Black List founder Franklin Leonard answers your questions about the Black List

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  • Re: Black List founder Franklin Leonard answers your questions about the Black List

    Originally posted by Patrick Sweeney View Post
    Now that it's been running a few days, do you have any better feel for the turnaround time on paid evaluations for uploaded scripts? Thanks!
    Currently, we're expecting a wait time of approximately two weeks at most though the actual timeframe depends will vary according to demand.

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    • Re: Black List founder Franklin Leonard answers your questions about the Black List

      Originally posted by cshel View Post
      To those who are doing this, do the downloads mean that someone is reading your scripts? Hopefully not just repped writers...

      I think Franklin has abandoned us, and who could really blame him.
      Downloads means just that: the number of times your script has been downloaded. Having worked as an executive, I can say that downloads don't necessarily mean immediate reads (and a lot of reading is done on the weekend), but at a minimum, I imagine it indicates some amount of interest in reading the script at some indeterminate time in the future.

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      • Re: Black List founder Franklin Leonard answers your questions about the Black List

        Originally posted by ATB View Post
        Cshel,

        Franklin isn't "full time" on this BL3.0 thing. He's still a producer by day, so I'm sure it's tough to find time in his schedule to answer Q's here. He'll check in soon enough.
        Full time on the Black List at the moment. Just returned from the Austin Film Festival where I was explaining the what, how, and why of the Black List and working on the service. Back home now and able to give these questions the time they deserve.

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        • Re: Black List founder Franklin Leonard answers your questions about the Black List

          Originally posted by cshel View Post
          Franklin said that the repped writers get to sign-up for free, on the professional side, and can therefore read the scripts of unrepped writers.
          To clarify, writers will be selectively chosen as industry professional members based on their experience and other roles they may serve.

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          • Re: Black List founder Franklin Leonard answers your questions about the Black List

            Originally posted by -XL- View Post
            I, for a change, disagree with you (and everyone else sharing the sentiment) on this.

            Far be it from me to defend the Black List folks on this (I have a few concerns of my own about this new venture), however, there are a number of reasons a professional writer might consider joining/reading amateur scripts:

            (And, just as an aside, I haven't joined. Though I've considered it.)

            1) Many professional writers (especially with the way the business is now) are (or are considering becoming) hyphenates: writer-producer/writer-director. There's nothing wrong with that. In fact, some of my best writing experiences have come with working with a more experienced writer. This seems an interesting potential avenue in which to find fresh material.

            2) The pay-it-forward philosophy. Many professional writers know how lucky they are and would jump at the chance to pay it forward to talented up-and-comers. Many do that already -- be it through friend-of-a-friend referrals or the page reviews on DD -- however, it's time-consuming and can be more hassle than it's worth. Having an outlet readily available when you've some genuine free time (or are just feeling particularly altruistic) isn't a bad thing for anyone concerned.
            Couldn't have said it better myself.

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            • Re: Black List founder Franklin Leonard answers your questions about the Black List

              Originally posted by Manchester View Post
              Hey, if the BL people want $75 as ante for 1st month posting plus a read, fine. The American Way.

              But, they could do this: If I want to post my script and get a read, I'd pay my $75. But if I want - I can have my script held back - that is, not posted - until I get the read back, to see what happened. And then I could click (or not click) some setting to say, "Make Available" or something.

              So let's say I don't like the results of my score from the reader, I might decide not to post it at all. And my $75? That's the price of doing business. I spent it, it's gone. So it goes.

              As I understand things now, if I pay $25 + $50, my script goes up for people to see, while I wait... for the read-result to come back. I realize if it's bad, I don't have to let anyone see the read-result.

              But what if the read-result is not just bad, it's accurate! Then my script has been available and seen (OK, yeh - just hypothetically) in its bad state of being. Why would I want that? (Yes, it's only one reader, and maybe he/she is wrong, and maybe I want my script posted all that time, anyway. But maybe I don't, so I'd like to have the option.)

              Or maybe while I'm waiting for the read-result, a few readers read my script and they give it bad scores. And then the read-result comes back with its bad score. Now, even if I rewrite it and that makes it good (also, hypothetical), and then repost it... As a practical matter I'd have to give it a new name so people won't see the rewritten version and figure... etc.

              Even if the BL people think my idea is brilliant (again, hypothetical), I assume their software is already set and this would take some sort of rewrite... and who wants to do that? In any event, it'd be nice if they could do it this way. They still would get their $75 on day one - even while giving their paying customers a little more control over when/how their scripts are made available at the BL website.
              You've raised some interesting arguments. We will explore.

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              • Re: Black List founder Franklin Leonard answers your questions about the Black List

                Originally posted by wickedlies View Post
                Yesterday my script had 4 downloads and 1 rating. Today it has 4 downloads and 0 ratings. ???? WTF?
                We had a minor process malfunction that pushed ratings to profiles that may not necessarily be your rating. We are reviewing our data so that we can let you know if in fact that was a rating, in which case it will be sent to you. Or a ghost in the machine.

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                • Re: Black List founder Franklin Leonard answers your questions about the Black List

                  Originally posted by marcal View Post
                  I love the Black List, and after seeing Franklin Leonard at a panel here in Austin yesterday, I was really impressed. As the moderator of a "Writing a Script That Will Stick" panel I thought he did an almost perfect job of being knowledgeable, inquisitive, witty, everything.

                  But I just don't like the sound of this new venture. Part of that is based on something I feel like I've learned over the last few years, and that is that access is overrated. If someone truly is a great screenwriter, they just need to have one single solitary connection to someone who has an industry connection, and the ball can get rolling. But even if they don't, and I know that's not uncommon, they can enter one of the four or five truly reputable screenwriting competitions. Even accounting for the subjectivity involved, if someone is truly great they will do really well in at least one of them, and that will get them consideration, reads, and/or meetings. But again, that's assuming all the actual TALENT is there...

