Need input.

[pasithea]

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.

Comments

[kynn.livejournal.com]

Sounds bogus to me.

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

[the-vampkitty.livejournal.com]

WEll I did an internet search for the company name...nothing came up... I could ask a friend who lives in the UK if that is even a valid Address.

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.

[skyglider.livejournal.com]

Maybe email him back and tell him you'd like to chat about this in person or on the phone, and receive a bit more information. Then make your decision.

That's exciting if it is legit!

[doctorpinkerton.livejournal.com]

In the music world, this is akin to being asked to contribute to a 'compilation.' Bands who contribute pay the compiler money to be included on a professionally pressed mix-CD (always with bad artwork) of acts that nobody's ever heard of, which they claim will be 'shopped around' to record companies (yeah, right.) The contributing artists are charged a hundred or so up front and are given 30 discs 'that they can sell at shows' and the person who made the thing walks off with a large profit.

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...

[chipuni.livejournal.com]

Be VERY sure to ask for the contract, then get a friend versed in law (maybe Flint?) to look over the contract.

[ytaya.livejournal.com]

It's a valid address, but a search of the Yellow Pages and a phone directory shows no record of a company by that name. However, a search at Companies House, the government's company register, does show a Zero DB Ltd at a different address, but who are a video production company.

[dv-girl.livejournal.com]

Wow! You're very efficient. Thanks! :)

[dv-girl.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I know. That's why I am rather suspicious. (Not to mention it was unsolicited e-mail) I suppose I also ought to find out what sort of definition they have for 'a percentage' and how exclusive they want distribution rights to be.
Thanks for the input.

[dv-girl.livejournal.com]

Yeah. I'd definetely want that information. I've started making a list of things I should ask about if I decide it's worth responding to.

[kensan-oni.livejournal.com]

Zero DB is a new video distributer in Great Britian. They've had two films (You can look them up in the IMDB). It could very well be legit. Let me finish reading the letter.

Repeat, this IS a real company. This COULD be a real offer.

[kensan-oni.livejournal.com]

Okay... finished reading the letter...

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.

[jinx-mouse.livejournal.com]

You dont get big profit (or hardly any for that matter) til you get publishing credit and people know you are out there. You have to put your name out there all the time so people are aware of you. How much would it cost to mail a DVD (VHS or whatever) overseas, $10? $15? (less.) thats nothing.

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.

[yammerhant.livejournal.com]

UK contingent reporting for commenting duties! It would be great if you could get your animations out there, but....

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.

[porsupah.livejournal.com]

How did you obtain matches for Zero DB on IMDb? I may've been missing something, as I couldn't find any results there. (I am a panda of very little brain)

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?

[kensan-oni.livejournal.com]

Well, that was easy enough. I just entered the name Zero DB into the IMDB,and it feed me back companies that matched the inquiry.

... 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.