Company names associated with this scam:
Better Bound House
Digital Access Media
The Greendot Films
Media Lexus
P & Co
Paramount Book
The Pasaporte Group
A little while ago, I wrote a post on the anatomy of fake literary agency scams. This post focuses on their somewhat less common, but equally pernicious, sibling: fake film company scams.
Here’s how it works. A film company–with a website and everything–calls or emails out of the blue with a tempting offer: your book has the potential to be made into a movie/TV series! And they want to represent you to studios/pitch you to producers/take you to a major conference where scores of film people will be present! Just one requirement: you need a screenplay/a pitch deck/a storyboard/some other product. Don’t have those things? No problem–they know a reputable and expert company that can create them for you…for a fee.
It’s a classic bait-and-switch setup. The “film company” is a front for the service provider, which in turn is owned by a parent company overseas. And that initial service that was pitched to you as absolutely essential? It’s just the start. By paying, you’ve marked yourself as fair game for escalating sales pressure and fraudulent offers involving large upfront payments. And the sales reps who staff the scams–who earn a commission on every dollar you spend–will take every opening you give them, and won’t stop unless you stop them.
This post takes a look at a real-life example, thanks to an author who has given me permission to share their experience.
Dramatis Personae
The fake film company: The Greendot Films. Its website includes a slideshow of movies Greendot is hoping you’ll assume they were responsible for creating, along with a fake history claiming that they’re a successor to two defunct production companies. The Greendot name itself has been “borrowed” from yet another defunct film company, Green Dot Films.
Greendot, which is supposedly located in California, doesn’t have a business registration in that state–probably because it doesn’t actually collect any money. That’s the job of the service provider.
The service provider: Better Bound House (UPDATE: that’s an archived link to how Better Bound House looked at the time I wrote this post. Here’s how it looks now.) Describing itself as a “digital marketing agency”, BBH’s fairly bare website offers a bunch of techy-sounding-but-meaningless services like Solution Design of Automation, along with a Hollywood Spotlight promising “creation of pre requisite [sic] requirements for movie film adaptation”.
Better Bound House is registered in Nevada. Arvin Jay Pasaporte is identified as its Treasurer.
The parent company overseas: Arvin Jay Pasaporte is the owner of The Pasaporte Group, aka P & Co, based in Cebu City. (UPDATE: The Pasaporte Group link no longer works: the website vanished from the web shortly after I put this post online, and hasn’t been archived.) The company website identifies a number of businesses under this umbrella–a jewelry company, a construction company, a property management company, even a restaurant…and Better Bound House.
Pasaporte likes that name: other companies he owns include Better Bound Entertainment and Better Bound Advertising.
The Bait
As with so many scams these days, first contact comes in the form of a solicitation from the front company.
As far as I could discover, there’s no such thing as the Producer’s Pitch Event (at any rate, there are zero mentions online other than Greendot’s own press releases via a fake New York Times “news” site). There are several Paul McLeans who are involved with film, however, so Googling will turn up something approximating authentic references.
Note the strategic flattery, as well as the “recommendation” for Better Bound House (somewhat unusual: most bait-and-switch scams wait until at least the second email to disclose the service provider they’re fronting for). And, of course, there’s a deadline–just a little over a week from the date of the email. The scammer is betting that the author doesn’t have a screenplay lying around, and won’t know where to go to get one, especially given the limited time available.
And indeed, for the author who got this solicitation, that was the case.
The Switch
The excited author responded at once with questions about the screenplay and the deadline. Greendot wrote back three hours later. (Note: Alpine Consulting Services, a legal services company, is the registered agent for Better Bound House; I’m not sure why it’s included here.)
Fifty Hollywood decision makers! Huge bucks for an option agreement! A quote for services all ready to go, only hours after making contact, and a promise to deliver by the (very short) deadline! Best of all: half the cost subsidized by Greendot–something that surely wouldn’t be offered unless Greendot really had faith in the author’s work! Combined with the deadline pressure, it’s a stew of flattery and incentive designed to go straight to a writer’s head.
The writer agreed to the deal and paid the invoice for $9,699. Two hours later, a welcome email from Better Bound House landed in their Inbox, with a promise to “immediately commence the project’s fulfillment”.
Authors who buy screenplay-writing services from a scammer often never hear from the scammer again. Alternatively, they may receive something that’s seriously substandard–too long, too short, riddled with errors, merely a cut-and-paste of the writer’s own dialog. Sometimes, though, the scammer actually does deliver a credible product.
So it was in this case. The writer received a draft screenplay on May 19, fulfilling the promise of a quick turnaround. They told me they were pretty happy with what BBH produced. Of course, giving the client something approximating what they paid for also offers a prime opportunity to get them to pay for something else.
The Feeding Frenzy
Although the writer was pleased with the draft screenplay, they did have some notes. Greendot’s response: spend more money! (The redacted sentences mention elements of the writer’s book that could identify it. )
Deeply invested in their creation, beguiled by Greendot’s false promises, and with apparent evidence of good faith in the form of a decent screenplay delivered on time, the writer agreed to the additional cost of a storyboard. They were a little anxious, though; would there be much more expense associated with the needed materials? Greendot: you bet! A mood board to capture “the overall aesthetic and mood of the film” was also essential. Not to worry, though–once again, Greendot would cover half!
