Franklin Leonard

[finalact4]

Re: Franklin Leonard

finalact4 - I'm not super following where you're at: You used to be repped, fell outta writing for a bit, and now are trying to get repped up again?

If so, that's where I was at last year. Getting repped up a second time was tough. I still don't have an agent, only manager and lawyer. Looking for an agent. Agents are stupid hard these days.

in 2016 i had a manager. personal life got in the way. manager decides he's producing only. work, weekly travel, and adorable kid took time from writing for two years. writing now full time. have new spec to be out in a month, i think. not the same genre. have a few projects i want to complete this year.

manager got me a killer lawyer, just hoping he still my lawyer. won't contact him till i have a new contract, so that would be forever and a day.

looking for a manager now. it sucks because at one time i had options for two specs (one being the $100 mil) and now crickets. granted, this is "holiday" time for the industry. it's like, it's gonna happen! then it doesn't. sucks.

i never would have written the Tinder Sweet 16 rom-com as it's outside my brand but i couldn't not write it. i loved the concept too much and i hate most rom-coms. ugh.

working on getting in the game-- 'cuz i was close, but not close enough.

[Friday]

Re: Franklin Leonard

So if you get a couple of 8's, do you just stand pat? Why risk anything lower than that? The next one could be a 9, but it could also be a 6 that sinks everything. I'd prefer a recommend system. If the readers find something super special, they just recommend it and pass it along to their contacts. If they want to monetize it, just have a special upcharge for those who want a more expensive notes/coverage and those who do well get sent up.

[DLev24]

Re: Franklin Leonard

I would be concerned too. Who's the reader doing the eval? KNOW ONE KNOWS!

I tried The Blacklist (website) as another 'test the waters' venture. A script I'd already sold. Low marks, to me, 7s. Didn't Jeff do the same test, same results-is as me? I immediately deleted my account. Beyond that, no idea how it works. They gave me high marks for character (maybe 8-9, hard to remember) but low marks for concept originality, 7. Seriously? There ain't never been a show about this on TV, so? And it already sold, so? And had big showrunners, so? And a name producer, so? Oh and a studio, so?

Meh... fukk all this sh!t. Try to do **** yourself as the main GRIND. See my post today about intros. IOW -- Have your rep hustle, but also have your own hustle.

I had a similar experience on the site. I threw an old script that was pretty dead up there just to see how it all worked. I paid for one evaluation and received an 8, which led to them offering me two free evals. Great! The next two come in at a 7 and an 8, which leads to two more free evals. Great! The next two come in...

At a 6 and a 5. The written review for the 6 seemed more positive than the score would indicate, so whatever. That reader is just harsh with their numbers, that's fine. The 5 was just a bad review. Got the page count wrong. Listed stuff as strengths (characters, mainly) and then literally named those same characters as weaknesses. It was just pretty contradictory and all over the place. I will say that those two reviews did sink the script on the site. I went from getting a bunch of industry downloads a day to pretty much zero views.

And to your larger point about the site not being the be all end all... while I was waiting for the first eval to come back, I pitched the script in a general. The exec read it after and now it's out to directors. This whole screenwriting thing is so damn subjective. In that way, I think the Black List site is a fairly accurate reflection of the industry. Not everyone is going to champion your script. It's all about finding the people who will.

[Friday]

Re: Franklin Leonard

it could, sure, there are plenty that don't win anything that receive high scores. are you a member of TBL? you can look at the top lists and see that a few are Nicholl semifinalists or finalists. and they can have reviews that are 6, 7, 8, and 9s.

the #1 script has been on the top list, it seems, since 2017.

my $100 mill sci-fi action thriller received 8s & 9s (and lower scores) which says it has a lot going for it, but the biggest problem is the budget and it will never get made because no one makes original IPs. that's the reality of the market.

i can guarantee you that it would never win a contest, neither would the other spec i have-- it's not the kind of thing contests gravitate to.

remember, there are only 10 finalists for the Nicholl each year. there are definitely more qualified writers and stories that can be movies.

the black list considers if it's ready for the market. that's not a criteria in most contests, you know?

and don't get me wrong. i completely understand the sting and disappointment of receiving low scores on the black list. low scores happen to the top scripts, too. that's why if you receive high scores it's good to take advantage of the "free" or "discounted" offers. the more consensus you build the more validity your project has.

still not a guarantee it will ever get made, though. it's just the nature of subjectivity. no one can escape it.

Well, it sounds like you're doing great. Thanks. No. I am not a member of the Blacklist, but I am thinking about it. Just curious if placing well in the big contests (not named Nicholl) would translate well into getting an 8 on the Blacklist. Pretty much doing really well in one major contest, I knew that it would at least place in another. But, wasn't sure how Blacklist works.



LOL. Re: your 100 million sci fi thriller. Yeah, I asked a consultant if I should enter my thriller into Nicholl and they dissuaded me from doing so, saying I should write something more "Nicholl," then told me to enter the other more commercial friendly contests. Good advice. I looked at the loglines and realized my story was nowhere along those lines.

