The last thing we wanted to do was alienate anybody. One incensed agent blames the site for not only killing the hopes of a speculative script he had sent out last week, but also for potentially changing the way material is submitted. I'd rather take my chances with the studio's reader than some anonymous Person X on the Internet. And though we might lose out on commissioning the producer, for the writer's sake, we'll let the buyer decide on the producer. Studio insiders said poor buzz that appears on one Web site and spreads to others can kill a picture or deal.
Positive buzz can help fill theaters or boost stock behind an artist.
But it's not always a guarantee. Counter strategies Publicists at the majors admit that they've had several meetings to discuss how to handle Net mavericks. After a year of first-class cruising on DSL, I got bumped back to steerage.