Screenwriting : Seeking referrals on Producer Tara Craig by John Lawrence Shea III

John Lawrence Shea III Hi John, I think Tara Craig’s account was deleted, because she, how can I put this, was what we might call, a bottom feeder. Demanding a fee ($3000) to see your ‘materials’ was a bit of a red flag here in this community. I would suggest that pass quietly by and don’t be enticed by her ‘services’.

I think this was our famous imposter, this time going under Tara Craig. The real Tara Craig Eckstein or Tara L. Craig, is on Facebook, and logically indeed is a horror fan.

Geoff--Her flat fee, after signing an NDA is $4,000. Due to a family medical emergency, I stopped payment on the check which went to a Mary A. Schuster in Universal City, CA, except Tara kept insisting on a wire transfer, but was otherwise uncommunicative, not supplying a phone number or address, just corresponding via an email address.

Rutger--Thanks for your advice and information.

Dan--Her IMDB listing has her last producer credit from 2010. I found her actions to be suspicious so I have ceased contact with her.

John Lawrence Shea III - the account you saw on Stage 32 was a fake account and was deleted. Please don't send anyone that you meet here money directly.

Ok, yes, I see the other Tara Craig I think you've done well John. Why take any risk. Best, Rutger

John Lawrence Shea III all the more I hear the ringing of alarm bells. I’m glad you stopped that payment!

Leonardo and Geoff--Thank you for the warnings. I've learned my lesson and will try to do due diligence better. Many thanks to my fellow screenwriters for their advice and warnings.

John Lawrence Shea III charging a large sum of money to just read your script is absurd. Sorry you had to deal with this!

Stephen: Clarification-- she read the script then sent an NDA that once signed and fee sent, she would then start producing it. My fault for signing.

Dan MaxXx:

Eventually.

Stephen Folker: She chose only to communicate via email, on signature, no phone number; when asked for alternate form of communication, like phone number, she said email was enough. And the NDA listed a different person to wire the flat fee to. When queried who this person was, replied it was her financial secretary.

Just do it yourself...I'm at 44 and pledged never to direct again, but buddy of mine just found a guy who can handle camera...if we can deal out location and some cast we'll be onto another short...budget already been set at "0"...

Same budget got me into A list film festival some 12 years ago...

Dan Guardino: I'm developing a distaste for them as well.

Update: The check came back (I had mailed it to "her financial secretary--a Mary A. Schuster--don't know if real or fake or unassociated with Stage 32" rather than do a wire transfer that she had preferred. Gee, I wonder why?) The USPS said insufficient address and returned to sender. Dodged the bullet.

A scammer posing as Jose Pozo was recently shut down after having been reported by members to the S32 staff, but the real Jose Pozo is a legit producer from Spain. Scammers often use legit producers' identities, and sometimes even hyperlink to a legit producer's IMDB account. I caught one who tried to scam me by using a Scottish producer's IMDB account that had no photo, so the scammer searched the producer's name for a photo to use on his S32 account. The problem for him was that the Australian ambassador to Asia shared the same name with the Scottish producer, so the scammer posted the wrong person's photo here on S32. The bottom line for all us screenwriters is to never pay a producer, agent, or manager, period. Legit ones will not ask you to pay for their services, for they get paid when you get paid.. In other words, stop feeding the cockroaches and they'll go away.

Dan MaxXx Have you ever paid a manager, agent , or producer? I wouldn't. I've been contacted by at least a half dozen "producers" on S32, and I've heard of many more trying to scam others here and on other platforms, but never have I heard of a legit producer charging a screenwriter to get his movie made.

I had the "honor" of being contacted by Jose Pozo who offered to produce my scripts. I delayed responding and when I did, lo and behold, I discovered that "Jose"'s account was suspended.

Dan MaxXx actually the producers are NOT charging the platform Stage 32 is charging!

Dan MaxXx No, Dan, I didn't forget, but that's a far different matter than BS "producers" contacting S32 members and asking $4000 for their services to get a screenplay produced that they haven't even read.

Anthony Murphy I agree managers and agents should not be charging for representing anyone (it's unethical). However, for most small projects (shorts, micro/no budget feature films), it is not unreasonable for a producer to ask for payment to produce a project. Granted we all would like to find an Executive Producer to fund our dream projects, that's super unlikely for about 99.9% of people. And keep in mind, those Executive Producers are funding projects where the producers are getting paid. Most on the front + back end as the later usually doesn't net anything.

The bigger issue is all the scam artists pretending to be big-time producers who have all these 'big' connections and they'll tap into them for x'amount of dollars. People need to use their due diligence and common sense. And it can be difficult considering we all have dreams.

John Lawrence Shea III hope you got your $$ back!

Stephen Folker Did. Envelope returned with check that had stop payment on so money never left.

RUN AWAY John Lawrence Shea III