Many filmmakers have discovered that the legend of the credit card financed film can lead to serious financial and personal problems if your film doesn't sell. What's your experience?

-- Maxie D. Collier (maxie@dvfilmmaker.com), April 30, 1999

Answers

don't do it. We'll actually, do it. Maybe...

I shot a short on 16mm film three years ago. I spent $3000.00 all on credit card.

For that money I could have bought a DV camera and had tons of footage. Instead, to save film stock we shut the camera off when each scene was over, missing tons of good stuff. At one point we were using 100 foot spools, which give us 2.5 min of footage. We spent more time switching film rolls than filming the movie.

I spent the money knowing that I wasn't going to get any of it back, so It wasn't a problem. I knew I'd have to pay it back.

I never edited on film. just a bad transfer to SVHS for the final edit. Now that I have an XL1 I don't need to buy film stock and processing. Get friends to be in the film (my friends are actors do not use friends that are not actors if you want to sell the film)and crew. Then you don't have much to spend anyway. In total the film and processing for my short ended up costing $2300.00 for 45 min of footage. In dv, that's $10.00

In recap. If you're not absolutely sure the film will sell, or you can't pay back your credit card without it selling, don't do it.

-- Thomas Koch (TomK@3cm.net), May 20, 1999.

With interest rates of credit cards being so high it isn't financially sound to borrow money, unless you can pay it back within the next couple of months. If you can, try a personal loan, the interest rates are lower.

-- Donald S. Belcastro (hardcoredon@hotmail.com), June 24, 1999.

Barbara Forman’s Advance Fee Scam Made Public: A Detailed Report!!!

Barbara Forman Now Featured on RipoffReport.com http://www.ripoffreport.com

Search Under Investment Brokers

http://www.ripoffreport.com/results.asp? q1=119&q2=&q3=&q4=&q5=&q6=&q7=&searchtype=0&submit2=Search%21

http://www.ripoffreport.com/view.asp?ID=34108 http://www.ripoffreport.com/view.asp?id=34065

We have explained this as clearly as possible so that any intelligent person can understand the game that is played in Investment Banking game and Investment Scam Brokers like Barbara Forman. If you use most search engine on the Internet, you will come up with multiple complaints and unsatisfied clients who have been ripped of by Barbara Forman and her pals at Universal Corporate.

You see, Barbara Forman is a very smooth operator who does not directly get involved with the true aspect of the “Advanced Fee Scam”, to protect herself from prosecution and litigation. She carefully passes you off to Anthony Tobin of Universal Corporate who does the main con job. However, she is a stupid dumb blond chick that leaves a trail as long as Halley’s Comet and email that is CC’d to Tobin and from Tobin to Forman. This of course implicates her as an accessory to the crime, but to date no one has brought such evidence before the courts or sought damages against her for fraud.

1: A company requiring funding either approaches Barbara Forman or like in most cases Barbara trolls for companies looking for funding. She then approaches you via email.

2: Barbara Forman will in some cases send here power point company presentation and her Vcard telling the sucker who she is. She has them sign a non-disclosure.

3: In most cases, before the sucker even has a chance to sign the non-disclosure agreement or even send Barbara Forman their business plan, Barbara sends your into to Tobin, the sucker starts getting email from Anthony Tobin or one of his many aliases of Universal Corporate from Atlanta Georgia. In these emails they explain how they like the project so much and invite them to fly to Atlanta Georgia. Barbara has had numerous email accounts suspended because of her fraudulent activities and spamming. Keep in mind these cons like your project before they have even seen it, amazing isn’t it?

4: Forman explains very implicitly there are no advanced fees. Once a client signs up with her she starts hitting them for incidental fees, one after another for all the courier packages she sends out. We should mention that in this day and age of technology, there is absolutely no reason to courier anything and all data can be sent electronically free of charge any where in the world. It’s the “Mini Advanced Fee Scam” this girl plays, touting she is sending all these courier packages all over the world and mailing them out. She probably won’t take you for much at this level, but she will take you and get you warmed up until Tobin really rips you off for $20,000 - $50,000 DD and underwriting fees they will charge you. They may ask you send 1st class plane tickets to have some con fly over from anther country. In most cases they probably just cash in the ticket for cash.

5: Tobin and many other fictitious people of Universal Corporate and Barbara Forman of ENTERPRISE FINANCIAL start bombing the sucker with emails and CC’ing email copies to one another that they have found funding for their project and they should fly down to Atlanta Georgia to meet Tobin.

6: At this time when the sucker starts enquiring about viewing a list of references and companies they have funded, both parties stop sending emails. Barbara Forman will give you her famous email, “CALL 775 289-3771 FOR INFO REQUESTED”. At this time she will fill you ears so full of Bull Shit that is not in writing you will be amazed at all the great things she has done for so many people. To date we have not been able to verify one legitimate company that Barbara has funded. Forman in particular will start being very rude, she will swear at you, call you names, intimidate you, say your project is crap and is too cheap to phone you, as she can’t afford the call. We advise you to record Forman’s conversation about all the projects she may tell you on the phone that she has funded and all her references.

7: If you are stupid enough to get involved with Anthony Tobin, this is where you will start losing the big money and your project will always be rejected for some reason, saying the DD did not check out or your project is not fundable.

****Those approached by Barbara Forman of ENTERPRISE FINANCIAL or ENTERPRISE FINANCIAL-FILM FUNDING STORE and Anthony Tobin of Universal Corporate, should contact the Georgia Secretary of State.***** Georgia Secretary of State Cathy Cox, 214 State Capitol Atlanta, Georgia 30334 404-656-2881 404-656-0513 sosweb@sos.state.ga.us

The Rip off Report has a few nice articles that highlight the game Barbara Forman and her rip off partner, Anthony Tobin is playing.

http://www.ripoffreport.com/view.asp?id=32760 http://www.ripoffreport.com/view.asp?id=5787

http://www.ripoffreport.com/results.asp? submit22=Search+All+The+Latest+Rip-Off+Reports+Now% 21&q1=ALL&q2=&q3=&q4=&q5=universal+corporate&q6=&q7=&searchtype=0

EDITOR's Note: Research turns up additional addresses.

This company is fairly elusive. Check out these alternative addresses.

UNIVERSAL CORPORATE CONSULTING, L.L.C. (GEORGIA LIMITED LIABILITY) 1360 PEACHTREE ST NE STE 1200 ATLANTA, GA 30309

Control # K800818 Status ACTIVE/COMPLIANCE Filing Date 12/29/1997 Last AR Paid 02/28/2002 Jurisdiction GEORGIA

Registered Agent DAVID CUTHBERT Agent Address 7558 WATRES EDGE DR (How listed on the records, but no street exists. MORE likely Waters Edge Drive.) STONE MOUNTAIN, GA 30058 Agent County DEKALB

For more information contact - Georgia Secretary of State Cathy Cox, 214 State Capitol Atlanta, Georgia 30334 404-656-2881 404-656-0513 sosweb@sos.state.ga.us

-- Scambuster (scambuster@johndoes.org), November 03, 2002.