[GucciGhostXXX]

Re: Franklin Leonard

finalact4 - I'm not super following where you're at: You used to be repped, fell outta writing for a bit, and now are trying to get repped up again?

If so, that's where I was at last year. Getting repped up a second time was tough. I still don't have an agent, only manager and lawyer. Looking for an agent. Agents are stupid hard these days.

[finalact4]

Re: Franklin Leonard

Thanks. So if you're a semi or finalist in one of the big 4 or 5 contests, are you likely to score in the 8 range? The contests can be subjective, but you still hit a certain range in the scoring. So, there's a certain amount of consistency. I am intrigued by the Blacklist, but know very little about how they are graded.

it could, sure, there are plenty that don't win anything that receive high scores. are you a member of TBL? you can look at the top lists and see that a few are Nicholl semifinalists or finalists. and they can have reviews that are 6, 7, 8, and 9s.

the #1 script has been on the top list, it seems, since 2017.

my $100 mill sci-fi action thriller received 8s & 9s (and lower scores) which says it has a lot going for it, but the biggest problem is the budget and it will never get made because no one makes original IPs. that's the reality of the market.

i can guarantee you that it would never win a contest, neither would the other spec i have-- it's not the kind of thing contests gravitate to.

remember, there are only 10 finalists for the Nicholl each year. there are definitely more qualified writers and stories that can be movies.

the black list considers if it's ready for the market. that's not a criteria in most contests, you know?

and don't get me wrong. i completely understand the sting and disappointment of receiving low scores on the black list. low scores happen to the top scripts, too. that's why if you receive high scores it's good to take advantage of the "free" or "discounted" offers. the more consensus you build the more validity your project has.

still not a guarantee it will ever get made, though. it's just the nature of subjectivity. no one can escape it.

[GucciGhostXXX]

Re: Franklin Leonard

The quality of the readers is absurdly hit or miss. Here's a link to the text of a review I received in 2016. Preposterous.

http://messageboard.donedealpro.com/...5&postcount=61

WHAT in the actual fukkin fukk kinda synopsis is that?? Yup, seems drunk or high or both. Im'a go with both.

Nah... bruh!

The script I sent in had 4 (FOUR) producers PITCHING ME wanting to attach. Should I say who? Fukk it, I will. I got nothin to lose at this point: Amblin was the main one, I'm blanking on who else but all were high level, but I ultimately went with Katalyst. They originally passed on me but wanted to attach after our general. I liked what they had to say, they liked what I had to say. So they retracted their pass. They said Ashton wanted to get into some more serious dark sh!t and I believed them. I had two different HOT showruners fighting to attach (the good old days, 5 years ago?).

Yet, the Blacklist (website) reader is like "Meh... this is just barely okay." Essentially.

Fukk that, I'm out...

[Friday]

Re: Franklin Leonard

there's a post i did regarding the black list and comparing it to contests and you actually have a higher (5%) chance on the black list then a semi or finalist in a contest . you don't have to score 8s to get on the top lists, just has to be higher than the average community score.

Thanks. So if you're a semi or finalist in one of the big 4 or 5 contests, are you likely to score in the 8 range? The contests can be subjective, but you still hit a certain range in the scoring. So, there's a certain amount of consistency. I am intrigued by the Blacklist, but know very little about how they are graded.

[finalact4]

Re: Franklin Leonard

Thanks. The Blacklist is intriguing. I just haven't pulled the trigger yet because I am not sure how the grading will go and plus I don't like that I don't know who's downloading my script. At least with the top contests, I have a fair degree of certainty how I"d place if I do enough drafts and get it vetted enough. I only want scripts that are considered very good to be floating out there. Otherwise, I'd just like to bury them in the deep blue sea as my trunk scripts.

there's a post i did regarding the black list and comparing it to contests and you actually have a higher (5%) chance on the black list then a semi or finalist in a contest . you don't have to score 8s to get on the top lists, just has to be higher than the average community score.

[Satriales]

Re: Franklin Leonard

Yup... that's a flaw of the site. You want to read my script? Tell me who you are and *I* will decide if I give a fukk if you get to read it.

Challenge me on that, Franklin! I have a million (well... maybe 10) reasons why that's a bad model and you have zero reasons why it's a good model, and you know it!

Bottom line, it's a model designed to keep you paying for blind reads from "nobody-losers." Ask yourself WHY the readers don't have to disclose WHO they are.

C'mon man...

The quality of the readers is absurdly hit or miss. Here's a link to the text of a review I received in 2016. Preposterous.

http://messageboard.donedealpro.com/...5&postcount=61

[Southern_land]

Re: Franklin Leonard

Ask yourself WHY the readers don't have to disclose WHO they are.

the fairest way would be to give them a number or nom d plume. Being able to identify the reader, in some respect, gives the client ability to judge the reader against their other work. If they're constantly giving **** reads, you can pin them down, otherwise its all lost in the noise.

