Possible scam - Need your advice — Theatre Australia Forums

Hi all. I've realized my friend and I might have been scammed by a filmmaker. It's really frustrating and we want to take action but decided to ask for your advice first. Recently I was contacted by a filmmaker on a talent website asking me to appear on his show. Although it was good money, I didn't think I was the best fit for the role, so I declined the offer. The role required a very specific person and he was having a hard time finding the right one. So he asked me to talk to my friends to see if they are interested. I called my friends and one of them was interested. All of us, the filmmaker, my friend and myself, met up and he explained about the role and the show. He said the payment would be ready a week after the shooting. He also added that it would be aired internationally on a major TV network. My friend agreed to pay me a portion of the money for finding him the work. The shooting went well, and my friend and the filmmaker met again to sign a release form and a payment contract. But he didn't sign them because the payment wasn't ready and the contract was for volunteer extras ("You will receive no payment"). The filmmaker said he would fix it and re-send it, which he did last week. My friend hasn't signed them yet, just in case. I called the filmmaker and asked when he'd make the payment. He said he wasn't sure because he hadn't even been paid by the TV network yet. ("I am paying for the show out of my own pocket") I requested a point of contact at that TV station, but he refused to provide the information. I searched his production company on ATO's website to see it's active, and it sure wasn't enough. I feel very sorry for my friend that I had him involved in this show. Any advice will be greatly appreciated.

One thing I learned: If you're not working with someone you know - or even if you are - get a contract first. If it never appears, no matter how much you ask for it, then decline the job. MEAA, and the Arts Law Centre of Australia, both supply sample contracts that you can fill in the details for. You don't need a lawyer to write one up. If you or the other person can't be bothered finding a copy and signing it, then you're pretty much setting yourself up to be jilted out of owed money. And I learned that the hard way. Don't take promise of opportunity, a line on the CV or money over a contract. Trust me, you save yourself far more angst and time/effort in the long run. PS. The "I'm waiting for bills to be paid" is the oldest trick in the book for keeping scams alive. Unless you really really know the people, and really really know they're good for it, avoid.

Possible scam - Need your advice

One thing I learned: If

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