New Black List Thread - Franklin Leonard answers your questions

Collapse

Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.
This topic is closed.
X
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • JoeBanks
    replied
    Re: New Black List Thread - Franklin Leonard answers your questions

    even more recently, the WGA's 2013 TV Staff Diversity report showed that while some progress has been made for women and minorities, there is a lot left to do:

    http://www.deadline.com/2013/03/writ...2013-findings/

    "Sociology professor Darnell Hunt, author of the report and director of the Ralph J. Bunche Center for African American Studies at UCLA, said that while women have seen a 5% increase in writing staff jobs between 1999-2000 and 2011-2012, at the current rate of growth it would take women "42 years to catch up with men- in terms of TV writing staff jobs.

    Other stats from the report: Minority writers nearly doubled their share of staff writing positions during that same period, from 7.5% to 15.6%, but still remain severely underrepresented compared to the population at large. Among the ranks of TV executive producer in the 2011-2012 season, women were underrepresented by factor of more than 2 to 1 "among writers who run TV shows- and minorities were underrepresented by a factor of nearly 5 to 1."

    Yes, it's a hard industry to break in for everyone (including white dudes such as myself). But when it's been historically even harder for other demographics, I don't understand why people (mostly white dudes as well, best as i can tell) lose their **** when programs like this come along to try and remedy those past imbalances.

    Even if there is some level of disproportion on the part of women, for example, in their attempts to enter the industry in lower percentages than men, so what? The raw numbers are still large and those who are competing for the work can still benefit from something like the Black List's new initiative to compensate for the variance in proportions.

    Leave a comment:


  • FranklinLeonard
    replied
    Re: New Black List Thread - Franklin Leonard answers your questions

    I would strongly encourage everyone to read the 2011 WGA Writers Report Executive Summary which we are using as a guide for our definition of diversity.

    It is an enlightening and terrifying presentation of the reality of diversity in the screenwriting trade at present.

    Leave a comment:


  • Margie Kaptanoglu
    replied
    Re: New Black List Thread - Franklin Leonard answers your questions

    Originally posted by stainjm View Post
    Have these scripts won contests and been rated high on The Blacklist, and still can't get anywhere because they were written by a female or minority? I don't know. That could happen, sure, but seems odd. Even if I was a bigot (sp?), I can't see myself not wanting money, if there is an audience for it and the script rocks.
    See Rhodi's post. Who decides what there is an audience for?

    Leave a comment:


  • FranklinLeonard
    replied
    Re: New Black List Thread - Franklin Leonard answers your questions

    Originally posted by LIMAMA View Post
    You have to be young and poor as old and poor counts for nothing....
    Diversity in this case includes (in addition to writers of color and women) pre and early baby boom writers who haven't yet made more than $25K in their screenwriting careers.

    Please do check out the WGA Writers Report on the site for a further discussion on exactly what underrepresented communities means within the screenwriting community. (either via the script upload process or via your my account page.)

    Leave a comment:


  • Margie Kaptanoglu
    replied
    Re: New Black List Thread - Franklin Leonard answers your questions

    Originally posted by Rhodi View Post
    Best writing in whose opinion? If we can agree on the basic fact that the majority of "gatekeepers" (agents, managers, readers, executives) in the industry are white males is it too far of a stretch to assume a certain degree of bias towards stories which appeal to a white male audience?
    This. Thank you, Rhodi.

    Leave a comment:


  • LIMAMA
    replied
    Re: New Black List Thread - Franklin Leonard answers your questions

    You have to be young and poor as old and poor counts for nothing....

    Leave a comment:


  • iknownuffin
    replied
    Re: New Black List Thread - Franklin Leonard answers your questions

    Originally posted by FranklinLeonard View Post
    I obviously fundamentally disagree with your contention that Terry and I glossed over it, thus my disagreement with the unsupported assertion that "that's not always true."

    I'm not suggesting that you are the dubious sort, just that the claim - unsupported by evidence - was dubious.

    To be clear, a "possible bad job" is very different from a bad job, and our examination of your evaluation did not suggest to us that a bad job had been done, and for the record, that is a very low standard. In all cases, tie goes to the writer, as it should (you'll see this claim backed up repeatedly throughout the last Black List thread.)

    If you'd like us to revisit it, feel free to email us again and I'll take a second look. By no means do we claim to be infallible.
    Franklin, I will take you up on your offer. I'm emailing you guys now. I appreciate it.

    Leave a comment:


  • stainjm
    replied
    Re: New Black List Thread - Franklin Leonard answers your questions

    I won't argue it, I just don't get it. And I'm more talking the male/female thing.

    Have these scripts won contests and been rated high on The Blacklist, and still can't get anywhere because they were written by a female or minority? I don't know. That could happen, sure, but seems odd. Even if I was a bigot (sp?), I can't see myself not wanting money, if there is an audience for it and the script rocks.

    Leave a comment:


  • FranklinLeonard
    replied
    Re: New Black List Thread - Franklin Leonard answers your questions

    Originally posted by iknownuffin View Post
    I guess I don't understand what you want Franklin. You stated that you'd like to be emailed with any sort of problem instead of putting it up publicly. I did that, and both you and Terry glossed over it.

    Hence my "That's not always the case" reply in this thread.

    Now you want me to post the evaluation here. Without, of course, the corresponding script to which it refers.

    How does that help?

    But just so you know I'm not the "dubious" sort, I PMed your email reply to me when I first brought this to your attention.