Tell you why it won't happen though. It might show the paupacity of the site in terms of active readers and/or readers who are busting through too many reads in too short a time. Anonymity is working just fine for the business model

EDIT: Still not going to stop me using the site though when the time is right

[GucciGhostXXX]

Re: Franklin Leonard

Thanks. The Blacklist is intriguing. I just haven't pulled the trigger yet because I am not sure how the grading will go and plus I don't like that I don't know who's downloading my script. At least with the top contests, I have a fair degree of certainty how I"d place if I do enough drafts and get it vetted enough. I only want scripts that are considered very good to be floating out there. Otherwise, I'd just like to bury them in the deep blue sea as my trunk scripts.

Yup... that's a flaw of the site. You want to read my script? Tell me who you are and *I* will decide if I give a fukk if you get to read it.

Challenge me on that, Franklin! I have a million (well... maybe 10) reasons why that's a bad model and you have zero reasons why it's a good model, and you know it!

Bottom line, it's a model designed to keep you paying for blind reads from "nobody-losers." Ask yourself WHY the readers don't have to disclose WHO they are.

C'mon man...

[GucciGhostXXX]

Re: Franklin Leonard

a 7 isn’t a bad score. and it doesn’t indicate the script can’t get sold or into dev, it’s just one person’s POV. that happens at different prodcos, too. all the time.

Many scripts receive high and lower scores. the name of the game is when you have a consensus of people that all agree on higher scores. it’s similar to real world— one prodco rejects it and another doesn’t.

Jeff received one evaluation with all 9s and one with 6s. but the low score was specifically a personal taste thing. the script was about the porn industry i think in the 70s and the reader didn’t like the way the female characters were depicted, if i remember correctly.

Gotcha.

I just felt like "I have no idea who's reading this and giving low-ish scores, so I'm out." At least with a prodco I know who's giving me the low score.

IDK... I suppose my point is, and has been before, that the lower I go on the totem pole, the less well I do.

For example: With one script I submitted to Nicholl, I didn't make it past the first round. Crickets. I also gave this script to a writer I'd met at a party because I liked what they had to say. I was sure they were gonna dig it. NOPE! I suspect they didn't read it themselves and had it covered by their producing partner (a woman, no offense to women but that script is VERY male centric. Which is why I don't believe the note was his.). The response "This is a DISASTER!" Fukkin WHAT? Seriously... a disaster? The same script was read by the producer of the Matrix on plane back from London. He emailed my rep the second he got off the plane this word "AWESOME!!!" He called me two weeks later from on set. Whispering. I could hear the director over his shoulder "Rolling!" (Side note: Good tip btw, always yell 'rolling' before everyone is 'set' to get people moving! Otherwise they'll just stand around.) He said "Great script. Fukking loved it, how would you like to get paid to write ____ for me?" I'm like "Oh wow, thanks so much, I'd love to--" Cuts me off "Great, I'm gonna call the studio and tell them to get me the film rights to ___." CLICK!

Same script.

(MORE)

I was meeting with another tastemaker on that script. He says to me "You know what your biggest strength is?" I'm like "Uhhhh... IDK... character?" He's like "Nope... structure." WTF? Structure??? That's my biggest flaw in my mind.

Overall point: You just never know who or why someone will or will not respond to your script. My responses on that one were literally all over the place. From disaster to awesome. From my biggest strength is character work to, nope it's structure.

This is SUPER subjective. Which is why I don't get why people talk about this as if it's logical objectiveness. It ain't.

[Friday]

Re: Franklin Leonard

yes, you wait for the evals and determine if you want to make it public. i usually do one first then a second after because you have to have two that score above the community ace to get on the list.

if you get two right away your score could be high enough even without getting 8s which will keep you one the lists and viewable. The score still count to your average but you can choose not to make it public.

Yeah the not knowing who downloads your spec is a problem, but you can't do anything about it. If you get high scores they'll offer you free or discounted reviews which are always good to take so you can get on the annual top list which takes a min of 4 reviews above ave.

Thanks. The Blacklist is intriguing. I just haven't pulled the trigger yet because I am not sure how the grading will go and plus I don't like that I don't know who's downloading my script. At least with the top contests, I have a fair degree of certainty how I"d place if I do enough drafts and get it vetted enough. I only want scripts that are considered very good to be floating out there. Otherwise, I'd just like to bury them in the deep blue sea as my trunk scripts.

[Friday]

Re: Franklin Leonard

I would be concerned too. Who's the reader doing the eval? KNOW ONE KNOWS!

I tried The Blacklist (website) as another 'test the waters' venture. A script I'd already sold. Low marks, to me, 7s. Didn't Jeff do the same test, same results-is as me? I immediately deleted my account. Beyond that, no idea how it works. They gave me high marks for character (maybe 8-9, hard to remember) but low marks for concept originality, 7. Seriously? There ain't never been a show about this on TV, so? And it already sold, so? And had big showrunners, so? And a name producer, so? Oh and a studio, so?

Meh... fukk all this sh!t. Try to do **** yourself as the main GRIND. See my post today about intros. IOW -- Have your rep hustle, but also have your own hustle.

Which section did you put it at?