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

Collapse

Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.
This topic is closed.
X
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

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

    Hey, it's only $50.

    But, that being said, I would take it off, get some other feedback/ revise it, then put it back up in a couple months and pay for a second review.

    Franklin said they have steps in place so that if a writer does this, it shouldn't be the same reader reading it. So why not?

    It's not a sprint, right?
    www.JustinSloanAuthor.com

    http://www.CreativeWritingCareer.com
    http://www.MilitaryVeteransinCreativeCareers.com

    Twitter: @JustinMSloan

    Want a free book?

    Comment


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

      Thanks.

      Comment


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

        Originally posted by FranklinLeonard View Post
        Ratings and the number of ratings are the sole factor in being included in top lists, but it's not as simple as ranking the averages. As I mentioned earlier in this thread, we use Bayesian modifiers to determine our top lists (just like Amazon and Netflix), which means, for example, that all 8.5s (even those with the same # of ratings) are not created equal.

        Thank you for raising this point though. I'll be sure to do another review of our algorithm to make sure that nothing's hinky with the coding.
        Did a little more digging into this issue. Apparently the person raising the issue only has a single rating, which is not sufficient to merit inclusion on any Top List on our site.

        Top Uploaded scripts can be included if they have two or more ratings and those ratings averaged exceeds the average rating of all uploaded scripts. Those two plus ratings can come from anywhere, paid reads, industry professional reads or any combination of the two.

        Comment


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

          Thank you, Franklin.

          I only have a single rating, and so did several scripts on a top list when I did a search two days ago. That's why I asked. Today they're not on the list, so apparently something's changed. Thank you again for your explanation.

          Comment


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

            Originally posted by m.j.r. View Post
            I sort of already know the answer, but wth, I'll ask anyway.

            So I submitted a comedy like two and a half weeks ago and paid for a review. I've had 6 total downloads, including one by me, and one presumably by the reviewer. The review just came today and it was less than what I had hoped for. My question is, do I leave the script up, waiting/hoping one of the other downloaders will review it and possibly give a better score (comedy being far more subjective than other genres)? Or do I pay another $50 and try my luck with another reader? Or do I just take it down?

            Sorry if this isn't the right place to ask.
            I'm in a similar situation. Received results of one paid read, not stellar, not horrible, but not something I want to publicize. Have four downloads, one was the paid reader. Only one set of ratings (from the paid reader). Just paid for another read (I guess I'm a bit of an optimist/gambler). Will wait to see if new paid read and/or other reads result in higher ratings. Will only keep script up two months total, unless I have ratings high enough to move the script into percentages where it gets noticed.

            Was an experiment, and as such, is very interesting. Almost a way of statistically measuring Hollywood's interest in different kinds of scripts. The paid readers are the variable that seems to stack the deck. But then, that's the way it is in Hollywood, anyway. They are the gatekeepers.

            I would be very interested to hear of any writers who have garnered high ratings from unpaid reads, and have gotten noticed on this new service that way. For me, that would be really cool to hear about.

            Comment


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

              I put my script up and paid for 3 reviews. Still waiting on the last one, but the other 2 both gave the script an overall rating of 6. (Though the individual scores varied)

              My question is - what is the minimum score that would be advisable to leave up on the site? Its been downloaded 16 times. If I get another 6 rating, I'm thinking of pulling the script because it seems like a 7 or better would be what producers are looking for.

              The script is "Dragon Moon"

              On an alien planet, an enforcer of the law is framed for murder and sent to die on a prison moon. Thinking an obscure legend may hold they key to returning home, he battles dragons and murderers in his quest to find a way back before his whole race is destroyed.

              Comment


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

                Originally posted by JoeC View Post
                I put my script up and paid for 3 reviews. Still waiting on the last one, but the other 2 both gave the script an overall rating of 6. (Though the individual scores varied)

                My question is - what is the minimum score that would be advisable to leave up on the site? Its been downloaded 16 times. If I get another 6 rating, I'm thinking of pulling the script because it seems like a 7 or better would be what producers are looking for.

                The script is "Dragon Moon"

                On an alien planet, an enforcer of the law is framed for murder and sent to die on a prison moon. Thinking an obscure legend may hold they key to returning home, he battles dragons and murderers in his quest to find a way back before his whole race is destroyed.
                I would think a score of 7 or better would be the ticket also. But with 16 downloads, 3 I guess being the readers, you should probably leave it up there awhile and see what happens. It sounds like some people must have liked your LL well enough to see what a 6 looks like. Best of luck. Maybe the third score will be higher.
                "The Hollywood film business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There's also a negative side." Hunter S Thompson

                Comment


                • Q for Franklin Leonard

                  Hello,

                  Question for Franklin,

                  I know your site is all about looking for the best scripts (and I don't believe there's any flaw in the scoring) but does that mean, as I suspect, cutting edge, brand new stuff like THE WRESTLER, LOOPER, MATRIX, TERMINATOR, PULP FICTION, SIN CITY, NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET, THE KING'S SPEECH, SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE......

