Michael Silberman Psycho stalker Portland Oregon

Hired this nut two years after I'd interviewed (in person) him.  Dressed nicely.  Seemed quiet and well-spoken.  Told him that we (my financier and I) just wanted a budget for a film we were not planning to shoot right away because we were still putting together the funding.  He was hired because the line producer I usally worked with was busy.  I told Silberman that I understood that the budget was supposed to come from the script (I've been a writer, producer and director for over 30 years) but I wanted him to craft the budget to $1.5 million.  I told him the price I would pay, he agreed to it and I sent him the money.  I also told him not to hire anyone as there was no more money.  He said he understood.  SO HE GOT PAID UPFRONT.  

As he was doing the budget, he started making disparaging remarks about me, my financier and other things.  I told my co-producer about the crap and he looked Silberman up on the IMDB.COM (I had already done that) but he went farther to call everyone he had listed online that he had worked for.  None of those films have been made - especially not the five million dollar production he has on there.  If they haven't been made - he can't prove he's a good line producer because it is during the filmmaking that the budget comes into play.  Then Silberman hired a SFX makeup person to get her input about how much her services would cost - even though I told him there was no money.  Unfortuneately, I had left the clause in the contract that he could do that.  I thought our discussion had been clear and that we were professionals and that he could be trusted - NOT!

Finally, he turned in the budget, scheduling, et al., that he had been hired to do and it came to two million bucks.  When I pointed out he was supposed to craft it to $1.5 he replied: Your financier can afford it.  Turns out he's an arm chair line producer (as I call people with no practical experience).  He punches in the info into an budget app and goes by what comes up.  I could have done that!  I thought I was hiring experience!  It would have been cheaper to plug into my own software instead of hiring him.  So I fired Silberman.  I also had to get my financier to pay the FX woman.  We went straight to her because we didn't trust Silberman at this point.

This is when he turned into a PSYCHO STALKER.  Calling dozens and dozens of times per day.  Me.  My financier, his place of business.  Sixty times in an hour!  I blocked him and then when the call came over as "NO CALLER I.D." I'd let it go to voicemail which I simply deleted.  This angered him more.  He began calling everyone I've ever worked for, with or known in the entertainment business by going off my IMDB, Facebook, Linkedin, etc.  He called them and said disparaging things about me.  Said he was going to drive me out of the film industry.  He told my financier he wanted me fired or he wouldn't stop harassing them.  He said filthy things to the people who answered the calls at their place of business.  Started saying vile things about their special needs son and called his wife a w***e, etc.  REMEMBER THIS GUY GOT PAID UPFRONT!  What was he complaining about?  I hadn't even made any money off the film at that time.

Called the police.  He was in another state so there was nothing that could be done.  HE NOW CALLS PEOPLE WHO KNOW THE PEOPLE WHO KNOW ME AND HARASSES THEM!  When does this guy have time to make a living?  Do people pay him to go away?  I noticed the retraction of the other complaint on this website and I believe he made a deal with them that if they retracted their statement - he would stop harassing THEM.

This seems never-ending, but you just have to move on and NEVER take anything at face value.  Investigate thoroughly so you can avoid the MICHAEL SIBLERMANS of the world.  He's dangerous.  He's mentally disturbed.  And one day, he's going to pick on the wrong person and they will end his harassment.