                  The people who complain that the real problem is access will spend a lot of money on this site hoping their dreams are gonna come true -- and maybe once in a blue moon some will -- but for the most part it will be wasted money. And its founders must know that. Asking people to spend $25 a month to have a script parked in an archive is insane... That's $300 a year. How much does it cost to log and store one script? $4 worth of man/woman power at first, and then virtually nothing (sometimes for months/years?) after that? How is Scriptshadow's reading/notes service unethical for taking advantage of people's naivete (which I believe it is), but this isn't?

                  It seems like Franklin Leonard has earned an enormous amount of goodwill, and because of that people don't seem to be calling this for what it is: Primarily a money-making operation, with a desire to help writers break -- as compared to taking money from the 90% of submitters who never could -- way, way, way down on the list of priorities.

                  Or am I missing something?
                  Marcal, I wish you would have also come to the panel immediately following "Writing a Script That Will Stick" wherein I walked through the history of the Black List, the reasons why we created this new service, and how it will function in detail and answered any and all questions about it.

                  While I agree that a truly great writer can make it into the industry as you describe, it's my hope and expectation that there are great writers out there without a single solitary connection to the business whose great scripts are overlooked by the myriad screenwriting competitions out there.

                  It's my further hope to create a platform that allows those writers who may have a single connection to the industry (or more) and/or may do well in one or more of those screenwriting competitions to draw further attention to their work. What comes of that is largely up to them.

                  This platform is not for everyone, and those who choose not to use it, I wish them good luck. If the scripts are great, I look forward to seeing them projected in a darkened theater some day, and I'm sure I'll wish they had chosen to send their script our way.

                  Comment


                  • Re: Black List founder Franklin Leonard answers your questions about the Black List

                    Originally posted by Travis Fields View Post
                    Hi Franklin, do you mind if I ask:

                    What's the purpose of giving professional writers access to the site at all?
                    I'm sure you must have one, but I'm missing something here...

                    Btw, my favorite Staffing CEO in LA, Carrie Policella, used to place people at your last place of employment (only good people, I hope)
                    See my response to -XL-'s comment in this thread. (Should be a few above this one.)

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                    • Re: Black List founder Franklin Leonard answers your questions about the Black List

                      Off-topic a bit:

                      I don't think there's a good place for tyro writers to "chat" online anymore.
                      The Amazin' Craig Mazin had a chat room at his old site, but there's none here.

                      I don't hang out at Scriptshadow, coz I have qualms about the way Chris Eads is doing business, but there's a pretty good little community over there. There's a pretty good one here, too. And Wordplayer has one.

                      But you could consider creating your own message board.
                      A chat room might prove popular if you can get enough people signed up.

                      Just remember the snark-proof cage ;-)

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                      • Re: Black List founder Franklin Leonard answers your questions about the Black List

                        Thanks Franklin.
                        It's the eye of the Tiger, it's the thrill of the fight

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                        • Re: Black List founder Franklin Leonard answers your questions about the Black List

                          Yes, thanks for the info!

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                          • Re: Black List founder Franklin Leonard answers your questions about the Black List

                            Thanks, Franklin, for answering all these questions.

                            Feel better now. You may want to consider posting a FAQ on your website.

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                            • Re: Black List founder Franklin Leonard answers your questions about the Black List

                              Originally posted by FranklinLeonard View Post
                              First option. We send email alerts to industry professionals who have expressed an interest in raunchy comedies and those who might like it anyway despite not having expressed that explicit interest. If the script is particularly highly rated by our readers (or also gets ratings from industry professionals that are similarly high), it may also be included in a top list of hosted scripts on the site, segments of which are occasionally emailed to our industry professional members based on their expressed preferences.
                              Alrighty then. I'm in. Thanks Franklin.
                              PuppyTummy.com

                              Comment


                              • Re: Black List founder Franklin Leonard answers your questions about the Black List

                                Originally posted by cshel View Post
                                In regards to your second point, I suggested all of this to Franklin on that other thread, and am hoping he takes it to heart, and ponders the possibility of changing it. That was one of the issues holding me back.

                                Also, I don't mind professional writers looking at the loglines, or reading the scripts, or even rating them. But just any repped writer, who is just a step ahead, being able to read scripts, or all unrepped writers being able to read all of the loglines and whatever, I don't get, and would prefer it didn't work that way. That's another issue holding me back. It just seems like there isn't any good reason for it, and there are some cons. Completely aside from the worry about someone stealing, which is debatable, it's going to skew all of your stats if it includes any writers who just keep viewing loglines out of curiosity. It also means, in theory, a just repped writer, who can't help you at this point anyway, could read your script and give you a bad review. It's one thing if you pay for a review, or someone you would hope to read your script, rates it badly, oh well, that's what you asked for.

                                Also, I understand not being able to know who read your script, if it was only reps, prods, and pro writers. They don't want every writer on there, who has a script they read, contacting and pestering them about it, which you know would happen, and which defeats the purpose for them. But again, if that is the case, all the more reason to be more stringent about who gets to check out what. If they get to have a sense of privacy, the writers should have a certain level of privacy as well. I thought the idea was for it to benefit both parties.

                                I would do this in a heartbeat, if not for those two issues. Depending on how it all shakes out, and what the brave souls who jumped aboard already report back about the experience, I may end up doing it at some point.
                                Exactly, wrt Repped writers, I think this concern has still not been addressed other than in very generic "industry pro" terms.

                                On inktip and vpf and even ss you know who reads your script.

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