Note the promise of “no other costs.”
The author agreed. At this point, the quick turnaround they’d experienced with the screenplay started to slow. By late July, there was no sign of either storyboard or mood board. When the author emailed on July 25 to ask what was up, Greendot assured them that all was well and their work had been submitted to the Producer’s Pitch.
The author’s question wasn’t anxious or aggressive–but the scammers must have decided that something extra was needed…because a few days later, AMAZING news! Netflix was interested! The author needed to contact Netflix Content Acquisition Director Audrey Gardiner right away!
(There really is an Audrey Gardiner who is Content Acquisition Director at Netflix–that’s her real photo in the screenshots below, swiped from Linkedin–but needless to say, this wasn’t her. Note the email address: it looks reasonably authentic, but the domain, netflixacquisition.com, was only registered around five months ago. Scammers often register domains specifically to allow them to impersonate companies and individuals.)
Within minutes of emailing “Audrey”, the author received this reply:
So exciting! Even more thrilling, “Audrey” reached out two days with the news that Netflix wanted to negotiate a purchase price. She just needed a few items “to finalize the deal”.
The storyboard, no problem: already bought and paid for. But the synopsis, logline, and treatment? The author didn’t have those.
Once again, Greendot to the rescue.
A few hours later, the quote arrived: $10,000 for the logline, $4,000 for the synopsis, and $26,000 for the treatment, with Greendot, as usual, promising to subsidize half. (Remember the promise of “no other costs”?) Yet again, the author paid.
Waking Up
By this time, including a $2,474 July invoice for something called Film Camera Placement, the author was in the hole for more than $40,000.
Some scam victims never reach a tipping point: they continue to let the scammer siphon away their resources, no matter how high the cost or improbable the promises. Others start to become suspicious as expenses mount or services fail to be delivered. For this author, the last straw seems to have been that final $20,000 invoice. Although they did pay it, they were uneasy enough to go online shortly after sending the money. They found my blog, and realized they’d been had.
Before you judge the author for being too gullible, put yourself in their shoes. You aren’t familiar with the universe of writing scams–or maybe you’ve heard that pay-to-play is normal in the movie biz (a common bit of misinformation). You receive a well-written invitation from what appears to be a bona fide film company for what sounds like an important opportunity, cannily crafted to flatter your ego and appeal to every writer’s dream of getting rich from a film adaptation. Maybe you gulp at the cost of the screenplay, even with half the cost defrayed (and why would the company offer that if they didn’t think highly of your work?)–but there’s time pressure and you don’t want to lose the chance–especially with the film company representative assuring you that they’re confident you’ll land a deal.
So you risk it. Not only do you receive the screenplay quickly, it’s pretty good–plus your representative at the film company engages encouragingly with you as you brainstorm images and character arcs (there was a lot more back and forth between the author and Greendot than I’ve shown here). Why, then, would you question the genuineness of the Netflix email–which, remember, bears the name and photo of a real Netflix executive–or suspect right away it was a forgery to trick you into handing over another big wad of cash?
The story has a happy-ish ending. The author disputed most of the charges, and managed to get the bulk of their money back. Probably so they could argue to the author’s bank that they’d actually done the work, Greendot hurriedly sent part of the storyboard the author had paid for, which the author described to me as “a random collection of badly rendered AI images that don’t reflect the screenplay at all, much less the book.” You can judge quality by the example below:
UPDATE 1/29/24: Arvin Jay Pasaporte has established two new writer ripoff companies:
- Digital Axis Media offers, among other bogus services, a Circle of Literary Agents campaign that “reaches out to the Association of American Literary Agents (AALA) and other reputable literary agents and agencies asking them to represent you and your book to traditional publishers and industry experts”.
- Paramount Book, whose home page is decorated with the covers of non-existent books, claims to be “a literary agency based in the vibrant heart of New York City, dedicated to championing authors throughout their writing odyssey”, which “shines as a beacon of authenticity in a landscape where aspiring authors can fall prey to fraudulent agencies”. Uh huh.
UPDATE 2/18/23: I’ve confirmed another company name associated with Arvin Jay Pasaporte: Media Lexus. No website as far as I can determine.
How to Protect Yourself
1. Proceed from a point of skepticism. It’s extremely unlikely that a real, reputable film company will email or call you out of the blue. For scammers, on the other hand, solicitation is their main method of acquiring victims. There are so many solicitation scams targeting writers right now that ANY out-of-the-blue contact about publishing or movie rights should be assumed to be a scam, unless you can definitely determine otherwise. This is especially true if an initial contact later steers you in the direction of paid services.
2. Mistrust–and verify. Research all the individuals and/or companies that are mentioned to see what information you can find (are there complaints? Have they shown up on this blog–for instance, on Writer Beware’s list of overseas scams?) Look for independent verification of the company’s existence and products: if a websearch produces no results other than the company’s own website or press releases, that is not a good sign. If the company claims credits (like the films mentioned on Greendot’s website), see if you can verify the claim–by looking up the film’s production information, for instance–and if you can’t, or if there are no checkable details attached to the claim, be wary.
