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 FranklinLeonard View Post
    Though the scripts may be pulled, the ratings are not. The distribution shown on the dashboard represents all ratings of all scripts, uploaded and not, professional and not, thus the skew. A better representation of the data for uploaded scripts (at least through the first month) is available here. We cover the variance of ratings on the same script there as well.
    Franklin thanks for the insight and the link to the monthly downloads. Well after 3 days, 116 pages of DD Pro and a broken marriage, I think I understand the BL3 process better.

    I have a few residual questions though.

    1. Let's ask ourselves how a script can progress using the basic 25 bucks package. Assuming the "industry professional" interface is no different from the standard. The only way that they can mine for that diamond is using the "search" box. Now remember, the script has not solicited for paid ratings at this stage. That is not to say it's bad, it's probably because,for the most part, writers tend to be parsimonious with their hard earned bucks. The search box has two shortfalls in my opinion. First, you need some type of TAGS field that is searchable. Loglines are so abstract, that unless you include the word say "zombie", they're more or less redundant as a search tool. Secondly in the search results, surely it's possible to include the LOGLINE in the summary field rather than have to click into each screenplay. This would allow users to scan the loglines of a script at a glance. If I'm honest, without these search tools the $25 a month parking fee is largely wasted, as the industry professionals, are relying on your email almost for the entirety. It's like putting the scripts in a dark room and not handing out torches to the treasure hunters. Thus forcing users to employ a paid reader.

    2. The monthly report was excellent. I'm sure the content will develop as the month's go on. As I eluded earlier, I think we need more information on the variance of scores for individual scripts and not for the total population of rated reads. Of course, if the majority of scripts have sample sizes of 3 or less reads, the variance is bound to be higher. But even Olympic judging panels of abstract events have a minimum of 6 judges (technically there are 8 but 2 of the judges are there to determine the "difficultly" of the move). Greg Beal at the Nicholl Fellowship talks about the impossibility of matching a statistically significant sample (say 7 reads) with the practicalities of running an annual competition with a entry fee of $50. There is no silver bullet.

    I guess what I'm saying here is that as it stands the BL3 gives too much credence to a small sample of volatile scores and not enough resources are given to users who are unable/unwilling to use the paid reader service. If everyone in Hollywood really wants to find that next Oscar script, rather than having industry professionals fighting over the same crop of low hanging fruit (contest winners, BL3 emails, etc), why not give them a really good search box, and let them do the shoveling themselves. At the very least, it will go some way to prove how honest their intentions are, as opposed to having a bunch of less than gifted, yet desperate writers, forking out their dosh in the vain hope that the spotlight will fall their way.

    Don't get me wrong Franklin, I think you're all doing an excellent job. However, if you're going to be in this for the long term we need some better tools.

    Luke Mellor (desperately in need of downloads for his Courtroom Drama - Truth and Reconciliation)

    https://blcklst.com/members/script/5447
    Last edited by EtoileBrilliant; 12-10-2012, 10:08 AM.

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

      I like the cut of your jib Franklin.

      I love what you are doing, it's a tough shell to crack this, and it's needed. I like the way you're keeping things organic, it's got to work, but precisely how it's going to work is going to take time to try out.

      I also understand that;
      a) Customers will only get out what their scripts put in.
      b) You're relying on human beings, and they are subjective little tikes.

      I'm a customer, I have three scripts hosted on your site. I'm happy, very happy. I've paid for reviews, the feedback I've had has been brilliant quality, I've rated them all as five out of five.

      Just a couple of questions;
      1) If a script gets emailed out do we ALWAYS know about it? Like even when it's on the sub-category scores like premise?
      2) If you're all set for getting in one of those Monday emails and then switch off your hosting during that Monday, have you missed your chance of being spotlighted?

      You see I got an eight for plot in another script, but it needed work, so I switched off the hosting while I re-wrote it, did I miss a trick here?