                  Or does it just mean quality scripts - even if they're treading-familiar-path such as another zombie apocalypse or maverick cop saves the day film?

                  On one hand I'd say the latter is not for your site and should be pitched at low budget genre specialists but on the other, these tropes are regularly regurgitated for cinematic release: Abduction, Possession, Taken, The House at the End of the Street, Dawn of the Dead (2004) etc. And even if they should be targeted at genre specialists, are there any in your ranks of industry pros to make putting a script on your site worthwhile?

                  Thanks.
                  Last edited by SundownInRetreat; 11-06-2012, 12:13 AM.
                  M.A.G.A.

                  Comment


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

                    Question for Franklin:

                    I just uploaded a screenplay which is a previous Nicholl Semifinalist, and I noted that in the "Awards" field. My question is, does the "Awards" field apply ONLY to this uploaded screenplay? I have other screenplays which have won Gold and Silver prizes in the PAGE. Should I use the "Awards" field for the uploaded screenplay to reference awards won for other screenplays as well? Or should it only apply to the uploaded screenplay?

                    (I'm posting this question here because after uploading my screenplay, I searched all over the site and could not find a "Contact us" email directly to the Black List. Please let me know if I missed it.)

                    Thanks,

                    Late Night Writer

                    Comment


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

                      Originally posted by LateNightWriter View Post
                      Question for Franklin:

                      I just uploaded a screenplay which is a previous Nicholl Semifinalist, and I noted that in the "Awards" field. My question is, does the "Awards" field apply ONLY to this uploaded screenplay? I have other screenplays which have won Gold and Silver prizes in the PAGE. Should I use the "Awards" field for the uploaded screenplay to reference awards won for other screenplays as well? Or should it only apply to the uploaded screenplay?

                      (I'm posting this question here because after uploading my screenplay, I searched all over the site and could not find a "Contact us" email directly to the Black List. Please let me know if I missed it.)

                      Thanks,

                      Late Night Writer
                      Our contact information is listed on the About page, located in the tabs on the top of the screen: https://www.blcklst.com/about/

                      Awards field is just for the uploaded screenplay.

                      Comment


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

                        As you may have heard, we've partnered with the Writers Guild of America, East.

                        http://www.wgaeast.org/fileadmin/use...nouncement.pdf

                        Needless to say, we're very excited to be an ally of an organization whose sole goal is to advocate for writers. We see it as a central part of our mission as well.

                        We're particularly humbled by Executive Director's comments: “The Black List makes it possible for screenwriters to get their work read and considered by people in the industry. We are proud to support this extension of the Black List concept. Screenwriters will get solid evaluations of their work and broader access to decision-makers. At the same time, we will continue to get the word out about Guild’s central role in representing writers.”
                        Last edited by FranklinLeonard; 11-05-2012, 07:08 PM.

                        Comment


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

                          Any idea how the backlog is coming on reads? I believe today was the two week point since my upload, so I was anxiously curious

                          Comment


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

                            The backlog seems to be reader by reader. I dusted off a script to give the site a spin. My review came back pretty quick and i posted it below. 1 week for my horror script"Flesh". Perhaps the short length contributed to this. As far as my experience, it wasn't an 8 so I don't totally agree, LOL. Some of the elements listed as weaknesses were what I was going for, I for one love comedy with my horror and like to be shocked and confused. With that said it didn't knock the reader's socks off and that is ultimately the goal. As a writer I will take what I can from this to improve Flesh or move on and incorporate it into what I'm working on now. I am very pleased with my experience. This is just a great thing,especially when you consider I have feedback from a reader for the cost of a contest.

                            However, I do have one concern. My budget was listed as high. I wrote a single location script with a cast of seven and some effects. This was with the purpose of attracting those interested in low budget material. So I likely will have to pull the script because it seems the review would filter it out for anyone looking for low budget horror.

                            Era: Present

                            Locations: Mansion in the Woods

                            Budget: High

                            Genre: Horror

                            Genre: 86

                            Logline:

                            Two captive women try desperately to escape the home of the Incubus who intends to lure them into submission.

                            Strengths:

                            This script contained some genuinely scary elements, such as the reveal of the fourth body.

                            Weaknesses:

                            This script suffered from a lack of plot development, which may have arisen partly from the short length. The serious dialogue often comes off as comedic,and it is unclear if this was done intentionally. Some elements are shocking in a confusing and uncomfortable way, like when Mrs. Davenport pees on Alison’s face.

                            Prospects

                            While in present form this story is not ready to be brought to screen, the premise would appeal to avid supernatural-horror fans.
                            Last edited by Done Deal Pro; 11-06-2012, 08:14 AM. Reason: Fixed font and spacing issues.

                            Comment


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

                              What is the standard deviation of the ratings (of the scripts) on your site?
                              Last edited by kenklmn; 11-06-2012, 10:18 AM. Reason: my initial post was not phrased properly.

                              Comment


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

                                Originally posted by kenklmn View Post
                                What is the standard deviation of the ratings (of the scripts) on your site?
                                We'll be putting out numbers along these lines at the end of our first month of evaluations.

                                Comment

                                Working...
                                X