Franklin Leonard

[JoeNYC]

Re: Franklin Leonard

I was saying, "Why are you upset that she doesn't agree with you?" You guys rarely agree.

Have you been writing when you're not here, Joe? I hope so.

I don't care whether or not she agrees with me. She just exhausts me.

I haven't been writing. Personal and business stuff has been sidetracking me.

I finished a script a little over a month ago where I wanted to get into the feedback process, but I haven't found the time, which is frustrating.

[UpandComing]

Re: Franklin Leonard

it's a good approach. i've learned not to leave it on the site. even with being in the top lists, your return is maybe a single download every month or so, and you never know who that person is.

Yeah. No way I'm paying $30 a month for so little return.

[Bono]

Re: Franklin Leonard

Usually you're a funny dude, Bono, but I'm not finding you very funny right now.

Point: Subjectivity.

Don't automatically assume the reviewer is not component, or the scoring criteria is flawed. I don't know why none of this was not comprehensible.

Maybe I'm not as articulate as I thought.

I don't always make jokes -- just ask Up and Coming...

I agree on that -- I'm saying FA4 I think was arguing something else...

I was saying, "Why are you upset that she doesn't agree with you?" You guys rarely agree.

Have you been writing when you're not here, Joe? I hope so.

Between fighting on this thread, I wrote 6 pages in an hour.

[JoeNYC]

Re: Franklin Leonard

I have no idea what your point is either Joe.

Usually you're a funny dude, Bono, but I'm not finding you very funny right now.

Point: Subjectivity.

Don't automatically assume the reviewer is not component, or the scoring criteria is flawed. I don't know why none of this was not comprehensible.

Maybe I'm not as articulate as I thought.

[Bono]

Re: Franklin Leonard

finalact4, you keep saying I miss your point, I miss your point. I think the problem is that you don't know what your point is. I gave my opinion on the disparity between 9 and the 3, which you had issue with also.

I think you just look for any reason to type "War and Peace" type of posts.

I have no idea what your point is either Joe.

9-3 = 6, does that solve anything?

[JoeNYC]

Re: Franklin Leonard

no, joe, that is not what i said. you missed the point, again. the point was the disparity between the 9 and the 3 not the 3 in and of itself. if i get all 3s that's fine. that's not what i'm disputing.

finalact4, you keep saying I miss your point, I miss your point. I think the problem is that you don't know what your point is. I gave my opinion on the disparity between 9 and the 3, which you had issue with also.

I think you just look for any reason to type "War and Peace" type of posts.

[Bono]

Re: Franklin Leonard

1 to 100 seems a lot smarter than 1 to 10 to me...

[Friday]

Re: Franklin Leonard

So, what's the minimum amount you can spend on the Blacklist and still get a good result?



I am not too clear on all the jargon about quarterly lists, waiting for your review, while hosting.... Wouldn't you only host if you get an 8 or above and just do it for a few months? For anything below, you just discontinue?



Other questions, people who haven't used the blacklist are: Who's downloading your scripts? Sometimes, you don't want to approach someone who might have already read your script anonymously on the Blacklist. Also, for the top contests, if you do really well in one top contests, usually you'll land in another top contest. What's the consistency of a high contest placer doing well on the Blacklist? Just trying to get a gauge of their judging.

[gregbeal]

Re: Franklin Leonard

I had three total reads -- but only two were positive. Here's what mine said:

Some good news: your script placed among the Top 15% of all entries, meaning that it received two good scores but fell short of the total needed to advance to the Quarterfinal Round. Most Top 15% scripts were read three times; some were read only twice.

That makes it as clear as... mud.

Regardless, congrats on your two positive reads. No easy feat.

As far as I know, a script needs two very high scores on the Nicholls to get a third read. Only the high end of the top 20% were read three times this year. I made the top 20% but only got two reads.

Unless things have changed, this is how Nicholl first round reading works:

Every script is read twice. Those scripts receiving at least one strong positive score (typically the cut-off is 80 or just above 80) are read a third time.

For instance, let's say the strong positive read cut-off for a given year is 80. That means all scripts receiving an 80 as one of their first two reads will receive a third read, no matter what the second score is. If a script does not receive at least one 80, it will only be read twice.

The best two scores of the three reads are used to determine the quarterfinalist scripts.

In this example, it would be possible for a top 10% script to garner scores such as 78-78 and not receive a third read.

It would be possible for a top 20% script to be read three times with scores such as 80-65-60 (though most top 20% scripts would only receive two reads with scores similar to 73-72).

[figment]

Re: Franklin Leonard

As far as I know, a script needs two very high scores on the Nicholls to get a third read. Only the high end of the top 20% were read three times this year. I made the top 20% but only got two reads.

