Done with the Blacklist

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  • Re: Done with the Blacklist

    Originally posted by Silverlynx35 View Post
    Honestly, I'm more curious as to the types of "professionals". If I get a good rating, I don't expect Mr. Spielberg to call me that day, but getting attention from a lit rep or other agent would be a start.
    I'm shooting for foot-in-the-door, not Oscar acceptance speech at this stage (although I do have the speech ready, just in case).
    Every major agency and management company is well represented in our industry professional members. Verve, for example, requires that their assistants use the site regularly, and most of their agents are members as well.

    At this point, I'm also confident saying that we have at least one member at every major studio, a majority of the independent financiers, and a majority of every production company that has a production deal with a major studio or major independent financier. I'm probably underselling these numbers honestly, but having not taken a close look at this recently, I'd rather err on the side of conservatism.

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    • Re: Done with the Blacklist

      Originally posted by FranklinLeonard View Post
      We have never claimed that the Black List is a silver bullet: put your script on the site, get a good rating, realize all your hopes and dreams overnight.

      The site does what it does, draws attention to highly regarded scripts and make recommendations based on individual industry professionals' personal tastes.
      I know. I just think there are a lot of starry-eyed customers out there (new and old) who fail to get this message
      "I love being a writer. What I can't stand is the paperwork.-- Peter De Vries

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      • Re: Done with the Blacklist

        Originally posted by Silverlynx35 View Post
        Honestly, I'm more curious as to the types of "professionals".
        It's been stated on here by one of the pros that they believe the BL industry pros to be small-time, fringe players. Not sure how he'd know but it's probably due to his contacts in the biz. Then again, he could just be stirring. Unfortunately, I can't see a way out of the uncertainty (and I'm a firm BL advocate). Franklin's not going to name names (nor does he have to) and he's not going to admit the BL players are just a step up from Ink Tip's.
        M.A.G.A.

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        • Re: Done with the Blacklist

          Originally posted by EdFury View Post
          All the Black List can promise is the opportunity to be read if you meet their scoring criteria. No one can promise success. They can't control how exactly the people downloading and reading your script are going to respond to it. Again, all they can offer is the chance for those people to read it. A chance that didn't exist before their service. All the Black List is, is another way to MAYBE get your work read. And for a small percentage either optioned or obtaining representation. And in the big scheme of things, a fairly cheap way. A new way. To expect more is setting yourself up for disappointment. Hope is one thing, expecting the Black List to give you something it can't guarantee is another.
          This should be a sticky and the auto-response (even from Franklin) to curious folk and BL boo boys.


          By the way, just read your note about big name son the BL emailing list - which I guess answers my post.
          M.A.G.A.

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          • Re: Done with the Blacklist

            Originally posted by SundownInRetreat View Post
            It's been stated on here by one of the pros that they believe the BL industry pros to be small-time, fringe players. Not sure how he'd know but it's probably due to his contacts in the biz. Then again, he could just be stirring. Unfortunately, I can't see a way out of the uncertainty (and I'm a firm BL advocate). Franklin's not going to name names (nor does he have to) and he's not going to admit the BL players are just a step up from Ink Tip's.
            Please include a link to "one of the pros" saying that they believe the BL industry pros to be small-time, fringe players. I've been here in earnest for quite a while and no one with legitimate industry experience has made such a claim.

            If our industry pros were "small-time, fringe players" or "just a step up from Ink Tip's", would it be possible that more than three dozen writers (that we know of) would have signed with major agencies or management companies? Would it be possible that more than two dozen writers (that we know of) would have sold or optioned their scripts to legitimate production companies?

            Would we be partnered with WGAw, WGAe, the Sundance Institute, and Warner Bros Pictures (none of which are remotely small-time, fringe players)?

            And maybe most importantly, would Warner Bros President of Creative Development and Worldwide Production Greg Silverman be quoted in the Wall Street Journal about using the site?

            We're not going to name names, but I definitely clarified a bit in a previous post in this thread just how deep and well connected our industry professional membership runs.

            Honestly though, it's irrelevant if they're not reading the scripts on the site and contacting the writers in order to do business with them. Consequently, the best evidence of who we are, what we've accomplished, and how we've done it remains our Annual Report, not small time, not fringe, and a considerable step up from InkTip or any remotely similar service.

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            • Re: Done with the Blacklist

              I'll PM you.
              M.A.G.A.

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              • Re: Done with the Blacklist

                Originally posted by FranklinLeonard View Post
                First off, I think we need to dispense with this 5% figure. If I'm not mistaken, it was based on Lauri looking at the number of people who signed with a major agency or management company through the first six or so months of the site versus the number who had received an 8 or a 9 from one of our paid readers.


                .
                I'm happy to retire the 5%, since there's better data now.

                I was just looking back at my Creative Screenwriting article.

                As of August there were 370 scripts rated 8 and up.

                40-50 (let's say 50) got reps. That's 14%.

                20 sold. That's 5%. (But do "sales" include options?)

                So 19% had something significant happen. That's pretty decent. And I assume it's a much higher % than for similar groups -- like Nicholl quarter-finalists, Austin 2d rounders, etc.

                (And these numbers are conservative since people don't necessary report what happens to the BL.)
                "People who work in Hollywood are the ones who didn't quit." -- Lawrence Kasdan

                Please visit my website and blog: www.lauridonahue.com.

