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Need input.
Eepers. I got the following letter. What do you guys think? Look kosher?
Please advise
Hi Samantha I watched your animation "Free as a Bird" and wish to use it as part of a DVD product that ZERO DB Studios is producing. Would you be kind enough to let me know if you are interested, by replying via e-mail? I would also very much like to see some of your animations/videos. If they are suitable then they will also be selected to be part of a DVD product that we will produce and sell. You will receive a percentage of the money from the DVD products that are sold. The material must be your own original work. It can be any style you wish and any reasonable length from a few minutes to a full feature length DVD film. It can be silent or have a sound track. If it is silent or just dialogue then we will produce the sound track. If there is a sound track it must be composed exclusively of original material. One criteria of the final DVD product is that it is packed full of entertaining, original and creative content. We are looking for a wide range of content. For example: comedy, techno, sci-fi, art, dance, drama and music, etc. In various formats: "real" video/film footage, conventional cartoon animation, stop motion animation, computer generated animation or mixtures of the above. Below is one of our standard advertisement reply letters, it contains more Regards Gary Feinmesser gary@feinmesser.freeserve.co.uk Thank you for your interest in our advert. We are currently looking for original video program material. If we like the material and think we can sell it, then it shall be used as part of a DVD product. We will produce the entire product and sell it. You will receive a percentage of the money from the products that are sold which contain your material. You will keep the copyright to your own material. The material must be exclusively your own original work. We are currently accepting for review, a wide range of material: short films, plays, comedy sketches, animation, dance routines, stunts-skateboarding/BMX etc, or any other form which is imaginative, original and entertaining. The material can be any reasonable length from a few minutes to a full feature length DVD film. It can be silent or have a sound track. If it is silent or just dialogue then we will produce the sound track. If there is a sound track it must be composed exclusively of original material. Please send your demo in the following format: Standard VHS videotape (PAL), CD (data in a common file format such as AVI, MPEG, etc.), DVD video (any basic DVD disc that will play on a regular set-top DVD player or PC based DVD player, [PAL, UK - Region 2]). to: ZERO DB Studios, Stonefold, Hamstead Road, Cranmore, Yarmouth, Isle of Wight, UK, PO41 0YA.
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Can't find anything about these guys on Yahoo.
My guess is that it's a scam.
I bet they charge you a handling/production fee for "being included", but don't worry, you'll get a share of the profits! (Yeah, right.)
--Kynn
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Personally, it sounds good, but I would ask for references and how many titles have they produced before, what is their expected market saturation, distrubution, exposure...etc.
And I would also ask = what is the % of royalities you will be getting per copy sold exactly.
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That's exciting if it is legit!
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That's the way it works in the music world. Just keep that in mind... from the text of the letter though, it seems like you've got nothing much to lose by contributing, esp. if you send it via FTP or something, and forego the cost of shipping to England...
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Thanks for the input.
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Repeat, this IS a real company. This COULD be a real offer.
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Well... obviously they've seen the video. You had it posted on the internet. I'd definatly ask to see a contract, like someone above... Since it's known that a contract's not valid till both sign it, it shouldn't be a big deal to them, really. Just ask for a sample contract.
It's one of those "Wait to see if we make a profit" deals... so it's mainly just a promise of publication, and nothing more. So I'm kinda weiry of such things, but if all you care about is getting a published credit out there, it might be worthwhile to go for.
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Aside from obvious red flags, like them asking for a sizable amount of money up front for doing this, there is little risk and much benefit. Regardless if this particular compilation they are doing pays off to the artists. Anyone who gets it, gets a chance to see that cartoon and like it and look for more of them.
It might of been the qt format to reduce size, I would say it could have done with some cleaning up... but it is really good work and Im not surprised at all that Samantha Patterson has someone asking for permission to use the cartoon. I said the day she posted the link on Usenet it wouldnt be out of place in an animation showcase or a time filler between blocks of cartoons.
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It could be legitimate, but the lack of any presence (their own, or references thereto) on the web raises a warning flag with me. There is a Zero DB production company (http://www.zerodb.tv/www/contact.html), but they're London-based, not the Isle of Wight, suggesting they're unrelated entities.
The proof of the pudding is probably in the contract - I wonder if there've been developments since the posting of this entry?
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... As far as where the letter of origin came from, I didn't have that information at the time. However, the Isle of Wight is just 60 miles out of london, and is realitivly close. They also have a strong Electronics industry there. Beyond that, I can not tell.
Love and Lollies.
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The postcode checks out and matches the address, but seems to be a residential address. Also - this guy's email addy - Freeserve is a UK ISP; what's a "Studio" doing not having its own domain?
I say go for it, and see if they request any $$ further along the way.