I had three total reads -- but only two were positive. Here's what mine said:

Some good news: your script placed among the Top 15% of all entries, meaning that it received two good scores but fell short of the total needed to advance to the Quarterfinal Round. Most Top 15% scripts were read three times; some were read only twice.

That makes it as clear as... mud.

Regardless, congrats on your two positive reads. No easy feat.

[finalact4]

Re: Franklin Leonard

So can you go month to month? So you host 1 month, get 2 reviews and pay $180 like I think Up/Coming said he does?

I surely see a pattern...

yes, month to month, but more than $180, because the reviews can take 3 weeks of the 4 week hosting period. so you might have to pay for an additional month most likely. a lot of writers will do one review, if it's good pay for the second, so 2 months min. if a review goes past the 3 weeks you'll get a free month.

if you get 8s and above you'll be offered free reads.

if you have a two point swing you'll be offered a discounted eval that you have to pay for. $10 off.

[Bono]

Re: Franklin Leonard

it's gone up.

$30/month X 12 (that's how many months are in a year, you know just in case) X # of years.

$75 a read X 2 = $150

so if you're on the top list, have a reader recommend and are on the featured script page you might invest in a year...

$510 -- but, you're not gonna stop at two like you should, because the next two reviews you get are free and they'll be lower, and maybe they'll be a 2 point spread, so they'll offer you a read for each at a discounted price of $40/ea. so that's an additional $80. then after the quarter is up you're on the yearly list, but you know the default is "quarter," so you just might be "smart" enough to buy two more to see if you can get back on the QUARTER list only to be hit with a wildcard 2. do you see the pattern? i'm not saying this happens all the time, but it could.

now you're north of $690.00

don't even go there, i know, i know...

So can you go month to month? So you host 1 month, get 2 reviews and pay $180 like I think Up/Coming said he does?

I surely see a pattern...

[finalact4]

Re: Franklin Leonard

Wasn't trying to one up you. Not my style. I'm curious to know the way it works myself. Maybe my understanding of it is wrong. If anyone does know, please enlighten us.

no, i know you weren't. i didn't take it that way, i just couldn't actually remember the story correctly when you posted, so my bad. i really don't know for sure. but i think figment might be right.

[finalact4]

Re: Franklin Leonard

So inform the dummy -- how much does that cost per script with 2 paid reviews for a month?

(sure it's on this thread somewhere and on the site, but i'm fat and lazy)

it's gone up.

$30/month X 12 (that's how many months are in a year, you know just in case) X # of years.

$75 a read X 2 = $150

so if you're on the top list, have a reader recommend and are on the featured script page you might invest in a year...

$510 -- but, you're not gonna stop at two like you should, because the next two reviews you get are free and they'll be lower, and maybe they'll be a 2 point spread, so they'll offer you a read for each at a discounted price of $40/ea. so that's an additional $80. then after the quarter is up you're on the yearly list, but you know the default is "quarter," so you just might be "smart" enough to buy two more to see if you can get back on the QUARTER list only to be hit with a wildcard 2. do you see the pattern? i'm not saying this happens all the time, but it could.

now you're north of $690.00

don't even go there, i know, i know...

[finalact4]

Re: Franklin Leonard

Someone posted the Verve Coverage Guide on r/screenwriting the other day and it mentions the BL specifically in regard to how the go about covering scripts.

The Blacklist is a company that monitors unrepresented writers with unsolicited materials. Generally, the material is not strong enough to be considered for representation but, sometimes, there is an excellent screenplay or writer waiting to be discovered. More often than not, these submissions are a pass. If so, you will probably know within the first 30 or 40 pages.

So while they are getting subs from the BL, they're looking at them with a jaundiced eye. The implication is pretty clear: aside from a rare exception, they don't see BL scripts as being ready for primetime. If that's the prevailing attitude at a mid-tier agency that is more writer-friendly than most, it's not hard to imagine how CAA or WME might feel.

i was just saying this exact thing to a fellow writer on twitter. yes, the industry knows about the black list. they use the black list to search for material. but i think you're right, in general, the consensus is that the overall quality is not there, but, and this is a big but--

there are good scripts. we know that.

so, here are the actual stats from the black list site of all 3256 scripts hosted:

2 have financiers attached
66 have agents
124 have managers
34 have both agents and managers
130 have producers attached

#of scripts on the top lists
167 for the QTR - requires min of 2 ratings above 6.12 (community average)
196 for the YEAR - requires 4 ratings above 6.12 (community average)

and we all KNOW that writers with reps have an advantage because their rep can go onto the site, download the script and rate it a 10. happens all the time. so even if they get a good review and a shitty review they stay way on top.

with that in consideration, how many of those top scripts have a manager, agent, and/or producer? one could assume that the majority of the scripts on the top list for the quarter would be within the "repped" category, no?

i'd look it up for you, but i think we can draw conclusions on our own.