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 stainjm View Post
    I sure hope not! That would mean they are DEFINITELY not assigning readers to specific genres (I read a thriller script that would have therefore been rated by the guy who read my children's animated script)...

    That could be a question for Franklin - are you assigning readers with expertise in the genre?
    Readers express their genre preferences and we route scripts to our readers based on those preferences.

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

      Originally posted by Hasil Adkins View Post
      All the extreme negative reviews posted here have the same misspelling of "strengths" and the same repetition of "genre" instead of "pages". The positive reviews don't.

      Could all these reviews be coming from one person?
      No, I changed the typos when I posted, just because, y'know.

      Originally posted by FoxHound View Post
      Congrats on the strong review, Crashlander! I'm guessing entanglement refers to quantum entanglement. That's an amazing hook, especially since recent studies have shown that this process can actually bypass time.
      Thanks. Yes, it's based on harnessing quantum entanglement to send binary data, and (unlike time travel) it's viable. Seriously, one day we'll be receiving messages from the future and the consequences are insane. Especially for whoever invents it.

      Originally posted by CColoredClown View Post
      Stain and Crashlander: Did you guys pay for the reads on the first day?

      I signed up for a read two weeks ago and still don't know what's going on. I finally e-mailed (literally just now) them, but am waiting on a reply.
      I paid for a read on 10/17 and got the review on 10/27.

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

        FYI, not sure if it's due to my script's recent 8 rating, but the impression count for it jumped by eight today, received two more downloads (this is if I remember the previous download count correctly), and received a free read from an industry pro (coolest part) who added another rating of 7. I actually couldn't see the specific rating so I just tested out a few numbers that would get me to its current average rating.
        Last edited by lordmanji; 10-29-2012, 07:09 PM.

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

          Originally posted by FranklinLeonard View Post
          Readers express their genre preferences and we route scripts to our readers based on those preferences.
          Thank you - I am thinking though (just realized this) - if I put 'Animation, Action/Adventure, and Childrens' as my genres, in theory the reader could request Action/Adventure and get my children's animation right?

          If that's the case I feel real dumb for putting action/adventure (although it is), since it is obviously a kids script and that is the thing the reader seemed to dock it on.

          So, new plan I think: Probably take it down, get feedback from people, then resubmit as just animation/ childrens (unless Franklin tells me I'm wrong about this). Sound smart?
          www.JustinSloanAuthor.com

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

            When averaging out script ratings which would give a decimal otherwise when split in two, does the rating scale up or down?
            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

              So the ones that got rated high are saying it's a good service and the ones with 1's and 2's say something is wrong?

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

                Naturally - doesn't that make sense? Haha.

                Not saying, just questioning.
                www.JustinSloanAuthor.com

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

                  I think it comes down to this - if you do well, you don't care why and expect the reason the comments are sparse is because they didn't have much negative to say, but if you score low and there is no reason, you have to wonder if the person really read your script or was the right person to read it. No?
                  www.JustinSloanAuthor.com

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

                    Originally posted by stainjm View Post
                    I think it comes down to this - if you do well, you don't care why and expect the reason the comments are sparse is because they didn't have much negative to say, but if you score low and there is no reason, you have to wonder if the person really read your script or was the right person to read it. No?
                    I share your sentiments, but on the other hand FL never said we're going to receive, you know, a proper coverage and notes for our $50. I'm quite proud of my dialogs and characters, they got 6, and it would be a blast to know why... but improving our script isn't the reader's job, is it.

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

                      Originally posted by stainjm View Post
                      Thanks for the input, I agree. If there were other issues, which of course I doubt, the script is awesome, in my humble opinion - then I sure wish he/she would have told me.
                      I did some professional reading for a production company a couple of years ago, and even when I was required to write up three pages of coverage, I didn't list every single problem I had with the script.

                      Based on the review you received, I get the impression that the readers issues went a little deeper than what he/she wrote. This could actually be valuable experience for you, if you wish to take it that way. As soon as you begin doing rewrites for reps, development execs, producers, etc, you will be getting notes. A lot of them will seem strange, but that doesn't mean they're not valid. You've got to look for the "note behind the note," or the reason that something was rubbing them the wrong way. This is a great opportunity to practice that skill.

                      For instance, they called your story familiar, but what they wrote was vague. I mean, that's a fairly basic story that could be applied again and again to fresh new situations until the end of time. So why would they have written it? This is just spitballing, but perhaps there were elements of the execution that were familiar. And perhaps you should try and hunt those down and see if there's something new and exciting you can do. With the dialogue, maybe there were more issues involved, but they simply listed one thing about it that stood out.

                      These readers aren't getting paid as much as they would get for full coverage. To make a reasonable rate, they have to keep up a good pace. So they're going to give basic examples of why it did or didn't work, and move on.

