Blacklist Secret Shopping Experience

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  • Re: Blacklist Secret Shopping Experience

    Originally posted by AP Oz View Post
    I am admittedly a numbers guy, but I'm really not sure why the benefits of a ten-point scale (instead of six grades) are so difficult to understand?

    The Blacklist has made it very clear that an "8" is the rating it deems good enough to alert its industry subscribers to quality scripts.

    So any grade below "8" is a measure of how close the reader think you are to this critical threshold.

    Let's take me for example.

    I received two "5" ratings on a drama pilot, and so far one "6" rating on a comedy pilot. For the sake of argument, let's say that my next rating on the comedy pilot also comes back as a "6".

    That would then very clearly be telling me that my comedy pilot is significantly closer to recommendation status on the Blacklist than my drama pilot, and that my time would be better spent revising the comedy pilot (or perhaps drastically overhauling the drama pilot).

    Why in the world would any writer not want that valuable information, as might be the case if the Blacklist switched to an effective six-point scale?

    Shouldn't that be obvious?

    And by the way, changing the scale from 1-10 to Consider/Pass/Recommend wouldn't change the number of scripts that the Blacklist actually "recommends", since surely much of the value of the Blacklist weekly alerts lies precisely in the fact that they only highlight the top 5% or so of scripts.

    So simplifying the grading system won't make it any easier for you to get "recommended" by a reader, it will just make it harder to figure how close or far you are to such a recommendation.
    I don't think they should replace the numerical system. I think they should have both. I think it brings more clarity to these evaluations because this is the standard we are familiar with. The BL can continue to highlight 8's and above and use their algorithms to recommend scripts. Having both only helps everyone to get an immediate sense of where the script falls using industry terminology we are all familiar with.

    Comment


    • Re: Blacklist Secret Shopping Experience

      Originally posted by JeffLowell View Post
      All right, you've talked a couple of times about reading it. What would your overall number be, understanding that it's subjective?
      Honestly, I don't think it's relevant and not particularly fair to you or to me to do so on public record. Will email you privately.

      Comment


      • Re: Blacklist Secret Shopping Experience

        Originally posted by Rochjeff View Post
        I think they should have both.
        I'm curious what the argument against this is.

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        • Re: Blacklist Secret Shopping Experience

          Ruh roh. That's a 6 if I've ever heard one. Please don't pull the 9.

          Comment


          • Re: Blacklist Secret Shopping Experience

            This thread reads like Captain Willard going upriver.

            People, the reason for the 1-10 is so it gives us other tangible data than just a near binary system of pass, consider, recommend. If it was just those 3 ratings, writers would be clamoring for more data and saying the Black List is too opaque. The 1-10 let's you know where your script (and it's individual categories) fall on the near perfect bell curve.

            I think there have been some interesting topics broached in this thread, specifically one about the most polarizing scripts. It sounds like there is legitimate interest in a 'most polarizing' category for both pilots and features.

            Thanks for the thread Jeff (and nice work on the pilot).
            "Write every day. Don't quit. The rest is all bullshit." - Brian Koppelman

            Comment


            • Re: Blacklist Secret Shopping Experience

              Originally posted by UpandComing View Post
              It's wide enough to make an 8 much more desirable than a 7
              Well obviously, but to say that scripts largely disappear if they don't have an 8 isn't accurate.

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              • Re: Blacklist Secret Shopping Experience

                Holy mother of God, people.
                If you don't like Wendy's, don't eat there.
                If you don't like Starbucks, don't drink the coffee.
                If you think Black List is unfair/lame/bullshit, don't upload a script. Don't pay $25, $50, $75.
                The psychic energy spent bitching about the Black List site would power Georgia south of the Gnat Line.
                If you have something good, it works. The Jeff Lowell experience demonstrates that. But sometimes you can have something good that doesn't draw attention, the "Whiplash" experience demonstrates that.
                That's life.
                Maybe the answer is: You aren't as good as you think you are.
                Nut up. Write. Write some more.

                Comment


                • Re: Blacklist Secret Shopping Experience

                  Originally posted by Rochjeff View Post
                  I don't think they should replace the numerical system. I think they should have both. I think it brings more clarity to these evaluations because this is the standard we are familiar with. The BL can continue to highlight 8's and above and use their algorithms to recommend scripts. Having both only helps everyone to get an immediate sense of where the script falls using industry terminology we are all familiar with.
                  Again, simply because the industry has done something forever doesn't mean we're going to do it that way. If anything, it's more likely we're going to scrutinize it and improve on it.