3. Use your common sense. Anyone can make an occasional typo, but professionals communicate professionally. Typos and English-language errors are a warning sign (though you’re less likely to encounter them than formerly, as scammers are increasingly using AI-assisted writing tools). Look for things that don’t add up. Do the email address and any links match the person or company claiming to be contacting you? Does the company purport to be well-established, yet its web domain was registered only a few months ago? What about the email domain? (Given how long Netflix has been in business, for example, It’s highly implausible that it would be using an email domain registered only a few months ago.)
4. Contact Writer Beware. Always a good default if you aren’t sure about an individual or company, or can’t find a mention here. We may have heard something, or received complaints, and if we have, we’ll let you know.
Fake Film Companies Documented by Writer Beware
Greendot is just one of a number of fake film companies attempting to defraud writers.
Solicitations I’ve seen recently include The Metro Films, Motionflick Studios, Above the Line Film and Media Productions, The Spotlight Media Productions, Blue Screen Production, The FilmHouse Production, Creative Films, Skyhorn Entertainment, and Believe Entertainment Media Group.
Names associated with this fraudulent, fake film company – Skyhorn Entertainment:
Marygael Jumao-as
Anthony El-estwani
Charles Michael Amamio
Wish I had read this great article months ago! The good news is that I absolutely refused to share or put money into the production of the film America and the World have been waiting for. Beware Columbia Productions, Inc./HBO it follows the script of the above to the T. My stock reply was if you want to purchase the film rights to my book on spec I want to sell. So let’s agree on a price and draw up a contract and when I sign you give me a cashier’s check and we’re done. Finally they left me alone.
By the way the fraudsters are in violation of Title 18 USC Sections 1343-44 wire and bank fraud that carries a max penalty of 20 years in prison.
Jim Gilliam Warwick, NY
Over the past 5 years or so i have been contacted by i am not sure how many “Film Producers” that want to make a fine movie from my first book that I published on Amazon. I used a Nom de plume as I was too embarrassed to put my actual name to this dirty little book. Since then, I have published several using my first two initials and my last name. I don’t know how they get my name and my unlisted phone number to contact me. The most recent inquiry I responded to telling them that I have sold the rights to Mel Gibson for 7 million dollars, and they should contact him with any future opportunities. The one before said that Simon and Schuster have offered $225,000.00 but needs to see the “trailer” first. They would take care of having it done for a price.
WOW! I have my pen in hand to sign the check and I have the envelope ready to stuff it into.
Now on to another sad story. Over the past 3 years I have had several books published, by an apparent “vanity press”, They told me that they have placed my work on all the big-name sellers, including Amazon, Barnes and Nobel, Books a Million and many others. I checked and they are there alright. They have also placed my work with a company called Asia Books. They told me that I had Royaltys coming of around $7,000.00. I was ecstatic. Then came an offer. The sellers wanted to get more copies to sell and that for my Royaltys PLUS another $5,000.00 would put a certain number in their hands. The Royaltys were for the time frame of June 2022 until December of 2022. Since then, I have been told that next Royaltys would be paid during the first or second quarter of 2024. It appears to be for over 8,500 books sold. I am looking at a $10.00 per copy Royalty, or a whole lot of money. Still not as much as I have paid them over the past 3 years.
At one point in our relationship(?) we had an agreement that if they could not place my work with a “Traditional Publisher” in six months, they would refund my money. It was to be $30,000.00 shared 1/2 and 1/2 with me, or $15,000.00. I told her that I didn’t have that kind of money, so she said that $11,000 would do. That was 2 years ago.
So, the first quarter is gone, and we are 1/2 way past April. I have sent both she and her “supervisor” multiple emails with no replies. Last week I gave them 10 days to respond, or I was taking it to the next level. I didn’t say, FBI. That will be the next phone call that I make. Thanks for hearing my rant. One of MANY that you receive, I’m sure.
I am so sorry, but it sounds like you’ve been targeted for a book order scam. I’ve gotten many complaints about this type of scam, which works like this: the writer is told that bookstores or organizations want to order thousands of copies of their book. The writer has to pay for printing, or shipping, or something else to the tune of thousands of dollars, but the promised royalties will supposedly yield a large profit. It’s a safe scam for the scammer, since the writer has no way to verify whether the books were ever printed or shipped. The scammer then strings the writer along with excuses for why they are not receiving the promised royalties. When the writer gets too persistent, or the scammer judges they are tapped out, the scammer simply stops communicating.
I always encourage fraud victims to report scams to as many sources as possible. A single complaint may not spur action, but a volume of them can; and a complaint or one-star review at the BBB may be seen by potential victims. There are suggestions for where to report on the Legal Recourse page of the Writer Beware website: http://www.writerbeware.com.
Hi Victoria,
I had a similar experience with a company called Buffalo8 https://buffalo8.com/ which may be a hybrid type of scam. For $6,000 they would produce a pitch deck for my screenplay to present at the American Film Market (AFM) in Santa Monica, California. My hope was that they could get me access to companies that I wouldn’t meet on my own. I did what I considered due diligence and met with the owner at his office in Santa Monica. (In hindsight, I see now why we met on the rooftop patio instead of in his office. I never did see his office.) I also called people that had used Buffalo 8 in the past. I only reached one person who hadn’t made any progress with their film, but had no complaints about them. I offered Buffalo8 half, $3,000 for the pitch deck and a budget. The pitch deck was underwhelming and I don’t know much about budgets. I went to AFM to meet with Buffalo8. I was disappointed that they hadn’t rented a room and were just dropping by other rooms. Also, I wanted to be in the room when they pitched my idea. But, no dice. I met Buffalo8 in one of the hotel room bars and was told they got no interest in my idea. That was it. $3,000 for nothing useful and no proof my project was ever pitched. Buffalo8 has a side company called Bondit Media Capital. I would warn people away from Buffalo8.
