Franklin Leonard

[Friday]

Re: Franklin Leonard

Franklin Leonard threads are like Terminator movies. They'll just keep remaking them. It will go on forever.

[GhostWhite]

Re: Franklin Leonard

From an article posted 7/23 by Scott Myers on the Go Into the Story blog (official screenwriting blog of The Black list)

"Then there were the online writing communities where people could congregate on message boards and share thoughts and insights about the craft. The two mentioned in the email I received - Trigger Street and Done Deal Pro - were extremely active for many years.

What happened?

Most sites have either disappeared or gone fallow. Mystery Man on Film supposedly died. Kid in the Front Row went on hiatus. The Bitter Script Reader posts occasionally on his blog. Trigger Street shut down. Done Deal Pro closed its message boards."

It did? I was away from screenwriting for a while, but I don't recall this happening.

[Done Deal Pro]

Re: Franklin Leonard

Most sites have either disappeared or gone fallow. Mystery Man on Film supposedly died. Kid in the Front Row went on hiatus. The Bitter Script Reader posts occasionally on his blog. Trigger Street shut down. Done Deal Pro closed its message boards."

It did? I was away from screenwriting for a while, but I don't recall this happening.

No. We never closed. There was a point where I had to look at closing them down due to the costs of hosting; but the community pushed to raise funds and were most kind & generous to donate a year's worth of hosting fees to keep all going. That got the forums over the hump. All worked out.

[finalact4]

Re: Franklin Leonard

i know a lot of people have had negative experiences in the past on The Black List. and i am in no way disputing their experiences. it's hard no matter which path you take.

but, i just got off the phone with a producer that saw my spec on the black list and read the reviews. he said, "the scores were pretty high so I thought I should read it."

he contacted me through Linked In directly-- which i respect a lot, asking ii i was the "Lisa" that wrote (blah, blah) i said yes, and sent him the spec.

he loves it. i mean, full of energy and all out passion for it. he wants to produce it and thinks he can get it made. he's legit. we're going out to financiers next week. he thinks we can attract top talent for the main characters.

i've been down this road before. it's far, far, far, from close to happening, but today is a good day.

everyone's path is different. my only point, is that even if it seems futile, you still have to do everything you can to make your dreams a reality. if that means you choose to continue to host your script on the black list even though you're not on the top lists, then do it.

for those, like me, that need the occasional pep talk--

don't give up.

[Bono]

Re: Franklin Leonard

i know a lot of people have had negative experiences in the past on The Black List. and i am in no way disputing their experiences. it's hard no matter which path you take.

but, i just got off the phone with a producer that saw my spec on the black list and read the reviews. he said, "the scores were pretty high so I thought I should read it."

he contacted me through Linked In directly-- which i respect a lot, asking ii i was the "Lisa" that wrote (blah, blah) i said yes, and sent him the spec.

he loves it. i mean, full of energy and all out passion for it. he wants to produce it and thinks he can get it made. he's legit. we're going out to financiers next week. he thinks we can attract top talent for the main characters.

i've been down this road before. it's far, far, far, from close to happening, but today is a good day.

everyone's path is different. my only point, is that even if it seems futile, you still have to do everything you can to make your dreams a reality. if that means you choose to continue to host your script on the black list even though you're not on the top lists, then do it.

for those, like me, that need the occasional pep talk--

don't give up.

Is this the same producer you asked about in another thread or a second producer? Either way - congrats. But I'm pretty sure this was all you from sending out your work. No doubt, someone you queried the script to, mentioned it to producer (if you didn't directly query this person) and that's how "they found you."

Just seems like too much of a coincidence that you are querying with Tracker and now he finds it after it was there for a long time... right?

My point is this was your doing not the BL.

[finalact4]

Re: Franklin Leonard

Is this the same producer you asked about in another thread or a second producer? Either way - congrats. But I'm pretty sure this was all you from sending out your work. No doubt, someone you queried the script to, mentioned it to producer (if you didn't directly query this person) and that's how "they found you."

Just seems like too much of a coincidence that you are querying with Tracker and now he finds it after it was there for a long time... right?

My point is this was your doing not the BL.

thank you, Strangerthanfiction, i appreciate the good vibes!

Bono, yes it is the same. the call went great. and you're probably right.

it might have been because it was on the Twitter #WGAspeclist that Gary Graham sent around, and then he saw the black list reviews. it was an exciting call.

very exciting. again.

[catcon]

Re: Franklin Leonard

I had a script request too, 12 days ago, via LinkedIn; wonder if it was the same producer? No matter, yours originally saw your work on the BL, right? This just goes to prove one of my assertions that, in their search for material, these people look all over the place. Good!

[GucciGhostXXX]

Re: Franklin Leonard

After hearing your approach, I agree with Bono. Doubtful it was TBL. IMO.

