I'm a screenwriter and have signed with a producer who was to start on marketing and pitching my script in Cannes this year. I spoke with him just about a week ago on Skype and he told me he wasn't going to Cannes. He said that it was because Cannes wasn't where the business happens and that he would rather go to other upcoming festivals although his action plan that he presented to us included Cannes. Anyway, I was a bit disappointed in this and so relayed it back to my agent, who, in turn, sent him a firm email stating his disappointment in the matter and his avoidance to speak with him about the project. Now, this is where it gets sticky. Yesterday, the producer emailed my agent and explained that he had just lost a child and that my agent's treatment of him was unfair. I feel very bad about him losing a child but I don't know why he added in that we were treating him unfairly if he didn't mention any thing about it at all until yesterday. Perhaps he has been overcome with grief and didn't want to talk about it, but still we can't be blamed for treating him badly if we just didn't know. However the email the producer sent to my agent made it sound like I did know from last week's skype call that he had suffered a personal loss but that's just not true and not fair. In fact, it caused my agent to ask me if I knew or not about the producer losing a child, and I felt the need to tell him that of course I didn't know about it. Suffice it to say, I sent the producer my condolences. I told my agent that I knew absolutely nothing about the producer's loss and that I was sorry to put my agent in such a position. But now I feel guilty about the producer's loss and inadvertantly putting my agent in the position of 'bad guy'.
Although I feel bad about the producer's loss, I don't think it's fair of him to say that we are treating him unfairly and to make it look like there was even a possibility that I knew of his loss from the skype call (which is not recorded) of last week. I feel really uncomfortable now. My agent just emailed me and suggested we give him all the time he needs. I pointed out that our contract is up in less than 3 weeks and that it would not be prudent to let him keep the project with him without renewing the option agreement. No matter how tragic his loss is. Afterall, he has two other business partners who can handle his affairs if he is unable to.
How do you think we should handle this from now on?
Although I feel bad about the producer's loss, I don't think it's fair of him to say that we are treating him unfairly and to make it look like there was even a possibility that I knew of his loss from the skype call (which is not recorded) of last week. I feel really uncomfortable now. My agent just emailed me and suggested we give him all the time he needs. I pointed out that our contract is up in less than 3 weeks and that it would not be prudent to let him keep the project with him without renewing the option agreement. No matter how tragic his loss is. Afterall, he has two other business partners who can handle his affairs if he is unable to.
How do you think we should handle this from now on?