roll cameras at this year's Cannes Film Festival, and attracted the attention of actors like Kevin Kline, Skeet Ulrich, Jeff Bridges, Giovanni Ribisi, and others. I now work with both a regular literary agent and Vicki on this and other projects---if Vicki gets involved, she works hard and earns her fee, and as a manager rather than an agent, we work together on this type of arrangement. Is it really appropriate to harm someone's reputation based on another person's hurt feelings or personal failures and disappointments, without any knowlege of the individual involved? In the whacky world of writing film-plays for sale, you could do a lot worse than knowing someone like Vicky, who has always treated me well. What's the problem with her not paying to make copies? Those costs add up! Anyway, all antagonisms are complimentary, and in Vicki's case, antagonism is out of place, from someone who knows her. Details on my writing and career are at my website at www.tcsn.net/kuma

Yet more voracious Vicki vernacular---

I won't deny it. I heard Vicky was being trashed here and was asked to add my comments. I can't really confirm the above rebuttal. It's somewhat amazing to me that her character or professionalism would be at issue. If you are a professional writer yourself, you will either work with someone you feel good about or not---we all know there are sharks out there, and Vicki is not one of them. But the poor girl has to earn a living, as do we all. I can't vouch for her resume, accomplishments, big film deals, celebrity relationships, or the type of paper costs she has for copies. When I was starting out (and I have a ways to go yet for that Oscar), Vicki took a chance on me and I took a chance on her. Any beginning writer feels better with a professional relationship with a working manager or agent---it looks good on submissions, and you can honestly tell buyers and potential business relationships of your own that you are 'represented'. But only a real novice expects a manager or agent to move mountains or work for charity-cases, or to be 'perfect'. Business is business, and I've never once felt Vicki was anything less than a professional, working-person, trying hard to do the best for me and for her own interests. I think the truth here is that Vicki somehow made an enemy in the past somehow, and thus began the slander---as a manager or agent, there is never a lack for second-guessing the cost of postage or why-didn't-you-do-this. To know her is to love her---she's a fine person and I have no qualms about sticking up for her whether I was asked to or not. I don't actually log onto this forum very often.

SOUNDS PERSONAL TO ME – REGARDING VICKI CLARK

I find it very telling of “rhprestridge’s” pathetic mental state that despite having cancelled his contract with Ms. Vicki Clark in 2003, three years later, he still finds the time enough to put effort into writing an asinine blog about her.



Ms. Clark is one of the last honest, hard-working people in the business, and I am proud to be one of her clients. I was directed to this site after I received an e-mail from a fellow writer in New York who was seeking representation, and thought I should see what had been written about my manager. I feel obligated to respond to the shameful lies posted on this chat board, as Ms. Clark has been responsible for my connections to and deals with producers in L.A.

I wonder if any of you “pros” have any idea how long it takes to make a film, but just in case you need a reminder, it’s anywhere from 5 to 10 years. It took ten years to make “WALK THE LIINE.”

The legitimate producers and screenwriters who deal with Ms. Clark on a day-to-day basis would quickly dismiss any slanderous comments posted on this nonsense blog and attest to the fact that she has a fine reputation.

Ms. Clark leads this industry in integrity and ethics, and anyone who says different has not done any real business with her. Thanks to her, I am making money and have a life… more than I can say for “rhprestridge” and the rest of his goons.

Claire O’Neil,
Writer

V for Vicki---

Sometimes, some of you who wish to write, particularly for films, may discover that success can be measured in terms of relationships, as much as 'who sold what' or IMBd status. Not everyone is selling big-buck scripts, but we're all trying to make a living. You will not likely secure a manager or agent to represent your work, based solely on their latest big sale to Dreamworks or Universal---if that were so, we'd all make those choices. And remember: a fish in a fracas is a far-fetched phenomenum.