Avalon House keeps calling me? I don’t have my phone number listed anywhere publicly with my author name, so I’m not sure how they got my contact info. I found a press release from last year: https://www.prlog.org/13003399-self-published-books-in-physical-stores-avalon-houses-impact.html
Everyone always wants money, so, I dunno. I figure it’s a scam.
Good day!
Congratulations on your successful 2024 acquisition!
This is Gerald Timberlake, from the acquisitions team working with HarperCollins, Penguin Random House, and Macmillan. These major traditional publishers will buy the rights of the book.
We are pleased to inform you that your book was selected out of 50 candidates for the project. We are only selecting 10 book titles every year. We want to start the process as early as possible, before ending the first quarter of this year 2024. Which means, we would need your cooperation and confirmation if you are still interested. Your book was evaluated and passed the content and initial evaluation.
You as the author will usually receive an advance payment on their royalties when the contract is signed amounting to ($750,000 – $985,000). The author will receive royalty payments on the sales of their book once every six months after the advance payment is returned to the publisher.
Once you land a contract with them, they will buy the copyright of your book and you get paid an advance payment for its projected sales.
In addition, please see the details below for the requirements that needed to be submitted.
1. Author’s Bio
2. Manuscript on PDF or Word Format
3. Synopsis of the book (not necessarily lengthy)
4. Book Reviews
5. Cinematic Book Trailer
6. Recent photo for your portfolio
7. Query Letter with Book Licensing Agreement – $1,500.
If you don’t have these requirements above, we have an In-house Production team who can do it for you to expedite the process. Please reply to this email at your earliest convenience since we are finalizing the official list of book titles that will be included in the 2024 acquisition.
Let us know regarding your decision if you are no longer interested so we can open this opportunity to other authors. We would appreciate your response regarding this rare opportunity.
Peace and Blessings!
Regards,
Gerald Timberlake
54 State St Ste 804 Albany, NY 12207, USA
Phone Number: +1 518 300 3785
Primary Email: geraldtimberlake@literaryendorsement.com
Hi, Nancy,
Based on the content of this email, it appears to be another iteration of this scam. Thanks for posting it.
Dear Andrew,
I hope this message finds you well and inspired. My name is Timothy Williams, and I am a Film Agent at Los Angeles Media Group, a leader in transforming exceptional literary works into captivating cinematic and television experiences. In our quest to uncover stories that resonate with global audiences, we have identified your work as possessing the unique qualities we believe are poised for successful adaptation.
The entertainment industry is currently experiencing an unprecedented demand for fresh and engaging content. Hollywood studios and streaming services alike are in an active search for new titles that can be developed into films and television series, striving to meet a surge in viewer demand they are presently struggling to satisfy. This creates a significant opportunity for your work to reach broader audiences and achieve new levels of success and recognition.
Our agency leads in adapting narratives for the screen with a process that honors the author’s original vision. Our portfolio includes involvement in acclaimed adaptations like ‘The Martian’ by Andy Weir, transformed into a Ridley Scott masterpiece, and ‘Gone Girl’ by Gillian Flynn, brought to life by David Fincher. These successes demonstrate our commitment to turning profound stories into cinematic and television landmarks.
We are reaching out to a select group of authors whose works have shown the potential for such a transformation, and I would be honored to discuss how your story could be the next big hit. Time is of the essence, as we aim to quickly respond to the industry’s needs, and I believe your work stands out as a prime candidate for adaptation.
Would you be available for a discussion in the near future? I am keen to share more about how we can bring your story to life on screen and to hear your aspirations for its adaptation.
Your vision is crucial to this process, and I look forward to exploring the possibilities together.
Thank you for considering this unique opportunity. The potential for your work to captivate film and TV audiences is immense, and we are excited about the prospect of partnering with you during this dynamic time in the entertainment industry.
Best regards,
Timothy L. Williams
Film Agent | Los Angeles Media Group
Hi, Andrew,
I’ve seen multiple examples of this solicitation, using a variety of names for the “film agent”. As far as I can tell, there’s no such thing as the Los Angeles Media Group.
Thanks for posting this blog, Victoria.
I received a similar email from Jessa L. Adams claiming to be from Los Angeles Media Group too. Eva mentioned Jessa back in December 2023. Aware of the potential for a scam, I searched “Los Angeles Media Group”, and found your blog post!
Dear Austin,
I hope this email finds you well. My name is David Murphy, and I am a Senior Production Executive at Prime Video reaching out to you on behalf of my team. We are currently on the lookout for captivating books that have the potential to be adapted into compelling content for Prime Video, either as a series or a full-length feature film.
We have an exciting opportunity for a potential collaboration. We believe that your book has the potential to translate beautifully onto the screen, and we’re keen to explore the idea of adapting it into a feature film.
I would love to invite you to sit down with me and some of our investors to discuss this opportunity further. It’s a chance for us to brainstorm ideas, share our vision for the project, and explore how we can work together to bring your story to life on the big screen.