    Again, I'm not trying to be an ass. I just took issue with your previous statement that "something will be done" about a reader's possible bad job of coverage. The only thing you and Terry did was defend the reader's mistakes WITHOUT having read the corresponding script.
    I obviously fundamentally disagree with your contention that Terry and I glossed over it, thus my disagreement with the unsupported assertion that "that's not always true."

    I'm not suggesting that you are the dubious sort, just that the claim - unsupported by evidence - was dubious.

    To be clear, a "possible bad job" is very different from a bad job, and our examination of your evaluation did not suggest to us that a bad job had been done, and for the record, that is a very low standard. In all cases, tie goes to the writer, as it should (you'll see this claim backed up repeatedly throughout the last Black List thread.)

    If you'd like us to revisit it, feel free to email us again and I'll take a second look. By no means do we claim to be infallible.

    Leave a comment:


  • Rhodi
    replied
    Re: New Black List Thread - Franklin Leonard answers your questions

    Originally posted by stainjm View Post
    That's cool, but doesn't it seem weird that it's necessary for a feild were the best writing should rise to the top?
    Let me guess: Do you happen to be white? Male?

    Best writing in whose opinion? If we can agree on the basic fact that the majority of "gatekeepers" (agents, managers, readers, executives) in the industry are white males is it too far of a stretch to assume a certain degree of bias towards stories which appeal to a white male audience?

    There's a reason why a story with a black lead set in Chicago is a harder sell than a white lead set in Boston (I agree that the audience is part of the problem). But if you really love film - I mean, really love it - then you want a broad diversity of stories and writers and filmmakers.

    I just want to nip this "AfFirmertIve actions is reVerce rasisim!!11" bullshit in the bud. Recognize when you are speaking from a position of privilege. If I sound a little pissed it's because I just read Deadline comments against my better judgement.

    (P.S. I am a white male)

    Leave a comment:


  • iknownuffin
    replied
    Re: New Black List Thread - Franklin Leonard answers your questions

    Originally posted by FranklinLeonard View Post
    I described your claim as dubious because it's an assertion without presenting evidence, evidence which you have access to.

    Feel free to post your evaluation, in full, along with why you believe that it was of poor quality. Otherwise, it's impossible for anyone - myself included - to make an informed decision about whether your claim is true.
    I guess I don't understand what you want Franklin. You stated that you'd like to be emailed with any sort of problem instead of putting it up publicly. I did that, and both you and Terry glossed over it.

    Hence my "That's not always the case" reply in this thread.

    Now you want me to post the evaluation here. Without, of course, the corresponding script to which it refers.

    How does that help?

    But just so you know I'm not the "dubious" sort, I PMed your email reply to me when I first brought this to your attention.

    Again, I'm not trying to be an ass. I just took issue with your previous statement that "something will be done" about a reader's possible bad job of coverage. The only thing you and Terry did was defend the reader's mistakes WITHOUT having read the corresponding script.

    Leave a comment:


  • stainjm
    replied
    Re: New Black List Thread - Franklin Leonard answers your questions

    That's cool, but doesn't it seem weird that it's necessary for a feild were the best writing should rise to the top?

    A little note:

    I've never been to a screenwriting group where the majority of attendees were women. There are always more men in the screenwriting groups and events.

    On the opposite side of that, I've never attended a novel/fiction group/class/event where the majority was male. It is always female.

    So.... Maybe that just means the majority of women screenwriters stay at home and write, and vice-versa for men with fiction prose?

    Leave a comment:


  • FranklinLeonard
    replied
    Re: New Black List Thread - Franklin Leonard answers your questions

    Very big news, particularly for diverse screenwriters.

    We've partnered with Warner Bros to identify diverse screenwriters to receive a two-step WGA minimum blind scriptwriting deal.

    Details via Deadline: http://www.deadline.com/2013/07/warn...-served-demos/

    Leave a comment:


  • FranklinLeonard
    replied
    Re: New Black List Thread - Franklin Leonard answers your questions

    Originally posted by iknownuffin View Post
    I made the claim via email to both you and Terry. Both of you responded and said you felt the reader's coverage was correct BUT both of you admitted to not having read the script.

    And it isn't sour grapes. I previously submitted a different script and your reader gave me a "6" and pointed out why. I agreed. No problem.

    However, this time out, the reader had some questions/problems with the story which indicated to me he/she did not fully read the script. For instance, the reader commented that the environments have "incredibly changed" and didn't understand why.

    I guess the reader missed the worldwide nuclear holocaust that had taken place. Perhaps I'm wrong in my assumption but I'm thinking that kind of impact would tend to change the environment.

    Now while I like the idea behind the Blacklist, it doesn't mean I have to agree with all things Blacklist. Adding my input to a forum does not make me or my claim dubious. And I very much resent you saying so.
    I described your claim as dubious because it's an assertion without presenting evidence, evidence which you have access to.

    Feel free to post your evaluation, in full, along with why you believe that it was of poor quality. Otherwise, it's impossible for anyone - myself included - to make an informed decision about whether your claim is true.

    Leave a comment:


  • Margie Kaptanoglu
    replied
    Re: New Black List Thread - Franklin Leonard answers your questions

    Hi Franklin,

    Just received the email re the Black List / Warner Brothers partnership. Congratulations on this, and thanks for opening up even more opportunities for writers.

    By what date does one need to upload one's screenplay to the site in order to be considered for the first selection period?

    Does one need to purchase one or two reviews to be considered for the opportunity? Or does opting in mean that someone on the site will be reading the script anyway to consider it for selection?

    What can you tell us about the criteria required for selection?

    Thanks.

    Leave a comment:

Working...
X