      Seriously though, dude, I love this whole concept, I love your transparency, I think you have the industries interest at heart.
      Last edited by CJ Walley; 12-11-2012, 01:03 AM.
      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: Black List founder Franklin Leonard answers your questions about the Black List

        Originally posted by LFGabel View Post
        It might get a little confusing if you suspend hosting for a script. The anniversary date will change.
        Yes, that would make things more difficult to keep track of.

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

          Franklin, I got my my ratings back on Sunday and the overall score was less than an 8; but I got a 9 for premise. Does that mean Reps who set/ranked premise as an alert-able category received an email/notification on Monday ?

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

            Originally posted by FranklinLeonard View Post
            Though the scripts may be pulled, the ratings are not. The distribution shown on the dashboard represents all ratings of all scripts, uploaded and not, professional and not, thus the skew. A better representation of the data for uploaded scripts (at least through the first month) is available here. We cover the variance of ratings on the same script there as well.
            Franklin, I love what you're doing with Black List. I have uploaded 4 of my scripts and I am extremely pleased with the number of IMPRESSIONS I have received in a relatively short period of time. I have had one script read and the suggestions were great. The script received an overall rating of a 7. I have made the revisions suggested by the reader and I want to have it read again. Should I wipe the slate clean and start all over again with this script, hoping for an 8 or a 9? Or, should I leave the script and just have another read? If I get an 8 this time I would only have a rating of 7.5. Suggestions are greatly appreciated!

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

              Originally posted by Guinness View Post
              Franklin, I love what you're doing with Black List. I have uploaded 4 of my scripts and I am extremely pleased with the number of IMPRESSIONS I have received in a relatively short period of time. I have had one script read and the suggestions were great. The script received an overall rating of a 7. I have made the revisions suggested by the reader and I want to have it read again. Should I wipe the slate clean and start all over again with this script, hoping for an 8 or a 9? Or, should I leave the script and just have another read? If I get an 8 this time I would only have a rating of 7.5. Suggestions are greatly appreciated!
              If you've done real revisions, then you should probably wipe the slate clean. No reason to sandbag your new, presumably better, script with your previous ratings. That said, if they're largely cosmetic changes, you'll be able to take advantage of your previous rating (already a high one though admittedly not high enough to be included in the weekly email of scripts high overall ratings) when it comes to having multiple high ratings (which is valuable for inclusion on top lists, etc.)

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

                This is something that has just occurred to me in the last couple of days since my script was downloaded a couple of times - is it correct that I don't have any way of knowing who downloaded it? I understand to some extent that it protects industry members from endless "have you read it what did you think what did you think what did you think" emails, but it's just struck me as odd that someone, or a couple of someones, could be reading my work yet I have no way of knowing who they are unless they contact me.

                This isn't so much a criticism as a... musing I suppose. I'm guessing there are reasons for it, but who is reading my work is normally something I keep tabs on. Potentially querying someone in the near future only for them to say "oh we already read that on the Blacklist" wouldn't necessarily be the end of the world, it just feels a bit strange. Has this occurred to anyone else, or has lack of sleep this week driven me slight more mental than usual?

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

                  Simple question, and forgive me if its been asked/answered already, but how much are the readers ranking people's screenplays being paid per?

                  To me, that's a fundamental weakness with every database or contest. If the reader is getting, say, $10 per script then how qualified, professional, and/or diligent could they possibly be...?
                  NOTES / COVERAGE
                  15,000+ Screenplays
                  [email protected]

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

                    Originally posted by chilldivine View Post
                    This is something that has just occurred to me in the last couple of days since my script was downloaded a couple of times - is it correct that I don't have any way of knowing who downloaded it? I understand to some extent that it protects industry members from endless "have you read it what did you think what did you think what did you think" emails, but it's just struck me as odd that someone, or a couple of someones, could be reading my work yet I have no way of knowing who they are unless they contact me.

                    This isn't so much a criticism as a... musing I suppose. I'm guessing there are reasons for it, but who is reading my work is normally something I keep tabs on. Potentially querying someone in the near future only for them to say "oh we already read that on the Blacklist" wouldn't necessarily be the end of the world, it just feels a bit strange. Has this occurred to anyone else, or has lack of sleep this week driven me slight more mental than usual?
                    These are valid concerns that one should at least be mindful of before blindly submitting their work to anything. Submitting your work isn't like buying a lottery ticket.

