Franklin Leonard

[catcon]

Re: Franklin Leonard

Ah, thank you 'search tool' in DDPro. In March 2018 there were several comments that contributed to my notions about Shia's script, in the 'My Blacklist Experience' thread. Here's one:

I just looked it up. It's a movie (Honey Boy) about Shia LeBeouf (himself) during his "Even Stevens" years and it's about his relationship with his "abusive father." I didn't even know there was any such show as Even Stevens. I'm guessing this isn't going to be a big budget film.

Supposedly Shia LeBeouf co-wrote this and listed it anonymously on Blacklist as Otis Lort, which is supposed to somehow translate loosely to "Wealthy Turd."

https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood...c-lucas-hedges

(The bold/underline is my emphasis, so that helps to answer my question about whether or not scripts are ID'd for the evaluations. Further:

Originally Posted by cvolante View Post
Shia LeBeouf's script that sold recently has a lot of 9s and 10s.

I saw 22 paid ratings, all 8s or higher. Has anyone got their grubby hands on it?

Is this right? 22 evaluations? Why?

[ScreenRider]

Re: Franklin Leonard

“HONEY BOY.” Received more than 20 overall 8s and 9s from paid evaluations. Talk about consistency!

Does it show how many total evaluation it got? Meaning, could he have paid for a 100 reviews and only made public the ones that got over an 8?

[Jai Brandon]

Re: Franklin Leonard

What was that "hot" script a few years ago, I think by Shia LaBeouf, where his management team paid for multiple multiple BL evaluations, presumably to bump up the average and "suck 'em in"? It's a marketer's dream, if ya' got a big name to begin with, and ya' got something that's reasonably comprehensible to read, if ya' can cover the requisite fees, then just pay up and we'll reward ya'.

"HONEY BOY.- Received more than 20 overall 8s and 9s from paid evaluations. Talk about consistency! On the other hand, I've almost finished reading it and I'm less than impressed. The movie premiered at Sundance and is currently on IMDb with a 6.6 audience score, granted it's not a large sample size: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8151874/

[finalact4]

Re: Franklin Leonard

Thanks guys. I'll sign up as soon as my next project is ready to market.

i use DDP to check out the deals that hit each month. in case i'm writing a concept that just got optioned, going into development or sold. i will also use it to determine how old a project is, because a lot of times a project stops moving forward.

and i get to see which managers and agents are selling the most specs.

[ScreenRider]

Re: Franklin Leonard

Thanks guys. I'll sign up as soon as my next project is ready to market.

[Bono]

Re: Franklin Leonard

Does getting a Done Deal Pro membership have any advantages over using IMDB Pro?

Well for starters it allows you to ask this question to me and I to respond, in other words, keep the forums going. Isn't that worth it alone?

I never used the other one -- but Done Deal Pro membership is great. In fact, after I finish a new spec, I need to sign up again (been awhile for me, but I think I went for like 10 years straight) as so much has changed.

I think this is first product I endorsed on the same site I'm on! Which is exactly what I was just making fun of in my other posts!!! Ha ha.

[catcon]

Re: Franklin Leonard

Though I've noted this before, I'll throw it out real quick since you asked...

Our site was primarily designed for writers so they could see what scripts/stories were being set up in the film & TV worlds and who repped the writers at the time of the deal. We also list the production companies, studios & networks involved along with the producers, directors, actors and/or executives overseeing the project with each deal, as we know of them at the time.

IMDB Pro is a powerhouse backed by Amazon. They have a large staff that can manage all their content along with a much greater ability to allow "user" content to be added. In other words, people submit their own info about what they are attached to, have in development, worked as crew member on, etc. They saves them a lot of effort. People can also submit their own contact info as desired, and so on. Thus IMDB Pro has a much larger and detailed database of contact info than we or most sites can ever really have.

But in terms of trying to figure out what agents or managers to query, what production companies to target, to see what specific deals reps were involved with, the "history" of a particular IP, etc., I feel we offer a better service for that. For example, you can see when the rights to a book were picked up, then when a writer was hired to adapted it, then when a new writer is hired to rewrite it, and when even another writer was hired to do a polish. One can see the steps that are frequently involved in development.

