Free Script Coverage? Abbot Management?

Interesting… very interesting. Saw this on a blog a couple of days ago:

Abbot Management is currently accepting Film and Television Screenplays for consideration.

The Producers and Production Companies that accept our submissions expect a professional quality product. That being said, most of our Screenplay submissions will be rejected, some will be placed in our Development Library, and few will be selected for representation and sent out for Producer / Production Company consideration. Regardless of our decision, in most cases our coverages are forwarded onto our writers so they understand what works / does not work with their Screenplay – free of cost.

Free coverage? Nice. Usually writers pay services $60+ for “industry-quality” coverage of their scripts. Intrigued, I surfed on:

Our team includes an East Coast Manager, a West Coast Manager, an Entertainment Lawyer, a Development Manager, and fifteen Script Readers.

We currently represent 13 screenwriters and are developing the works of 28 Screenwriters in our Development Library. In our short history we have received over 500 submissions, and represent only the highest quality in film and television Screenplays.

We have never sold a Screenplay, then again our doors are still closed to the industry. Our estimated launch is Mid April, when we will distribute our Screenplays to the Producers and Production Companies that accept Abbot Management submissions. Until then, we will continue to develop our Clients material and evaluate new writer submissions.

Sounds great: best case = management, worst case = free coverage. I googled and found another blog mention, with an apparent quote from Tim Lambert, the guy who runs Abbot:

I work for Abbot Management- a Screenplay Management and Representation Company. We currently employ 15 Readers and do something unique in the entertainment industry – in that we always share with writers who submit material to us the coverages that we recieve on their work. Everyday we are sending out multiple 5-25 packes packets to sceenwriters saying something along the lines of – I’m sorry Alex, we’re passing on your work, however I’m attaching the 4 coverages we recieved on your script so you can see what our readers felt worked / didnt work in your material. …

We’ve been around approxomitly Four months – and for the the past three months we have been working with a team of database programers who have been building us a pretty radical content management system complete with a readers / screenwriters / buyers / and administrator login – it has far more features then inktip, zoetrope, and triggerstreet combined. Among other things, it allows us to sort by every screenplay that fits certain criteria – ex: low budget horror – and will display loglines, coverages etc. We then have a database of over 5,000 producers / production companies that three individuals have been working full time for there months putting together – and using this database we’re able to sort by, for example, production companies that make low budget horror.

The database sounds like inktip, but these guys are in an entirely different business. While inktip charges writers to participate, these people charge no upfront fee but become your manager, so they get a cut of any deal that results. So that is their goal: to generate deals. Sounds even better – and free coverage is a genius “gimmick” to get tons of submissions fast.

Why so fast? They want to accumulate new clients and scripts NOW in preparation for the big feeding frenzy to fill the vacuum after the strike ends.

But I’m a small, petty, and skeptical guy (i.e., a writer), so I keep googling. There are 3 Tim Lambert’s (1 a writer/director) listed on imdb, but no “abbot management” – and no mention in the HCD – but then again, he said the company is new.

I give these guys points on their business plan and strategy, but… are they on the level? One thing optioning Supervillain DIDN’T do for me was get me representation, and I could really use that. Why should I be suspicious if it’s free? This is still Hollywood. Plus, if they sign you and they end up being less than professional, that reflects poorly on you and your work.

So… anybody submitted to these guys? Anybody had dealings with Tim Lambert?

[2/21/08 Note: In the weeks since I wrote this post, I have submitted two screenplays to these guys. They are new, but I like what I have seen so far.  As your personal guinea pig who came out alive, I encourage writers to submit their stuff and learn from their coverage.]