Complaint Review: Michael Silberman - Long Beach Ca, 90804 California

  "I am Jeremiah Vaughn, aka, JD Valenti, and I write this statement on my own free will and accord. I wish to publicly apologize and take responsibility in effort to correct the situation concerning the work which I hired Michael Silberman to do for me approximately three years ago, which has been promoted/discussed here and amongst other web sites, and across the internet. As Michael Silberman stated in his rebuttal, everything he has stated about this situation is true, and Michael Silberman was never fired from this project. I did indeed, deliberately breach my contract with him because I did not properly pay him as I had agreed to, because I did not have the money to pay him. Not only did I not fire him, he pretty much quit on me when I did not pay him. When he asked for his payment, which I did not have, he became irate and verbally belligerent with me, as anyone who was ripped off or taken advantage of naturally would be. I became evasive in his follow up efforts to be paid because I didn't have the money to pay him. In turn, I, and my associates Tina Brown, Rob Walker, Sean Morelli, and Michael Placencia set out to maliciously, anonymously, and spinelessly lambaste him, his professional reputation, and his rightful efforts to be paid for the work he did for me; both on this website, as well as numerous others by attacking his personal character and the work he did. We tried to ruin his professional reputation by placing erroneous falsities, homophobic statements and rhetoric concerning his work performance and personal life, when in reality, it was my own actions, and/or lack of them, which initially created this situation to begin with. Michael Silberman is far from unstable, bigoted, or a malicious person. He is an experienced professional line producer, and was merely defending his rights as someone who had been ripped off because I did not pay him, as agreed. I, in turn, projected the entire situation, making myself the victim, when Michael Silberman was the one whom was wronged. For this bait/switch, and manipulation of the situation, I am regretful. I am truly sorry for this unprofessional behavior and in order to rectify this situation I am compensating Michael Silberman an unspecified amount of restitution, we mutually have agreed to for the breach of this contract, and the lies and misrepresentation and defamation which followed. I understand Michael Silberman was the true victim here, and that it was I who failed to hold up to my end of the agreement. He had every right to be angry in effort to seek to get paid from the work he did, which I used without paying him.I hired him from the very beginning because his work is good and his reputation is solid as a line producer. He was willing to give me a good deal, per his professional experience. Michael Silberman was so gracious towards me that he allowed me to take and use his work before I paid him because he genuinely wanted to help me succeed as a producer and help get my film financed. I apologize for creating this situation and taking advantage of a website such as this to defame Michael's character via libel and provide a convenient and easily accessible forum for me, and others not even involved, to lie about Michael Silberman and tarnish his good, professional reputation as a motion picture line producer and production supervisor."

Well MICHAEL SILBERMAN has avalanched my cell phone with  abusive, threatening and, frankly, ludicrous messages since my last posting.  He has offered several pictures of himself giving me the finger; nightscape shots of Vegas; and many  one-word"Frau!!" messages.  Mind you, you recall, i never met the man, never negotiated the contract he is complaining about, never signed it. Never SEEN it, as a matter of fact, and was never an officer, owner of the company he complains about.  

He is in breach of professional standards and civil conduct.  His behaviour is seriously unbalanced, abusive, paranoid and dangerous.  I still recall with a chill his remark that it was a pity i was not shot at Tucson instead of Gabby Giffords.  He sent that text message the day after the tragedy.  His work, what i saw of it was slipshod, unprofessional and totally unsatisfactory.  I believe he was told politely his services were no longer required.  Instead of going away and taking stock of his position, thinking about learning the job he poses to know about he turns on others with a torrent of abusive text messages.  Since I am a mere bystander, having had no part in his contractual negotiation, I am mostly amused and sometimes alarmed by his violent threats. 

I would advise extreme caution with this individual at all times.  I would strongly advise against employing this man because of defficiencies in his professional capacity and because of his highly unstable and violent personality.

Please note that the alleged allegations are BOTH libelous, defamatory and false in their nature.   The truth has been skewed and twisted around in this erroneous posting aganst me.  This is a CIVIL MATTER concerning a breach of contract, which although its nobody's business, I'm more than happy to document how this situation has been projected and turned around against me. 

It's absurd that this even was posted in the "Bigotry" category, as nothing alleged against me in this libelous and defamatory posting has any inkling or degree of bigotry documented  against me whatsoever.   Whoever wrote this does not understand the concept of bigotry and many other things concerning the nature of this issue.     

At this time, NO CRIMINAL or CIVIL CHARGES HAVE BEEN PROSECUTED AGAINST ME.  However, I am pursuing civil legalities against Jeremiah Vaughn for breach of contract; and that is really what this matter is about.   I will not address any of the criminal allegations cited as they are not only moot on this forum and highly misrepresented, but not relevant to this matter whatsoever.  

Notice how this attack against me is written in the third person, by someone who is spewing undocumented rhetoric sans evidence, and is intentionally libelous and defamatory, avoiding the real issue; breach of contract, and, every issue does have two sides.  I will explain my case below.

