My experience about the Blacklist - and the bigger picture

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  • My experience about the Blacklist - and the bigger picture

    I wanted to give my 2 cents about the blacklist. Not from the scriptwriter pov, but from the producer Side.

    First of, what a great idea. Thanks to the search engine, the ratings, it's fairly easy to find scripts that suit your needs. The evals are great, as they give you plenty of additional info about the scripts.

    All in all, it works well in the way that it connects writers to producers/managers. The issue I have with it, and which I think is connected to the bigger picture, is regarding the scripts' quality. While I was writing scripts I knew about it. Now from the producing side I see it constantly. Writing a great script is really hard.

    From my experience, scripts which received 7/8, even 9 aren't "there" yet. Rushed 1st act, logical issues, uncooked characters. I read around 70 scripts from the blacklist (from that 7 to 9 range), I didn't pick any of them. The evals were always write about what was missing -the weakness/strength part is always spot on.

    From my pov, here's what I saw:
    -Scripts that follow a trend: bisexuality, transgender, etc... for the sake of following the trend.
    -Scripts that seemed like they were written by a robot who read Save the cat.
    -Scripts who started off nicely, but jump the shark as soon as they hit the midpoint.
    All in all, my biggest concern is a lack of voice. Most writer I read write bland movies. Nothing personal, no individual take. I don't mean to be a Wes Anderson or a Tarantino, but at the very least to be themselves.

    So the blacklist is really helpful, especially that sweet search engine, and the evaluations. The problem, which is linked to the bigger picture, is the lack of great scripts. I get it now, when my manager used to tell me producers fight over great scripts. It's a rarity.
    The question is : Do you work in the business?

  • #2
    Re: My experience about the Blacklist - and the bigger picture

    Good reality check for wannabe screenwriters.

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    • #3
      Re: My experience about the Blacklist - and the bigger picture

      Originally posted by Takeshiro View Post
      I read around 70 scripts from the blacklist (from that 7 to 9 range), I didn't pick any of them.
      Wow, 70 scripts. You did your homework.

      Out of curiosity, were you looking for any genre in particular? What did you search for, other than screenplay ratings? Was budget a factor?

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      • #4
        Re: My experience about the Blacklist - and the bigger picture

        Originally posted by Takeshiro View Post
        So the blacklist is really helpful, especially that sweet search engine, and the evaluations. The problem, which is linked to the bigger picture, is the lack of great scripts. I get it now, when my manager used to tell me producers fight over great scripts. It's a rarity.
        It's a site for amateurs, what do you expect? It's like trying to Find a Lebron James in the Canadian University League.

        There's also this paradox: If you have the skill to write greatness, you also have the awareness of your greatness. So why the hell upload it to the BL 2.0, get great reviews, receive 300 downloads / offers, and overexpose it into oblivion?
        I'm never wrong. Reality is just stubborn.

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        • #5
          Re: My experience about the Blacklist - and the bigger picture

          I'm curious, Takeshiro. What do you mean by 'following a trend'?

          How did you know that a script was following a trend?

          How would one tell the difference between a writer that followed a trend and a writer who simply wrote what they wanted to, regardless of what other people were doing - and both had similar subject matter?
          Last edited by Chroa; 08-14-2016, 11:37 AM.
          https://devonmw.wordpress.com/

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          • #6
            Re: My experience about the Blacklist - and the bigger picture

            Originally posted by Chroa View Post
            I'm curious, Takeshiro. What do you mean by 'following a trend'?

            How did you know that a script was following a trend?

            How would one tell the difference between a writer that followed a trend and a writer who simply wrote what they wanted to, irregardless of what other people were doing - and both had similar subject matter?
            Good question.
            "I love being a writer. What I can't stand is the paperwork.-- Peter De Vries

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            • #7
              Re: My experience about the Blacklist - and the bigger picture

              Originally posted by Chroa View Post
              How did you know that a script was following a trend?
              I'm not speaking for Takeshiro, but I think it would be pretty easy to spot when a story element is "tacked on" and when it's an integral part of the story. Trends happen all the time in screenplay writing. Unfortunately, for the writers, they're usually behind the curve.
              STANDARD DISCLAIMER: I'm a wannabe, take whatever I write with a huge grain of salt.

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              • #8
                Re: My experience about the Blacklist - and the bigger picture

                I understand what you mean, Centos.

                Because that's something specific. Something writers can look for in their own stories.

                Takeshiro's post was so vague and general it reads like the presence of a certain subject matter is trendy in itself.
                https://devonmw.wordpress.com/

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                • #9
                  Re: My experience about the Blacklist - and the bigger picture

                  Originally posted by Chroa View Post
                  I understand what you mean, Centos.

                  Because that's something specific. Something writers can look for in their own stories.