I mean, why would he even need to request the script from you directly if it was TBL. Or do I not understand how TBL works?

[lostfootage]

Re: Franklin Leonard

After hearing your approach, I agree with Bono. Doubtful it was TBL. IMO.

I mean, why would he even need to request the script from you directly if it was TBL. Or do I not understand how TBL works?

A couple of years ago, I posted a script on the TBL that had been an Austin finalist years ago. It got a couple of 8s (before it got lower scores) and was part of the email blast. A lower level producer read it and gave me some feedback. He said it wasn't right for him, but told me he thought somebody would pick it up and wanted me to know that. And that's where it ended.

So producers do read scripts they find on TBL and do contact people, but it's a long shot. I think the Twitter blasts of Gary Graham are probably more effective. That guy has a lot of energy!

[kintnerboy]

Re: Franklin Leonard

A couple of days ago I noticed that the 2 most highly rated scripts on the BL were by the same writer.

I also noticed that neither script had a reader endorsement or any written reviews. Instead, each script had only 3 identical ratings from industry members -- (2) 10's and a 9.

I'm not really good at math, but the odds of such a sudden, simultaneous coincidence must be very many odds.

Anyway, so this was obviously an instance of someone using their industry contacts to game the system, which happens more often than you think, but usually not with such balls out not-care-ity (why 10's instead of 8's??... why 2 scripts at the same time?? It's like they WANTED to get caught).

I was all ready to come here and write an angry rant about the Blacklist scoring system (it truly is the only thing that bugs me about the service. Reader reviews should weigh much more heavily in a scripts rating than some random industry person)

but then I noticed today that the BL has taken away all 3 ratings from each script, disappearing them into the oblivion that is the Blacklist script database

and so I must instead commend them for doing the right thing, and doing it quickly.

My faith in the BL is 57% restored.

[finalact4]

Re: Franklin Leonard

A couple of days ago I noticed that the 2 most highly rated scripts on the BL were by the same writer.

I also noticed that neither script had a reader endorsement or any written reviews. Instead, each script had only 3 identical ratings from industry members -- (2) 10's and a 9.

I'm not really good at math, but the odds of such a sudden, simultaneous coincidence must be very many odds.

Anyway, so this was obviously an instance of someone using their industry contacts to game the system, which happens more often than you think, but usually not with such balls out not-care-ity (why 10's instead of 8's??... why 2 scripts at the same time?? It's like they WANTED to get caught).

I was all ready to come here and write an angry rant about the Blacklist scoring system (it truly is the only thing that bugs me about the service. Reader reviews should weigh much more heavily in a scripts rating than some random industry person)

but then I noticed today that the BL has taken away all 3 ratings from each script, disappearing them into the oblivion that is the Blacklist script database

and so I must instead commend them for doing the right thing, and doing it quickly.

My faith in the BL is 57% restored.

yes, if you have reps, they have every right to vote on your work as well. and think about it, they believe in their writer and the material, otherwise they wouldn't be repping them, and if they want to give them a 10, i'm fine with it. people who love my script, really ****ing love it-- so i get reps giving a 10.

every writer that has reps has people who'll score their script. those scores are also weighted, they don't hold the same "scoring value" as a BL reader does.

it also could have been an error in the system where something was mis-stated. i'm TBL has errors that have to be corrected and it sometimes takes a very determined customer to get it done.

[Bono]

Re: Franklin Leonard

23 pages. I bet FL comes here, laughs, counts his money and knows he's won.

[lostfootage]

Re: Franklin Leonard

23 pages. I bet FL comes here, laughs, counts his money and knows he's won.

Tou-f-ing-ché.

I bet he clears $500k a year off the tears of aspiring screenwriters. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

[finalact4]

Re: Franklin Leonard

Tou-f-ing-ché.

I bet he clears $500k a year off the tears of aspiring screenwriters. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

let's check some numbers... for shits&giggles

ave hosted scripts = 3400 @ $25/month = $1,202,000/year. that's the low side.

ave two paid reviews $75/read = $510,000

now you also need to consider that this is a "rolling" average. writers come and go. plenty of people buy more than two reviews. you need four to get on the top annual list. so let's say those 240 ish writers spring for two more reviews.

that's $42,000. this is bare minimum, i think. that doesn't even include the dropouts.

i'm guessing its A LOT more than $500,000

[catcon]

Re: Franklin Leonard

And don't forget the hobnobbing with the rich and famous. Counts for something, too.

Meanwhile, ole' Franklin has talked about that script he wrote about 15 years ago, and how he'd "like to get back to it some day." Yeah, right. Ha ha.

"Hey, BL readers, who among you wants to give an honest appraisal of the boss's old script?"