Additionally, we are prepared to offer a contract that outlines the terms of our collaboration, ensuring that both parties are clear on expectations and benefits.
I understand that this is a big decision, and there may be questions or concerns you’d like to address before moving forward. Please know that I’m here to answer any queries you may have and to provide any additional information you require.
Please let me know a convenient time for you to meet, and I’ll make sure to coordinate with our team to arrange everything accordingly.
Looking forward to the possibility of working together and bringing your vision to audiences worldwide.
Warm regards,
David Murphy
Senior Production Executive | Prime Video
davidmurphy@film-executive.com
Los Angeles, California
Confidentiality Notice: This email and any attachments may contain confidential information intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you have received this communication in error, please notify the sender immediately and delete this email from your system. Any unauthorized use, disclosure, or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited and may be unlawful. Thank you for your cooperation.
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This is an impersonation scam. I’ve gotten dozens of reports of such solicitations, using various names, in some cases of real executives at Amazon.
Yep, I got this letter almost verbatim from legit executives at Amazon.
Hi – ,
I hope this letter finds you in good health and high spirits.
My name is Kyle Peterson , and I am writing to you on behalf of Tristar Pictures in collaboration with our esteemed investor, HBO Max. We recently had the pleasure of reading your remarkable book ” – “, and we were captivated by its compelling content.
Tristar Pictures, renowned for its excellence in producing world class films, and HBO Max, a global streaming platform with millions of subscribers worldwide, share a strong interest in adapting extraordinary literary works like yours into cinematic masterpieces. After careful evaluation and internal discussions, we are thrilled to extend an official offer to acquire the film rights for your book.
Considering the immense potential of your book to resonate with audiences of all ages, HBO has proposed an initial offer of $300,000 to secure the exclusive film rights. This offer signifies our genuine admiration for your creative talent and is a testament to the immense value we see in bringing your book to the silver screen.
We envision a grand production, backed by Tristar Pictures extensive experience in film making and HBO’s vast global reach, ensuring that your story reaches audiences far and wide, leaving a lasting impact on cinema enthusiasts worldwide. The combined efforts of Tristar and HBO will provide your story with the attention, resources, and expertise it truly deserves.
Rest assured, we value your creative input and vision for the adaptation, and we will work diligently to ensure that the film stays true to the essence of your book. Your involvement in the project as a consultant or collaborator, if you wish, would be highly appreciated.
Should you choose to move forward with this exciting opportunity, we will be more than delighted to initiate the necessary legal procedures promptly. We are open to further negotiations if you have any additional requests or suggestions.
As we embark on this creative journey together, we assure you that your book will be in the hands of passionate and talented professionals who will treat your work with the utmost respect and dedication.
To move forward with the acquisition process, our team and HBO require the following materials from you:
Film Pitch Deck – is a visual presentation that provides an overview of a film project to potential investors, producers, distributors, or other stakeholders. It serves as a concise and compelling package that showcases the key elements of the film, including the story, characters, target audience, budget, marketing strategy, and potential return on investment. The purpose of a film pitch deck is to persuade the audience to support the project financially or through other means.
Marketing Evaluation – is a sales tool for our company to use; it helps our marketing team figure out which country your film is most likely to be watched in. In this way, we could take advantage of your film`s royalty flow.
Cinematic Trailer – is a short film review, it acts as a powerful tool to generate buzz, build excitement, and ensure that the project stands out in a competitive market. A cinematic trailer’s goal is to show the investors the visualization of your film and could generate ideas for the investors as to how much your film is worth.
These materials will be used as a reference for our company once we get to the film production phase and will help our investors at HBO visualize how much the actual worth of your story. Once all the necessary materials are met, we can proceed with finalizing your acquisition offer and schedule the signing of your contract to hand over your acquisition payment.
We’re now finalizing the list of authors that will be acquired in this year’s film acquisition with HBO, including you. Please feel free to reply to this email if you’re interested, or give me a call at 213 468 8549 to discuss this further at your earliest convenience to help us secure your acquisition slot.
All the best,
Kyle Peterson | Content Manager
213 468 8549 | 10202 W Washington Blvd, Culver City, CA 90232
Another impersonation scam; I’ve seen several examples (all with the goofy opening line), purporing to from various production companies and using a variety of names for the signature.
http://www.red-om-films.com is completely fake!!!!!!! You may be fooled into thinking that this is a real company owned by the famous American Actress Julia Roberts But it is a total fraud! A COMPLETELY FAKE WEBSITE. The scammers have put a fake NY address and are using the name of Julia Roberts sister on the about page. The hosting company they claim to be using in Montreal is NOT the host. The host is actually in France. The scammers are in France and were last known to be in the Toulouse area making a pickup at a hotel. The scammers are relentless and sloppy but very persistent. DO NOT TRUST this website. IT IS NOT LEGIT!!!!!
I’m a recent and first time author of “A brief Affair”, a true story of me finding my birth mother. Out of the blue last week, I received a call from Skyhorn Entertainment. They want $15,000 to do a screenplay. I have a zoom call scheduled this week with them. I will cancel. I can’t thank you enough for this blog, as I’m sure now this is a scam. .