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                • Re: Done with the Blacklist

                  Originally posted by Shari Hari View Post
                  Wow, what extraordinary nonsense (based on the pool of potentials and other stuff not worth derailing this convo for)
                  Hmmm. Well, the stat was from the WGAw website. It would be interesting to hear why you think it's nonsense. New thread to avoid a derail?
                  Advice from writer, Kelly Sue DeConnick. "Try this: if you can replace your female character with a sexy lamp and the story still basically works, maybe you need another draft.-

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                  • Re: Done with the Blacklist

                    Originally posted by LauriD View Post
                    40-50 (let's say 50) got reps. That's 14%.
                    How are you measuring this? I got repped off the BL but they didn't know that.

                    To the other people asking about DL and views - I think I had well over 40 unique downloads within a 2-3 week period - so it seemed to work for me (though I don't know if these figures are good, average or what).
                    M.A.G.A.

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                    • Re: Done with the Blacklist

                      Originally posted by SundownInRetreat View Post
                      I got repped off the BL but they didn't know that.
                      You got repped off the blacklist, but just said a few posts back that most of the industry people surfing for scripts there are on the fringe?

                      They couldn't have been too on the fringe or you wouldn't have signed with them.

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                      • Re: Done with the Blacklist

                        Originally posted by finalact4 View Post
                        Why wouldn't an industry pro want to be notified when a new spec was uploaded? I can't see the downside of it-- I mean, if you're on the site looking for new writers and new material, it would seem logical that you'd want notification of new uploads, no?

                        FA4
                        Maybe because their cell phones would be pinging every five seconds with annoying alerts?
                        "Do just once what others say you can't do, and you will never pay attention to their limitations again." -[/SIZE] James R. Cook

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                        • Re: Done with the Blacklist

                          Originally posted by figment View Post
                          You got repped off the blacklist, but just said a few posts back that most of the industry people surfing for scripts there are on the fringe?

                          They couldn't have been too on the fringe or you wouldn't have signed with them.
                          I said one of the pros said they were fringe players. Of course, that doesn't mean there aren't a few decent names scouring the BL - just that the majority aren't. My post mentioned my uncertainty as to the veracity of his statement and that there is no real way of finding out:
                          a) what level the BL pros are operating at
                          b) what percentage of the pros are at the top tiers that we covet so.
                          M.A.G.A.

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                          • Re: Done with the Blacklist

                            Originally posted by SundownInRetreat View Post
                            I said one of the pros said they were fringe players. Of course, that doesn't mean there aren't a few decent names scouring the BL - just that the majority aren't. My post mentioned my uncertainty as to the veracity of his statement and that there is no real way of finding out:
                            a) what level the BL pros are operating at
                            b) what percentage of the pros are at the top tiers that we covet so.
                            I don't know and can't really comment on the Blacklist, but I would think and certainly hope all the pros are super legit guys and verified as such.

                            My only frame of reference is back in the day when I was starting out and put a screenplay or two on Inktip. I saw I had downloads and when I looked the prodcos up, it was HORRIBLE. They had no credits, did spec commercials and you could tell all of their stuff was shot with mini-dv lol. It was so bad. And I remember really stressing, going - who the fvck just downloaded my script? I mean, do I need to worry about these guys?

                            I can't imagine that being the situation with the Blacklist given its success so far and the forthcoming nature of its owner, but if I were a beginner I could imagine having those reservations.

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                            • Re: Done with the Blacklist

                              I'm going to show my ignorance here and ask a few dumb questions, sorry for this. I'm sure someone can explain it all to me.

                              1) Why isn't the list of Industry Members revealed/promoted? I ask firstly because I come from a different industry (marketing/advertising) and if I asked a rep of a startup who their audience was only to hear "All the major ones but I'm not telling you who" I'd run a mile. Secondly, while I understand the need to protect these people from pestering writers, BL success stories do promote the client, so these people are being revealed gradually anyway. Thirdly other similar sites list their Industry Members or, as good as bad as it may look, offer complete transparency. I worry because this may be doing BL more harm than good and I can't really see what damage releasing a list would do? It would only validate the service further and silence any claims to the contrary surely? I do understand trading on FL's reputation, but not every potential customer is going to appreciate that.

                              2) It's great to understand the policy behind moderating poor evaluations (although this sadly didn't apply in my case - perhaps missed or didn't apply) I was wondering what similar systems are used to moderate Industry Member ratings. I've noticed some have been removed in the past and I'm also aware of at least one writer who feels their script was torpedoed. So given that there is the possibility an Industry Member may have an invested interest in seeing a script gain or lose exposure, what mechanics are in place to control that? If it's a trust system than fine, I only ask because, as a regular BL customer, the transparency into these things really helps justify my spend.
                              Script Revolution - A free to use script hosting website that offers screenwriters a platform to promote their scripts and a way for filmmakers to search through them.

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                              • Re: Done with the Blacklist

                                Originally posted by SundownInRetreat View Post
                                How are you measuring this? I got repped off the BL but they didn't know that.

                                .
                                That's the # that was reported to Franklin. As I noted, it's conservative (i.e., probably lower than the reality) because not everyone reported.
                                "People who work in Hollywood are the ones who didn't quit." -- Lawrence Kasdan

                                Please visit my website and blog: www.lauridonahue.com.

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