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                  • Re: Blacklist Secret Shopping Experience

                    Originally posted by ClintW3 View Post
                    Holy mother of God, people.
                    If you don't like Wendy's, don't eat there.
                    If you don't like Starbucks, don't drink the coffee.
                    If you think Black List is unfair/lame/bullshit, don't upload a script. Don't pay $25, $50, $75.
                    The psychic energy spent bitching about the Black List site would power Georgia south of the Gnat Line.
                    If you have something good, it works. The Jeff Lowell experience demonstrates that. But sometimes you can have something good that doesn't draw attention, the "Whiplash" experience demonstrates that.
                    That's life.
                    Maybe the answer is: You aren't as good as you think you are.
                    Nut up. Write. Write some more.
                    I actually like the BL and have defended it on done deal. I simply pointed out one aspect of the site that I wish were different. With that said, I'm out...I have nothing more to add this conversation and clearly the numerical system works for some and not for others. It's Franklin's site. He can do as he pleases.

                    Comment


                    • Re: Blacklist Secret Shopping Experience

                      Snark ahead ...

                      Is it just me or is anyone else wondering if all this P/C/R vs. 1-10 debate stems from a desperate wish that Franklin would define a 6-7 as a "consider" so that they can proudly tout that rather than the far less sexy "above average."

                      Comment


                      • Re: Blacklist Secret Shopping Experience

                        Originally posted by JeffLowell View Post
                        Ruh roh. That's a 6 if I've ever heard one. Please don't pull the 9.
                        Not at all. Suffice it to say that I agree more with the 9 than the 6, can comfortably understand the arguments for both but fall somewhere in between.

                        Comment


                        • Re: Blacklist Secret Shopping Experience

                          Originally posted by ClintW3 View Post
                          Holy mother of God, people.
                          If you don't like Wendy's, don't eat there.
                          If you don't like Starbucks, don't drink the coffee.
                          If you think Black List is unfair/lame/bullshit, don't upload a script. Don't pay $25, $50, $75.
                          The psychic energy spent bitching about the Black List site would power Georgia south of the Gnat Line.
                          If you have something good, it works. The Jeff Lowell experience demonstrates that. But sometimes you can have something good that doesn't draw attention, the "Whiplash" experience demonstrates that.
                          That's life.
                          Maybe the answer is: You aren't as good as you think you are.
                          Nut up. Write. Write some more.
                          Interestingly enough, I grew up in Columbus, GA, which falls directly on the Gnat Line.

                          Comment


                          • Re: Blacklist Secret Shopping Experience

                            Originally posted by ClintW3 View Post
                            Holy mother of God, people.
                            If you don't like Wendy's, don't eat there.
                            If you don't like Starbucks, don't drink the coffee.
                            If you think Black List is unfair/lame/bullshit, don't upload a script. Don't pay $25, $50, $75.
                            The psychic energy spent bitching about the Black List site would power Georgia south of the Gnat Line.
                            If you have something good, it works. The Jeff Lowell experience demonstrates that. But sometimes you can have something good that doesn't draw attention, the "Whiplash" experience demonstrates that.
                            That's life.
                            Maybe the answer is: You aren't as good as you think you are.
                            Nut up. Write. Write some more.
                            This argument makes sense on the surface, but it is rather simplistic to compare using BL to getting a cup of coffee at Starbucks. Services live and die by satisfaction among their customers, one of the reasons FL spends so much time on here answering questions and responding to comments. If you don't like hearing all these questions/comments, don't spend so much time reading the thread. Go and write instead
                            "I love being a writer. What I can't stand is the paperwork.-- Peter De Vries

                            Comment


                            • Re: Blacklist Secret Shopping Experience

                              Originally posted by UpandComing View Post
                              This argument makes sense on the surface, but it is rather simplistic to compare using BL to getting a cup of coffee at Starbucks. Services live and die by satisfaction among their customers, one of the reasons FL spends so much time on here answering questions and responding to comments. If you don't like hearing all these questions/comments, don't spend so much time reading the thread. Go and write instead
                              Pretty sure Starbucks lives and dies by its customers too.

                              Truth be told, the main reason I spend time here is to correct misinformation that's being shared in a well-trafficked public forum. We answer customer concerns in a number of ways - Twitter, email, etc. - and that occupies considerably more time than that which I spend on Done Deal.

                              Comment


                              • Re: Blacklist Secret Shopping Experience

                                Originally posted by tinlizzie View Post
                                Snark ahead …

                                Is it just me or is anyone else wondering if all this P/C/R vs. 1-10 debate stems from a desperate wish that Franklin would define a 6-7 as a "consider" so that they can proudly tout that rather than the far less sexy "above average."
                                Well I've never used the site, and have a lot of admiration for FL. I do have reps, and any time my scripts have been covered, it's been with pass consider recommend. I think RochJeff was first to mention including p/c/r with the numbers, which I'm inclined to agree with, but sure, 1-10 is simple enough to understand for anyone. It's just not how you're covered in Hollywood. But if the BL is looking to improve on the current industry norms, more power to them.

                                Comment

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