Dale Foley
Dale, if that $15,000 pitch is in email, would you send it to me please? beware@sfwa.org
I’ve gotten other reports of Skyhorn’s solicitations, and have looked into the company–among other things, the literature it sends out claims it was founded in 2002, but its web domain was only registered last June. It also claims to have developed and written scripts for movies and TV shows, but the two individuals named on the website are cameramen, and although one of them was indeed involved with the movies shown on the site (per IMDb), it was as a drone camera operator–not a director, producer, or writer.
That man’s been scamming people for years, stealing other people’s work. he is now working for Vancouver based company – Peacemaker filmworks.
I’d be interested to see documentation of that, if you can share it with me: beware@sfwa.org
Skyhorn Entertainment recently scammed an Author named Royce Adams for his book titled – Rairarubia. Royce posted mulitple comments on Skyhorn Entertainment’s Facebook page about being scammed by Skyhorn.
One of Royce Adams’ comments stated,
“Skyhorn is a scam company. They
made me
believe they were going to
make a movie from my Rairarubia
series, even made up a phony
contract from Warner Bros. Then took my money and ran. Their website should not be allowed to
exist. All these photos and video are an attempt to make them look real,
Don’t be fooled like me.”
Did some intensive research and these are the names associated with the fraudulent, fake film company – Skyhorn Entertainment:
Marygael Jumao-as
Tonyo Amante El-estwani
Charles Michael Amamio
As both a writer (who has optioned a screenplay) and someone who has worked in the film industry for 10 years, I can promise you that real production companies pay you. You never have to pay them for anything. They will pay you in order to option the book, pay a screenwriter to write the screenplay, whatever it may be, someone at that production company will handle it. Side note: $10k for a logline is crazy. It’s literally 1 or 2 sentences.
I was contacted by Sam Wilson from Columbia Pictures, who wanted to put my book into a movie for Netflix. He did not like my original book trailer, so I did a new one. I will include it below. He also requested a Film Pitch Deck. I will send that to you as a bonus. I spent two mornings after getting off my 3rd to do this, and I am pretty proud of it. I also have a screenplay. All three will be attached below. Plus, if you go to YouTube and type in “Ebony Island New” the book trailer will come up.
Oh, and don’t worry. The offer from Mr. Wilson fell through as he turned out to be a scammer.
John Mance: I’ve been receiving calls from Greendot mentioning my e-book and them wanting to make a movie about it. Thought it was probably a scam…glad I found this blog which verified exactly what’s going on. Thanks..
Ugh, sounds like they’re still at it. Glad you found my blog.
I get these all the time. Both calls and emails. Skyhorn was the latest. Put it this way (as this article mentions): no one legit is going to call or email you out of the blue. The obvious giveaway is all the inflating language—“congratulations,” “rigorous screening process,” etc. As the old saying goes, “If it sounds too good to be true, it usually is.”
As I have been reviewing the emails sent to my mother’s address, particularly those related to your blog’s author comments, I’ve made an interesting observation. Among these communications, a recurring subject is the “film pitch deck.” My mother receives a variety of emails from several companies, including TriStar, Lionsgate, Columbia Pictures, Icon Productions, and others. However, I suspect that all these emails might actually be originating from a single source: Writer’s Tale. This suspicion arises from the fact that, despite the varied content and different company names, there’s a striking similarity in their overall structure and approach. What are your thoughts?
A few weeks ago, I emailed you about a company that is allegedly impersonating various production companies. Recently, I received a call from an individual named Mark Alvarez, who claims to be a director at Metro Films. Given my cautious approach since discovering this blog, could you help me verify the authenticity of this claim?
The Metro Films is one of two fake film companies run by the Innocentrix scam complex (see my Overseas Scams list). I’ve heard from writers who’ve lost as much as $300,000 (not a typo) to its various schemes. Mark Alvarez is one of the names associated with Metro, along with Isaiah Callum. If you receive any solicitations from Metro via email, would you forward them to me? beware@sfwa.org.
I haven’t received any emails from Metro Films, only a call regarding a film adaptation of my work. Nonetheless, I’ll also include the content I sent you a few weeks ago. I hope this proves helpful.
Victoria, last week HBO reached out to me concerning Lost Tales: Beyond Monstrosity. This week Sanford Pitch, President of Columbia Pictures reached out to me concerning the same novel. Brian Robbins, President of Paramount Pictures reached out to me concerning Dragons of a Different Tail: 17 Unusual Dragon Tales. Now Icon Production by Mel Gibson reached out to me concerning Tales of Monstrosity: Monsters, Myths, and Miscreants. I know my books are movie worthy, every one of them, and most are written with depth and feeling on my part. However, it amazes me that so many movie producers are suddenly interested in so many of my books. This rises to a level of deep concern on my part. Just a note: I receive 4 – 6 phone calls a DAY on this issue. Thank you for your time, and have a super holiday season with good health to you and yours.
Can you verify if this is legitimate? Have you heard of Writers Tale?
Hi Jeff, I’m a reporter with Bloomberg Businessweek. I’m reporting a long story about book publishing scams based in the Philippines. I’d love to hear more about your experience. Can you email me at bcamcrane@gmail.com?
Best,
Brent Crane
Victoria, my 70-year-old mother, was contacted by Samuel Wilson from Columbia Pictures. Initially, they requested us to submit a film pitch deck and marketing evaluation, which we thought was acceptable. However, they later asked for a retainer fee of $10,000 to be paid to the company WRITER’S TALE LLC. Reading this thread has raised significant concerns for us. What should we do?
