Tips On Dealing With Tampa Bay Indie Film Scams
There are some professional
filmmakers in the Tampa Bay indie film market, and a few great people
in general, but they are the exception rather than the rule. It is up
to you to be safe. Do not trust anyone or believe what they tell you until
they have earned your trust. There are some dangerous people in the Tampa
Bay indie film community, and you need to be aware that they exist so
that you can take measures to avoid them.
Tampa Bay Film is aware of at least 30 unprofessional and unethical people
in the Tampa Bay indie film market. Some of these people are sleazy dirtbags
who are in business to take advantage of others. A few have raped actresses,
some have misrepresented who they are in order to rip off others, and
even more have pressured talent and other professionals for special “favors”.
Some of these con artists will never go anywhere with their careers, but
they remain dangerous to anyone who is naive enough to work with them.
Beware if you dare. Clarify and Verify; Clarify who these people are and
verify the specifics of any working relationship. If you cannot figure
out who they are and their references, and they cannot give you any straight
answers, pass them up and don’t bother dealing with them at all.
Be smart, informed, and selective about who you consider working with.
You can thank us later.
A scam is any scheme which is done through deceptive means, and often
it leads to the gain of the party running the scam at the expense of the
victims. In general, here are a few tips on how to avoid being taken by
an indie film scam.
01. Do not use your real name.
If you are dealing with Tampa Bay indie filmmakers, create a fictitious
name for use in your career. If they do not know your real name, it gives
you an additional layer of safety and makes you difficult to locate or
stalk. If you are being paid, obviously, you can get paid in cash or with
a money order so that they don’t have to know your real name. You
could also use a third party as a liaison to get paid, or you could turn
your stage name into the name of a business and open up a bank account
under your fictitious DBA (Doing Business As) name.
A final tip regarding your real name: Get it unlisted in phone directories
and protect your address with companies who have to know it, such as
utilities, with a verbal password. Also, get used to working with cash
instead of credit and debit cards; the more plastic that you use, the
higher the risk for identity theft and other crimes against you!
02. Know who you
are dealing with.
Know more about others than they know about you as a professional rule.
The more that you know about someone, the greater your advantage in dealing
with them. Trust must be earned. Figure out who exactly that you are dealing
with before meeting with them or putting yourself in a situation where
you are not in control or do not have an easy exit available. Talk to
them over the phone a lot before agreeing to meet with them, or do it
through E-Mail. Don’t be afraid to be anonymous. Use *67 on your
phone (charges may apply) to block their caller ID, or use a thow-away
free E-Mail account such as hotmail or yahoo. If you feel uncomfortable
after checking them out and still want to work with them, insist on bringing
along someone. If you are cast in a Tampa Bay indie film and do not know
and trust the filmmaker or the production company, never work alone with
them. Insist that you bring along someone or that there will be other
cast and crew present. Make sure that you have access to reliable transportation
and that the catering arrangements are safe, too. Make sure that the filmmaker
cannot tamper with your food or drinks; it is usually safe if a group
of others is involved with the meal breaks.
03. Words are cheap, and talk is talk.
Look at their actions.
Don’t believe anything anyone tells you or the claims that they
make until they have earned your trust AND you have the facts to back
up their claims. Anyone can expend the hot air that it takes to talk.
The real proof is what they do and their professional track record. Regarding
opinions, makes sure that there is evidence to back up allegations and
that people who don’t know each other share the same opinion. If
the opinion has weight, look into it and use your educated judgement.
Also, beware of the filmmaker or so-called indie film “professional”
who’s actions contradict what they say. Those people are liars and
hypocrites and must not be trusted. If they lie to you, what else will
they do to you which is dishonest?
04. Consider their motivation.
Actors know the real deal. Consider the motivation of the Tampa indie
filmmaker or the Tampa indie film professional. Why are they doing what
they claim to be doing? Is it for fame or money? Is it so they can sleep
with pretty girls? Is their motivation self-serving or are they professionally
balanced? If they sell out to make films, they will sell you out, too.
05. Recognize defensive behavior as a red
flag.
So, they cannot give you a straight answer or get defensive when you
inquire about them? Defensive behavior can indicate that they are up
to no good or that they are not as qualified as they claim to be. Defensive
behavior can also be a symptom of insecurity, which never is a good
sign for either the filmmaker or the career of any professional who
gets involved with them. If they don’t pay attention to detail,
which could show in their work or in their lack of straight answers,
this could be a warning sign, too. If you notice any of this behavior
or they get overly defensive with you, you need to find out the underlying
cause for their unusual behavior.
Feel free to avoid anyone who is overly sensitive, defensive, who avoids
giving answers to direct questions, or who is otherwise insecure. They
can seldom do anything good for anyone, and that includes their own
career.
06. Think for yourself. Check out the facts
and make up your own mind before getting involved.
Do not do what everyone else thinks that you can do. Check out the facts,
weigh out the benefits and the drawbacks, and decide for yourself what
you want to do. You must be selective in your career! Actors and talent
who work with anyone who comes along eventually end up in some sort of
trouble and have short, unstable careers. It is better to be lean and
smart than fat and reckless. Don’t kiss up to anyone and don’t
be too eager to please, either. Work toward earning professional respect
instead of being liked as a person. It is far better, and safer, to be
respected than to be liked, although professional actors and talent who
earn the respect of others and treat others with respect tend to be well
liked anyway. It is far better to be cast in a film for your ability to
act or your talent than to be cast because of politics or because your
"buddy" is doing an indie film.
Taking the more difficult route in a career is worth it if you want
your career to last. Be a leader, and refuse to follow the crowd. Avoid
professional conflicts of interest, too. Consider who is important in
your career and if it would create ethical or professional issues to
work with someone who is a competitor. A lack of loyalty to those who
count is simply not professional, and it could undermine your industry
relationships.
07. Report shady people in
the independent film industry and work against indie film scams.
It is not enough to avoid scams. Once you identify who they are you have
a professional responsibility to disrupt their scheme. If you are scammed,
you need to fight back! If they try to do it, or do it, to you, they will
also do it to others. We have tools on this site which you can use, free
of charge, to fight back against Tampa indie film scams!
If we all cared enough to do something about Tampa Bay indie film scams,
working in the Tampa film industry would be a much more professional and
a safer experience for everyone!
08. Beware of unprofessional
behavior. Professional indie film is not a fanboy club. Business should
never be done in a bar or a night club.
Beware of indie filmmakers who go out of their way to socialize with you
or who are too friendly. There are professional boundaries and they must
be respected. Business, networking, and castings / auditions must be done
in an appropriate environment and venue which is conducive to business.
They should never be done in a smokey bar, crowded nightclub, or over
drinks. Alcohol and indie film should never mix, as it can effect professional
judgement and allows an unprofessional relationship to occur.
09. Trust your instincts.
Most things, or people, who are too good to be true usually are.
Some con artists or indie film scams will tell you what you want to hear
just to set you up for some scheme or crime. If it sounds too good to
be true, it usually is. Use common sense, and you will have little to
worry about.
INDIE
FILM SCAMS - SCAM TIPS - REPORT
SCAM
UPDATED 12/19/07
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