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

                      Originally posted by EvilRbt View Post
                      Simple question, and forgive me if its been asked/answered already, but how much are the readers ranking people's screenplays being paid per?

                      To me, that's a fundamental weakness with every database or contest. If the reader is getting, say, $10 per script then how qualified, professional, and/or diligent could they possibly be...?
                      Great question. Would love to see the answer.

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

                        Originally posted by EvilRbt View Post
                        Simple question, and forgive me if its been asked/answered already, but how much are the readers ranking people's screenplays being paid per?

                        To me, that's a fundamental weakness with every database or contest. If the reader is getting, say, $10 per script then how qualified, professional, and/or diligent could they possibly be...?
                        Our readers are paid $25 per script for a complete read and the brief evaluation we provide.

                        Typically experienced readers at the agencies and studios may make as much as three times that for reading a script and providing multiple pages of coverage. The reality though is that the coverage is actually the bulk of their time.

                        What we've done is reduced their time commitment by reducing the coverage component. Consequently we're able to hire readers at a higher level than equivalent services and keep the cost to you quite low.

                        As I've mentioned before, our readers have all worked, at a minimum, as first filters for major agencies, studios, and production companies. Many of them are current assistants, former executives, and some have as much as a decade of experience reading for the major studios.

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

                          THIS IS A SEMI BIG ANNOUNCEMENT

                          I am very pleased to announce that beginning today, if you receive two consecutive paid evaluations whose overall ratings differ by three or more points, you will automatically be offered an additional read at $25 (50% off the normal price), which as you can see from the post immediately prior to this one will flow directly, and in its entirety, to the reader of the script.

                          Not only does this provide you with an opportunity for greater feedback and a better sense of where you stand at a lower price, it gives us an additional opportunity to gather more data about your script so that we may better target recommendations, which is particularly important when it comes to polarizing material.

                          These offers will be made automatically via email based on your previous reads. We will also be extending this offer to all those writers with scripts currently on the site whose two most recent paid reads differ by three or more points.

                          Feel free to email us at [email protected] or [email protected], if you have any questions or concerns.

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

                            Originally posted by chilldivine View Post
                            This is something that has just occurred to me in the last couple of days since my script was downloaded a couple of times - is it correct that I don't have any way of knowing who downloaded it? I understand to some extent that it protects industry members from endless "have you read it what did you think what did you think what did you think" emails, but it's just struck me as odd that someone, or a couple of someones, could be reading my work yet I have no way of knowing who they are unless they contact me.

                            This isn't so much a criticism as a... musing I suppose. I'm guessing there are reasons for it, but who is reading my work is normally something I keep tabs on. Potentially querying someone in the near future only for them to say "oh we already read that on the Blacklist" wouldn't necessarily be the end of the world, it just feels a bit strange. Has this occurred to anyone else, or has lack of sleep this week driven me slight more mental than usual?
                            It's a legitimate question, and I'll cede that it's a less than ideal situation.

                            There are two realities though that leave us believing that it's less of an issue than it is on its face:

                            1. While you may know who you sent your script to in a query situation, you never really know who gets it after that. Especially in the age of email, scripts are easily and often shared, and once it leaves your inbox, it's impossible to know.

                            2. The fact of the matter is that most folks in the industry are less likely to avail themselves of a script if there's a chance that there'll be follow up from a writer asking for representation or feedback on the script. We've specifically designed the site this way in order to encourage downloads and reads from industry professionals.

                            I can assure you that if an industry pro likes your script, you'll hear from them, and suffice it to say that we have records of every download that has occurred on the site (and tag those downloads so that they can be traced if they're shared elsewhere.)

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

                              ... I got my my ratings back on Sunday and the overall score was less than an 8; but I got a 9 for premise. Does that mean Reps who set/ranked premise as an alert-able category received an email/notification on Monday ?
                              Franklin can you confirm this...

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

                                Why do I keep getting "Index of..." page when I type in www.blklist.com ?

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