We're also just $30 a year. I know of different subscribers that will use our site to narrow their queries, use what contact info we have, then subscribe to IMDB Pro to supplement as need be. One can also more easily research I believe what "stories" or story elements are already out there so you can make the best decision moving forward. I've had writers tell me they check our database before starting a new project so they can quickly and easily see what's already floating around out there.

My standard answer as to why I don't do stuff (I don't have the money") applies to DDPro, too, but I can attest to its value because I've been a paid member before.

One thing about managing contact data for producers et al, as we find additions or corrections we can send Will a note and he/they'll add them to their database. I did this a dozen times or more back then. Try that with IMDB. With that in mind, we should all take advantage of building and enhancing the DDPro database so it benefits us even more.

In addition to using DDPro, then using IMDBpro to compare/confirm, I might add that everybody should be on LinkedIn. Since the profiles there are pretty well a person's resume, I often find they're kept up-to-date pretty well. Sometimes I find changes there (moved from one prodco to another, set up their own, etc.) before they even show up on the original company's website contact pages. So, LinkedIn is very cool, and you don't have to use the paid system ($30/month for unlimited searching, etc.); you can use a freebie, set up your own profile, then try to 'connect' to some of the big-shots you find there. Note: Most so them aren't there to accept queries though, so you have to use other logic to get through to them.

I don't mean to say any system is the only one you need, but that DDPro, the standard IMDB, and LinkedIn, plus of course good old Google, is about all you need.

Which brings up one last thing about IMDB and DDPro: The former has locked out its views of 'company data'. You need IMDBpro or that! So this is another benefit to DDPro (+ LinkedIn, Google, etc. and even, sometimes, Wiki, and lastly don't forget the value of these DDPro forums).

Use them all. But $30 is a pretty useful $30 to spend if I had the dough, for DDPro!

[Done Deal Pro]

Re: Franklin Leonard

Does getting a Done Deal Pro membership have any advantages over using IMDB Pro?

Though I've noted this before, I'll throw it out real quick since you asked...

Our site was primarily designed for writers so they could see what scripts/stories were being set up in the film & TV worlds and who repped the writers at the time of the deal. We also list the production companies, studios & networks involved along with the producers, directors, actors and/or executives overseeing the project with each deal, as we know of them at the time.

IMDB Pro is a powerhouse backed by Amazon. They have a large staff that can manage all their content along with a much greater ability to allow "user" content to be added. In other words, people submit their own info about what they are attached to, have in development, worked as crew member on, etc. They saves them a lot of effort. People can also submit their own contact info as desired, and so on. Thus IMDB Pro has a much larger and detailed database of contact info than we or most sites can ever really have.

But in terms of trying to figure out what agents or managers to query, what production companies to target, to see what specific deals reps were involved with, the "history" of a particular IP, etc., I feel we offer a better service for that. For example, you can see when the rights to a book were picked up, then when a writer was hired to adapted it, then when a new writer is hired to rewrite it, and when even another writer was hired to do a polish. One can see the steps that are frequently involved in development.

We're also just $30 a year. I know of different subscribers that will use our site to narrow their queries, use what contact info we have, then subscribe to IMDB Pro to supplement as need be. One can also more easily research I believe what "stories" or story elements are already out there so you can make the best decision moving forward. I've had writers tell me they check our database before starting a new project so they can quickly and easily see what's already floating around out there.

[UpandComing]

Re: Franklin Leonard

Thanks for sharing your insight, Bono. BTW, I loved 30 Rock, haha.

[ScreenRider]

Re: Franklin Leonard

In a way I got my reps from this site, because here I had a datebase of managers and agents.

Does getting a Done Deal Pro membership have any advantages over using IMDB Pro?

[Bono]

Re: Franklin Leonard

In a way I got my reps from this site, because here I had a datebase of managers and agents. Got email lists from others writers. Learn how to query. Had support group of other writers experiences....