                  Takeshiro's post was so vague and general it reads like the presence of a certain subject matter is trendy in itself.
                  Well, just the fact that (as Takeshiro mentioned) almost everyone seems to be writing on the same subject, tends to point towards a trend. That's kind of the definition of the word "trend."
                  STANDARD DISCLAIMER: I'm a wannabe, take whatever I write with a huge grain of salt.

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                  • #10
                    Re: My experience about the Blacklist - and the bigger picture

                    Originally posted by Chroa View Post
                    Takeshiro's post was so vague and general it reads like the presence of a certain subject matter is trendy in itself.
                    I'd have to agree on this. I for one found it strange to refer to "bisexuality" and "transgender" as "trends". Found footage and scary kids in horror movies are trends; the former two are just states of being for some people. Curious to hear how Takeshiro thinks a lot of bisexual and transgender characters are being shoved into movies in an unnatural way. It'd be an interesting insight.
                    "I love being a writer. What I can't stand is the paperwork.-- Peter De Vries

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                    • #11
                      Re: My experience about the Blacklist - and the bigger picture

                      Originally posted by UpandComing View Post
                      I'd have to agree on this. I for one found it strange to refer to "bisexuality" and "transgender" as "trends". Found footage and scary kids in horror movies are trends; the former two are just states of being for some people. Curious to hear how Takeshiro thinks a lot of bisexual and transgender characters are being shoved into movies in an unnatural way. It'd be an interesting insight.
                      You just love to paraphrase and put your own words in other people's mouths. You did it to me a number of times on the Ghostbusters thread.

                      I'm curious to hear why you think that Takeshiro is "worse than Hitler".
                      Last edited by Crayon; 08-14-2016, 02:32 PM. Reason: added the word 'to' after 'love'
                      Know this: I'm a lazy amateur, so trust not a word what I write.
                      "The ugly can be beautiful. The pretty, never." ~ Oscar Wilde

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                      • #12
                        Re: My experience about the Blacklist - and the bigger picture

                        Originally posted by Crayon View Post
                        You just love paraphrase and put your own words in other people's mouths. You did it to me a number of times on the Ghostbusters thread.

                        I'm curious to hear why you think that Takeshiro is "worse than Hitler".
                        I don't put my words in other people's mouths. I copied and pasted your own words for you to see. I can't think of better evidence than that.

                        "Worse than Hitler." Hahaha, that's not paraphrasing, that's just outright lying.
                        "I love being a writer. What I can't stand is the paperwork.-- Peter De Vries

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                        • #13
                          Re: My experience about the Blacklist - and the bigger picture

                          Originally posted by UpandComing View Post
                          I don't put my words in other people's mouths. I copied and pasted your own words for you to see. I can't think of better evidence than that.
                          Sometimes you quoted my words, but other times you paraphrased.

                          Anyhow, why don't you now post a direct quote from Takeshiro where he/she refers to bisexuality and transgender as trends, as you say he/she does?

                          Originally posted by UpandComing View Post
                          "Worse than Hitler." Hahaha, that's not paraphrasing, that's just outright lying.
                          Please explain how that is lying. It's no different to what you did when you put double quotation marks around the word 'trends' - a word that Takeshiro didn't use.
                          Last edited by Crayon; 08-14-2016, 03:04 PM. Reason: typo
                          Know this: I'm a lazy amateur, so trust not a word what I write.
                          "The ugly can be beautiful. The pretty, never." ~ Oscar Wilde

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: My experience about the Blacklist - and the bigger picture

                            Originally posted by Crayon View Post
                            Anyhow, why don't you now post a direct quote from Takeshiro's where he/she refers to bisexuality and transgender as trends, as you say he/she does?

                            Please explain how that is lying. It's no different to what you did when you put double quotation marks around the word 'trends' - a word that Takeshiro didn't use.
                            Are you going blind?

                            Originally posted by Takeshiro View Post
                            From my pov, here's what I saw:
                            -Scripts that follow a trend: bisexuality, transgender, etc... for the sake of following the trend.
                            "I love being a writer. What I can't stand is the paperwork.-- Peter De Vries

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: My experience about the Blacklist - and the bigger picture

                              Originally posted by UpandComing View Post
                              Are you going blind?
                              There is nowhere in what Takeshiro wrote ...

                              Originally posted by Takeshiro View Post
                              From my pov, here's what I saw:
                              -Scripts that follow a trend: bisexuality, transgender, etc... for the sake of following the trend.
                              ... where bisexuality and transgender are referred to as trends, as you claim they are here ...

                              Originally posted by UpandComing View Post
                              I'd have to agree on this. I for one found it strange to refer to "bisexuality" and "transgender" as "trends". Found footage and scary kids in horror movies are trends; the former two are just states of being for some people. Curious to hear how Takeshiro thinks a lot of bisexual and transgender characters are being shoved into movies in an unnatural way. It'd be an interesting insight.
                              If user names were not anonymous, that would be libel.
                              Know this: I'm a lazy amateur, so trust not a word what I write.
                              "The ugly can be beautiful. The pretty, never." ~ Oscar Wilde

                              Comment

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