                      Furthermore, the coverage isn't written for you. It's written for the industry pros, who also have a need to move quickly. They don't want to read three pages of what did and didn't work. They want bullet points and a score. And just because the coverage is thin does not mean that it or its score is invalid. It just means that you may have to do some detective work to get the most out of it.
                      QUESTICLES -- It's about balls on a mission.

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

                        Thank you, that all makes sense, and it is a good lesson.

                        So it sounds like the 'familiar' part could be negative? I had originally read that as the reader's way of saying 'in spite of the rhyming, at least the story is one I can relate to' - but you are saying it can also mean 'I've ready enough of these stories' and I should see how else to make it original?

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

                          Originally posted by stainjm View Post
                          Thank you, that all makes sense, and it is a good lesson.

                          So it sounds like the 'familiar' part could be negative? I had originally read that as the reader's way of saying 'in spite of the rhyming, at least the story is one I can relate to' - but you are saying it can also mean 'I've ready enough of these stories' and I should see how else to make it original?

                          Thanks!
                          I'm only speculating, but "familiar" is listed under the weaknesses, so that's the impression I have.

                          It's impossible to know what the reader intended because I haven't read the script and their coverage is limited to a few sentences. All I'm saying is that they clearly liked elements of the script, but still dinged it. And if the weaknesses they list don't make a lot of sense, your goal as a writer should simply be to figure out what else might have been going on that caused it not to work for them.
                          QUESTICLES -- It's about balls on a mission.

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

                            You know, I have always liked Craig Maizin's habit of answering most every question with "one possibility is that it's just a bad script" or something to that effect. Because that is always a possibility, and one that really ought to be considered before "the reader was unfair" or "it's a vast conspiracy".

                            I am genuinely surprised at the number of aspiring writers, and even published writers, I meet who cannot tolerate any kind of criticism. Isn't it just part of the business?

                            I see it here, on other writing sites I visit, in my local critique group and there was a huge dustup on GoodReads when several authors sought out readers who had left one or two star reviews and wrote long, flaming diatribes about them. There was even a blog that published GoodReads reviewers' real names and addresses for the purpose of harassing them offline.

                            I have received harsh critiques including one that made me want to crawl under my desk and weep. It hurt. After I spent a couple hours feeling sorry for myself, I emailed the guy back and said "thanks for your time and for the valuable feedback." A few days later he replied and told me that while my script was a mess, he thought I had a strong comedic voice and lots of potential. And that he'd be willing to read something else from me further down the line, when I'd improved in some other areas. I don't think I would have received that response if I'd emailed him to complain or argue about his critique.

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

                              Originally posted by bmcthomas View Post

                              I have received harsh critiques including one that made me want to crawl under my desk and weep. It hurt. After I spent a couple hours feeling sorry for myself, I emailed the guy back and said "thanks for your time and for the valuable feedback." A few days later he replied and told me that while my script was a mess, he thought I had a strong comedic voice and lots of potential. And that he'd be willing to read something else from me further down the line, when I'd improved in some other areas. I don't think I would have received that response if I'd emailed him to complain or argue about his critique.
                              If I spend a few hours of my life giving someone thoughtful notes on their script, and they don't reply with a sincere "thank you" -- and especially if they try and complain or argue -- it's a guarantee that I won't bother helping them again. Life's too short, and there are plenty of scripts to read that are written by people I like.
                              QUESTICLES -- It's about balls on a mission.

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

                                I love good criticism - when it's criticism. That's why I took workshops and started a screenwriting group and did all the work to get the script where it is - love good constructive ctitism and even more when someone says 'this is what sucks about your script - take it out or you suck' - no problem with that.

                                But (and this was my fault for not realizing when I paid that these reviews were not meant to be any help to us) I don't like when someone gives it a negative score and doesn't have much of a reason. If it's a studio, I imagine they would have told me more if they wanted me to come back with a revision, so I take it somewhere else, right? I suppose this can be the same with BL, meaning pay for another read, but with a baby coming in a month I think I have to suck it up and save that moolah.

                                I took a middle grade book to a critique group yesterday and everyone loved it, one guy had some great criticism that really helped me revise part of it, and another guy said 'this stuff isn't for me, so I have no comments'

                                -- That is how it should be - If I read your horror script and the most horror exposure I have is Bambi's mom dying, then I should say so and pass on commenting (or in BL's case, give the read to someone else).

                                AND Now I realize BL isn't set up to give us real feedback, so I know if I want that to stick to CWA, Reel Authors, maybe Blue Cat etc., and maybe think of BL like InkTip - certain kinds of scripts work best there.
                                www.JustinSloanAuthor.com

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