Hi, Patrick,
I’ve gotten several reports about supposed major movie companies contacting writers and then referring them to Writer’s Tale for paid services, and I’ve added Writer’s Tale to my overseas scams list. Beyond the fact that Columbia Pictures would not be reaching out to a writer directly, there should never be a cost to the author associated with the acquisition of film rights, nor should the author ever be required to buy some sort of service. It’s just not how the acquisition process words. These kinds of bait-and-switch operations are always scams.
Would you please forward all emails and other materials to me for my files? Anything shared with me is confidential. beware@sfwa.org. Thanks.
I have already forwarded you the email. Thank you for all you help!
Earlier today, another email from Michael Page representing Sony Pictures Entertainment.
My mother in law and brother in law were contacted recently via email by the company called Creative Portal LLC, presumably from California. They were told the book that they self published some time ago is a good movie material. My family lives in Canada. They talked to two people from that company . Lady named Jessa Adams and then a guy named Mark (don’t have his last name). Of course these people promised to make a book into a movie, talked about a trailer and such, but of course they want $500 “to start the process”. I am very well aware this is a scam. Just throwing a name Creative Portal LLC in case anyone heard about them. I found the business with this name registered in Mami, Florida. Located in a small house near the airport with two other businesses under the same address. Could you please confirm if this is a scam and fake company? Have you heard about them? Thank you!
Creative Portal (new name for me) actually does have a website, and both the name it’s registered under (Natalie Portal), and the photo on the website’s Contact page appear to belong to a real person. However, the solicitation you describe does sound like a Philippine scam. Even if that weren’t the case, there’s zero evidence (such as a CV or list of credits) to indicate that Ms. Portal is qualified to perform any of the services offered on the website.
Sometimes Philippine scammers have a US or Canadian person register their business names, to further the deception that they’re located in the US or Canada. I also suspect that would-be entrepreneurs sometimes contract with scammers to create a “publishing” company for them, paying a fee and pocketing the profits. Can’t prove either is the case here, but either could explain the very typical scam approach.
So…scam? Not entirely clear. But definitely a company to avoid.
Thank you for your input Victoria! I checked the website, and links to Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn profiles. The owner of this business (Natalie) was active 3 years ago. Nothing since then. It looks to me she was trying to start marketing business and did not succeed. Her husband (Mr Perez) is running another business from the same address. Architecture design. So yes, such person and business do exists in Miami FL but I suspect that those scammers are using the name Creative Portal for their own purposes. Thanks for your help and for this awesome blog!
I’ve had this information for quite some time now.
https://creative-portal.com/
https://www.bizapedia.com/ny/the-creative-portal-llc.html
http://writersportal-llc.com/
https://www.bizapedia.com/az/writers-portal-llc.html
I got an unsolicted call from Jack Andrews who said he was from Amazon Studios. He said that Mark Brando of Creative Films Studios had recommended my book to him and asked if I would let Mark call me. Mark called within an hour or two and wanted $2000 for a 2 to 3 minute “commercial” about my book, which he would then send to Jack Andrew, who would pitch it to the execs. He stated that when they purchased the book to make a movie I would get between $800,000 and $1 million. Thank you, Victoria, for this site. You saved me a bundle of money!. Unfortunately I published my book a few years ago and have been scammed by others earlier. Never Again!
Steve Norris
Thanks for your comment, Steve–I’m really glad you found my blog.
I’ve gotten other reports of solicitations by Creative Films, which is part of the Innocentrix scam group (Mark Brando–LOL).
Mark Brando is the one contacting me from Creative Portal.
This is currently happening to my parents! My mother, the writer, was contacted by “Creative Films”, “Bob Sanchez” and “Mark Brando”! After reading your blog, I immediately told my parents and they contacted their bank to recollect their $2000. What should they do next??
They’ve done the best thing they can do: contacted their bank to reverse the charges. Hopefully they’ll be successful. Any further attempts at communication by Creative Films can be ignored. They should watch out for other scam solicitations, though–if they’re on one scammer’s call or email list, they’re probably on others.
I have a similar arrangement pending with Good River but with another producer. I was wondering if I should consider an agent out there in movieland. I feel confident about a movie adaptation for my novels after hearing from experienced literary agents. Victoria, do you have any recommendations for me?
Thanks-Patrick E. Dwyer
Is that Good River Print and Media? If so, I’m sorry to say that it’s a scam–I’ve gotten multiple reports of its deceptive solicitations offering film/TV “pitch sessions”, and I’ve heard from writers who’ve paid it thousands for needless services, such as developing a treatment.
Film/TV rights to books do primarily sell via reputable literary agents (often, the agent who sold the book to the publisher). However, you don’t need any bells and whistles for this to happen, other than the book itself–no screenplays, no treatments, no mood boards, no story boards…none of the things that scammers like Good River will try to sell you. When production companies option or buy film rights, they then hire their own people to develop the script and write the screenplay. It’s not something they either need or want at the submission stage.
Finally…film adaptations are among the least likely of all possible outcomes of publishing a book. Even most very popular and successful books never get made into films. The Hollywood movie dream has mostly been manufactured and sold to writers by predatory operators seeking to make a buck on writers’ ambitions.