I am in the process of collecting and documenting evidence and have other material witnesses to others who I've previously dealt with with this so called  un-named "producer" by this libelous poster.  So in lieu of even referencing that there is no termination clause in my contract, my psychology is attacked turning this into a criminal issue, not the civil one which it is?  Nothing could be more transparent concerning these frauds. 

The "producer" who is only a producer by name, but has no commercial motion pictures ever completed and in question is named Jeremiah Vaughn.  He is partners with Rob Walker, the other referenced party.  Jeremiah Vaughn, who uses multiple other aliases, signed my contract and now wishes to proceed without either buying me out or honoring all of the provisions of the Agreement.

There is no termination clause in my contract, nor was I ever terminated.  To the contrary, I offered Jeremiah which he gratefully accepted my work which I normally do for a minimum of $3000-$6000 and takes an average of two weeks; being intellectual property based research for script breakdown/scheduling/budgeting, and agreed to perform this work for $500 with a deferment of twice market value ($12,000) and a guaranteed job as the line producer on the film upon financing.  Jeremiah further signs in this Agreement that I am allowed 1.5% of profit of the film, if ever completed. 

In short, I was the one doing him the favor and then I was the one who got burned when, although he signed and agreed to pay me the $500 on completion of the work, he paid it to me in piecemeal across 20 months making nothing but excuses as to why he could not pay me,  because he stated he did not have the money to pay me, but originally begged me to help him turn this detail around very, very quickly so he could show it to a potential investor.  I'm sorry I did.   

If I didn't demand and request the small portions of the original $500, odds are he NEVER would have paid it.  He was using me.  Plain and simple and he has used others as well.  

Nonetheless, at the time, he was taking my work, which I released and delivered to him immediately, and he was showing it to possible investors and venture capitalists without me being fully paid the token $500.  I found this to be unprofessional and obscene.  

 

Jeremiah Vaughn was both indifferent and evasive to my efforts to collect on this token payment. Of course I did my work and turned in the budgeting/scheduling information two weeks later, which he was using immediately and showing to others to try to get his film, "Burn Off" produced.   He has since tried, every opportunity he has, to turn my follow up of the other 3 provisions of our Agreement, which is is refusing to comply with if/when the film gets financed, to turn this CIVIL issue into a CRIMINAL one.     

He eventually paid me the all of the $500, however, that is only ONE provision of our AGREEMENT, which he signed having 4 FINANCIAL PROVISIONS FOR ME:    (1)    $500 PAYMENT FOR THE SCRIPT BREAKDOWN/SCHEDULING/BUDGETING WORK (2)  DEFERMENT OF $12,000 (3)   GUARANTEED WORK AS THE LINE PRODUCER OF THE FILM FOR A SPECIFIED QUANTITY OF WEEKS  (4)  REVENUE SHARING FROM PROFITS. 

ALL OF THIS WORK WAS COMPLETED ON TIME by me, and WITH FULL RESEARCH, as any professional should.  It was later turned over to another "line producer" who really is unqalified as a line producer because she's namely a STUNT COORDINATOR and TELEVISION, not FILM, Production Office Coordinator which is very, very different in terms of the nature of experience level and work required.   With this new line producer, Maria Coloroso, they have still failed in getting the financing. 

THERE IS NO TERMINATION CLAUSE IN THAT AGREEMENT WHATSOEVER.  However, he claims to have terminated me, and since then, has tried to get the film financed and is refusing to honor the 3 remaining provisions of the AGREEMENT if/when financing should come.   I'm fighting for my future should this motion picture ever secure financing.  

Rob Walker, who did not sign my Agreement is referenced here and contrary to the falsity promoted by this anonymous person, I have had contact with him via phone in the  past and it was he who was originally verbally aggressive and abusive towards me. 

With 13 years professional experience in motion picture production, this is the thanks I get for trying to help someone with zero experience and zero credibility, who not only has outraged me by his indifference and incompetence, but many others, as well.  

In exchange for my work, I get railroaded and not paid on time, by offering to perform work at a rate WELL BELOW LEGAL MINIMUM CALIFORNIA WAGE, later misrepresented, ultimately and libeled and defamed online by people who are hiding their name, yet are the first to attack me without acknowledgeing all of the facts.    

In my professional opinion, this is more of a reflection on Rob Walker and Jeremiah Vaughn than it is about me, as I have the contract to prove it.  They have rhetoric and speculation against me; nothing more.   Anyone who has actually hired me to complete a motion picture from beginning to end would say quite different things about how I work; namely my integrity and honesty in how much I am able to accomplish with so little.  However, I do not take kindly to being misrepresented and will defend myself.  

I will defend myself against any and all charges brought against myself and I stand with my integrity and honesty intact in my defense against these unprofessional cowards, who resort to turning a professional issue into a personal one-a true mark of an amateur.

My main concern is that if/when this project gets financed, that Jeremiah Vaughn continues to honor the remaining three provisions as he previously agreed to do so in writing.