So yeah I did the work, but i used this site for 90% of my knowledge. I owe a lot to this place and many writers who are no longer with us. Not dead, just not here on the site. Or also dead.

[Bono]

Re: Franklin Leonard

I actually did well on trackingb.com contest years back... however before I did well, I was querying that same script and found a manager before that contest could help me break in.... so it proved to me how it's all about the script itself not any specific contest.

The real contest is querying reps and getting one to sign you. Then the next one is trying to make money writing.

So you can be number 1 at the "top" contests and still not get anything from your career from it.

Now there are like fellowships that seem extra cool -- i was close to getting on at Disney back in 2005 or so... I was in top 50... didn't make it, but that felt good. But it was a 30 Rock spec, so can't really sell that, only a sample.

So the real answer is if you want use contests to be a way to judge on a certain level how your writing talent is, but don't like it be the end game.

Like I finished in top 10% of Nicholl for a spec and I did used that in queries.

I got an option from a producer on a spec, and that helped for sure get reads as producer name was known.

So use all you can. But to be clear, it's about the script itself. That's the truth.

Just keeping trying, but there is no reason you have to enter any of these contests or services. But when I was a younger writer, I did. So who am I to say you shouldn't? I'll just say you don't need too.

[UpandComing]

Re: Franklin Leonard

Really strange situation, Satriales. Glad you were able to break in without need for the site.

[Satriales]

Re: Franklin Leonard

I had mostly positive experiences with the Blacklist as it was my first introduction to what writing to industry standard looked like. I got 8s on maybe four different scripts but never got any real traction out of it. I did get shortlisted for the labs and offered a monthly featured script but at that point I had already broken in and it wasn't my best script (it was my first) so I passed on it. It's another tool in the box if you have disposable income. I find doing your homework and targeting specific Stage 32 or VFP industry folks is a better bang for the buck.

This is apropos of nothing (this isn't a complaint it was just ****ing weird) at one point a couple years ago I had three scripts hosted at once because I had gotten 8s on all of them. Of the three or so years I used the site I only had three pro ratings. The feature I mentioned above was pretty high on the top lists. I got a pro rating at 12:15 on a Thursday. It was a 4. Whatever. The script wasn't a 4, but **** is subjective. The following Thursday, 12:17 or so - another pro rating on a pilot - 4. I didn't think much until the exact same time the following Thursday and god dammit the third pilot gets...a 4! I thought maybe it was the time that automated emails from the site went out for like the previous week. I asked someone I had become friendly with who would know the answer and it definitely didn't work that way. It could be coincidence but...I dunno. Anyway, that and the overall sophistication of some of the readers gives me a bit of unease with giving a full throated recommendation to anyone without truly disposable income.

[UpandComing]

Re: Franklin Leonard

I remember reading about some service in Creative Screenwriting and I think he was first guy to send my work to a real manager and that is what got me thinking about pushing hard to get my work out there -- which lead me to this site -- which lead me to getting reps. So some of it is worth the investment. You learn as you go.

Are you saying you got your reps through DDP?

Did you see a difference in grading between the Blacklist and the major contests? The reason I like contests is because I think they are pretty generous with their grading. I haven't tried the Blacklist yet.

Similar to my curiosity with Bono, what do you think is the level of placement you need to get the attention of one of this big managers?

The major contests have their readers grade scripts with numbers that are attached to specific criteria. As far as I know, Black List readers do not tie specific numbers to any specific criteria; it's just based on a feeling of whether one would want to pass a script up to his/her boss. I think this makes the process much more subjective and more prone to harsher and divergent scores (and consequently, much slimmer odds of getting discovered and more money down the drain).

As for contests, I think the past has shown that for the Nicholl, Quarterfinalists and above stand a good chance of getting contacted by pros (as a former Nicholl QF myself, I can vouch for this). With other major contests (Austin, PAGE, Final Draft), you probably need to be a semifinalist or finalist to get attention. With lesser contests you need to be an outright winner, though reps don't really care about most of those.