What about Black Quill? Have you heard of these people? They’ll help you develop a 1 pager and then pitch it (supposedly) to 5 – 15 producers they supposedly have deep relationships with. Nothing guaranteed. Pricing between $300 – $3000. I was like: eeeeeeh. probably not.
Do you have a link? I tried a quick websearch, but there are so many websites and companies that use Black Quill in their name that I didn’t see what you’re asking about. Regardless, even if this isn’t a scam, I doubt it’s a good use of money–sounds like just another version of an email blast, which most who receive it will regard as spam, plus unless there’s evidence of the producer relationships (such as a list of successful projects), you have no way of knowing whether the claims are true.
Here’s the link: https://fanbaseformulaforauthors.lpages.co/episodes/
Thanks for the link. Big caution signs include the bare bones website, the lack of any verifiable information about who owns/staffs Black Quill, the discrepancy between the business name (Black Quill) and the website URL (fanbaseformulaforauthors).
Following the URL leads here: https://thefanbaseformulaforauthors.teachable.com/ — the website of a guy named Adam Houge who hawks get-rich-quick writing and publishing “advice”.
Mrs. Strauss, I was approached by Creative Films and thought it was legit when the screen writer, Nate Rogers, showed up on an IMDb list. The connection to Amazon Prime-Video Studio was through a man named John Yarber, who did the soliciting. Neither is answering the phone or replying to my emails.
Victim of the day, Patrick Earl Dwyer, Author.
Creating an IMDb listing is a newish scammer tactic to create an illusion of legitimacy. I’ve documented a number of instances. I’ve also gotten reports of solicitations by John Yarber and the Amazon Studios/Prime Video impersonation scam.
Creative Films is a fake film company; I’ve gotten multiple reports of referrals to it in connection with this impersonation scam.
After receiving a letter from film maker Jon Casey, who said he wanted to meet with me to discuss selling the rights to my book for movie production, I got a call supposedly from Amazon regarding making one of my books into a series or a feature-length movie. He said that Jon Casey recommended my work. He said that they will pay 80% of the cost to have Creative Films make a cinematic trailer to present to investors. He said that the trailer costs $10,000, so I would have to pay $2,000. I agreed to proceed so that Creative Films would give me a call. A few minutes later they called me and I spoke with someone who said his name was Mark Brando, a great grandson of Marlin Brando. He said they have a deadline so they wanted an answer from me soon. I told them I’d see if I can get the money, that it could take me a couple of weeks, but probably before the end of this week. I guess this looks like a scam, especially if Creative Films is a fake company.
Yes, Creative Films is a fake film company, and I’ve gotten several reports of referrals to it from people impersonating Amazon Studios and Jon Casey. The whole point of the pretense is to sell you something, and if you buy, they’ll try to sell you something else.
When film rights to books are bought or optioned by producers or production companies (i.e., they pay you, not the other way around), they will then hire their own people to develop the script and write the screenplay. You don’t need to offer anything other than your book–not a screenplay, and certainly not a “cinematic trailer”, which no potential rights buyer will have any interest in.
Hi Victoria,. I’m wondering if you have heard of Adam Hogue, who purports to turn books into screenplays, for a fee of course!
No, I haven’t heard of him, and a quick websearch doesn’t turn up anything. Did he solicit you? If via email, feel free to share it with me and I’ll tell you what I think. beware@sfwa.org
Great information. I have written one book, published four years ago. It’s my first and as much as I enjoyed writing it, I know it’s not THE Great American Novel. However, I get these emails all the time, same words, same promises, but all too good to be true. Thank God, I’m a skeptic and thank you for confirming my need to skeptical.
This is a version of the Hollywood Acting Scam. I know someone who was taken in by that, only in her case it was the Hollywood Music Scam. The scammers saw a YouTube video where she was a background singer. She actually had no intention of following a musical career, and the other people in the video weren’t really professional either. The scammers told her how wonderful she was. Urged her to fly to Los Angeles. Which she did, and she paid all her own travel expenses. They had her audition, and told her how wonderful she was, how successful she could be. They promised her all kinds of publicity. She wrote them a check for $60,000 on the spot, which she could not really afford. The scammers cashed the check and disappeared, after doing absolutely nothing for her.
This would actually make a great movie: naïve young writer gets in deeper and deeper over her/his head until finally losing it all. But we’d need a more compelling third act than just disputing the charges to the bank. Something like the writer tracks down the scammers to confront them and have them arrested or takes them to court and they actually show up for a big trial. You think Greendot would help me with the script? I bet Netflix would be interested.
Or…despairing and now homeless thanks to having gone into debt to fund the fees, the writer tracks down the scammers and pulls a Rambo. That’d be a heck of an author reality show.
The person I know who fell for the Hollywood Scam (see above) ended up with her husband filing for divorce. She took the check out of their joint funds, sure she’d make so much money, he’d be happy with that. They did get back together after a year of separation, but he controls their finances more now.
I know this author. Thing is, he’s not the type of person you’d want to mess with. Glad he got most of his money back.
Victoria, have you heard of Good River Print & Media. Jason Jordan said he has a producer with Patriot Pictures who is Patrick Callan for me to interview for a film. Is this a legit company?
Thanks, Brenda Gantt
(you have been of tremendous help in the past)