Re: William W. Levin at Silver Screen Placements - Complaint
To:
[email protected]
p17.ezboard.com/
www.wga.org/
[email protected]
From: Barbara F. Seiden
[email protected]
Date: August 26, 2004
Re: Complaint against agent William W. Levin, President/Silver Screen Placement Agency
Dear Sirs:
For your registry, I would like to submit the following complaint and e-mail correspondence with the above writer's agent, William W. Levin, President, Silver Screen Placement Agency, 602 65th St., Downer's Grove, IL 60516. After sending him a query letter regarding representation of my script, he responded:
Received from Mr. Levin on 7/16/04:
"Thank you for your inquiry. Kindly send the following
via USPS: brief query letter, 1-page synopsis,
screenplay; signed copy of the attached release and a
SASE. We'll review your work and respond as soon as
possible. Thank you."
I sent the following e-mail to Mr. Levin on 8/13/04:
"Silver Screen Placements
602 65th. St.
Downers Grove, IL 60516"
To: William R. Levin, President
Silver Screen Placements Agency
[email protected]
From:
[email protected]
Subj: Complaints against your agency/APPOINTED ROUNDS submission
Date: August 13, 2004
Dear Mr. Levin,
The website
www.agentresearch.com/ finds no match in their system under your name or your business. Also, there are three pages of complaints from writers listed against you and your company on the
p197.ezboard.com/ site of which you are aware. It is noted on that site that your agency was removed from the WGA agency list in the spring of 2003 due to frequent editorial referrals. It appears WGA has received complaints about your company Silver Screen Placements since 1999. Are you currently a signatory of WGA?
Since recently submitting my screenplay, APPOINTED ROUNDS to you for consideration, I am rightfully concerned and I would appreciate your response to this matter.
Sincerely,
Barbara F. Seiden
[email protected] "
Received from Mr. Levin on 8/13/04:
"My dear Ms. Seiden:
First off, my middle initial is W, not R.
Second, I have NO IDEA of the complaints you mention
nor the webpage you refer to. Unfortunately many
writers are rejected by my office and others and those
malcontents seek revenge by writing nasty lies about
us. The websites further the slander by refusing to
print the accused's side.
But, that's okay, because those who read and believe
that tripe are not the clients we wish to take on. We
look for writers with imagination. Leaders, not
followers.
There are also reasons why I am not in the WGA's
agency lists to which you are not privy, nor is it
your business. But for the receord, I do remain a
signatory.
Finally, I have absolutely no record of you submitting
anything to our office in our logbook.
Thank you.
WWL"
Submitted 8/14/04 to Mr. Levin:
"Subj: Re: APPOINTED ROUNDS submission
Date: 8/14/2004
From: Barbara F. Seiden
[email protected]
To: William W. Levin
Silver Screen Placements
[email protected]
Dear Mr. Levin,
Apologies for the error of your middle initial. Sometimes, when writing e-mails fast, we often type errors, as in your typo "receord" to me. As a perfectionist, I proof everything but errors do happen, and again, I apologize.
To refresh your memory, I detail our correspondence below:
On 7/16/04, you e-mailed: "Thank you for your inquiry. Kindly send the following
via USPS: brief query letter, 1-page synopsis,
screenplay; signed copy of the attached release and a
SASE. We'll review your work and respond as soon as
possible. Thank you.
Silver Screen Placements
602 65th. St.
Downers Grove, IL 60516"
On 8/2/2004, I e-mailed the following response:
Subj: Re: Query/film script submission
Date: 8/2/2004
From: Barbara F. Seiden
[email protected]
To:
[email protected]
"Thank you for your response of 7/16/2004 requesting my screenplay, APPOINTED ROUNDS, a brief query letter, 1-page synopsis, the signed copy of your release and a SASE.
I have assembled the above and am sending it to you via USPS as requested.
Thank you again for your consideration.
Barbara F. Seiden"
"I sent the above by Priority Mail, Delivery Confirmation on 8/3/04 as advised. I am in receipt of the U.S. Postal Service track and confirmation print-out which notes my item was "delivered at 2:09 pm on August 05, 2004 in Downers Grove, IL 60516" to your address.
Why you have "absolutely no record" of my script, release form and requested paperwork in your logbook is of great concern to me, as I have been awaiting your reply. Please check your records further and advise as soon as possible.
Sincerely,
Barbara F. Seiden
[email protected]"
Received 8/14/2004, from William Levin:
"Touche on my "receord" typo.
Regardless of whether or not you received a delivery
confirmation of your submission, we have once more
searched through every desk, shelf and floor where
submissions are kept and found nothing of yours. Why?
That's a real mystery. Possibly because I have one
associate on vacation and let one go at the beginning
of the month.
So, I repeat and avow that I have nothing from you in
my office, which seems to convey the idea that we were
not meant for each other. Good luck with another
agent."
To Mr. Levin, 8/15/04
"Mr. Levin,
I have proof that my script, APPOINTED ROUNDS, by Laura Lisa (my pseudonym) was delivered to you along with your release form, signed by me at your insistence, by priority mail and received by your office on August 5. Any sale of my script by you or your associates or former associates without my authorization, knowledge or consent constitutes theft and fraud. I request the return of my script and attached paperwork immediately If I do not receive the return of my material within the next seven days, I will be forced to report your unsavory, irresponsible and unprofessional actions to the WGA as well as other internet agent oversight groups, and take legal action, if necessary.
Sincerely,
Barbara F. Seiden"
Received 8/16/04, from Mr. Levin:
"Why don't you take that rod out of your ass. You must
be one bitch to be around.
You never told me your submitted it under the name
Laura Lisa and yes I found it under that name. It'll
go back to you in tomorrow's mail.
And if you wish to complain to anyone, be sure you
give them the whole story. Now, get lost and bug some
other poor schmuck!"
I received my manuscript from him on 8/24/04 in a used manilla envelope, the bottom and sides of which were ripped. The envelope was stamped Parcel Post and "Received in damaged condition" all over it. There was also postage due of $1.26 on the envelope. The original address was blocked out in heavy black marker and my name incorrectly printed as "B. S. Seiden" in bold black marker beneath the original address.
I originally sent my script to Mr. Levin in an expensive plastic blue protective cover box which was placed inside a postal Express mail box with a manilla envelope containing the items he requested. The script was bound by three gold round head fasteners with black leather covers on the front and back. My torn script was returned to me by him, stamped "Received August 5, 2004" on the white title page. The black leather covers were missing, as was one of the gold fasteners. My blue protective cover box was never returned to me.
Mr. Levin is a liar and a thief, unprofessional, rude, crude and vulgar. He has no right to call himself an "agent." I only hope he has not copied my script with intent to sell it and profit from the results.
Beware of this man and his company. Deal with him at your own risk!
Sincerely,
Barbara "F." Seiden
[email protected]
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