Some of my friends and colleagues here at S32 I'm not a big fan of Franklin Leonard's the Blacklist. But I owe him and his screenwriter's website an apology. According to this Article in the Atlantic, he's launching careers. For the small fee of 25 bongo bucks a month and 75 clams per review, you too might get put on of top spec scripts next year. I'm a big enough feller to admit when I'm wrong. Where do I sign? Who's with me? Â Read the article and see for yourself.Â
https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2017/03/how-franklin-leonar... Â Â
I promise this is the last time I'm talking about this... Nah, not really.
AS:
Thanks for sharing your heartwarming story.
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Hardy
Waking up to fresh coffee. Lol. I am gonna forward this post to my USC film school buddies who paid $240K tuition.
The price is the price.
Some say advice should be free. I dunno. If you're good at something, why do it for free? (The Joker). Very few selfless people in the Industry.
There is always gonna be blow back but I know 2 writers from NYC who were "discovered" off the BL. One of em is a single mom with 0 Hollywood connections.
Use or don't use the BL. The end game (a job) is what matters.
Owen: Perhaps the Atlantic has ulterior motives.
AS:
The origin of bongo bucks is a cartoon called The King and Odie from the 60's. Their Kingdom was Bongo Congo and the monetary unit was the bongo buck. A bit obscure I know:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVeyL4NbDe8
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Looks like they are perpetuating the same falsehood/misconception: that the list that circulates among execs within the industry and the listing website are the same thing. They. Are. Not. But I couldn't finish reading this icky propaganda either. Phillip, what does this topic have to do with craft? Lol!
Beth
Check out a twitter fight between FLeonard and Paul Guyot. I have no dog in their dispute. Industry Black list or Black List website, the line is blurred. Whatever. Any creative job field with big egos & big money - music, writing, acting, dancing- there's gonna be a host of gurus. Bus loads of folks arrive in La La Land every day. Can't stop selling the dream.
AS:
Yeah!
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I have never felt like spending the $ to play the roulette that is the BL.
I have, however, had good luck with other pay-to-play pitching sites. Mainly VP. I just got three new read requests this week so far, and I've made some excellent and very viable connections. Nobody's signed me for a damn thing yet, but I am so close I can taste it....or maybe that's the stale gum I'm chewing. Lol.
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AS:
When I did one review years back, my ball was definitely cranky. But look at the math. If they have ten thousand scripts listed, and then you have to get about 4 or 5 reviews above 8, odds ain't in your favor. Then factor in your astute point on whether or not your ball resembles a jerkwad, frustrated writer, who themselves has never done jack or shit, and then they're out of psychotropic drugs on the day they read your screenplay... you can imagine the combustible outcome.
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What Beth said. The official industry "Black List" and the website blcklst.com are NOT the same thing. You do not have to pay to be included on the official "Black List".... but you DO have to write an amazing script that is seen by agents, managers, and producers.
Now, if you're like 99% of aspiring writers out there who do not have access to said agents, managers, and producers, the website will happily take your money under the auspices of helping you get there. It's a crap shoot.
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The Industry Black List is a word of mouth vote of the best un-produced spec scripts of every year. The list comes out in December. The Voters are agents, managers, Producers. It is a big deal to be nominated on BL. The Writers are repped, some are WGA union. I think Mindy Kaling & Tony Gilroy made the list last year 2016.
Here is the rub which confuses many people. Frankie Leonard's website posts the BL list. I think he puts it all together. HIS WEBSITE HAS ABSOLUTELY 0 to do with the voting but shares the same "hype" name.
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Who do I have to bang to get on the list? And don't say Franklin or I'll hunt you down and steel your garden gnomes.
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Thanks for further explaining, Dan M and others. Yup, and that's why it's concerning. He's certainly profiting off a misconception, and taking advantage of writers. As CJ and many others have said... He's brought the casino-mentality to screenwriting. And with casinos the house always wins.
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Hardy
The BL is by Invite only. They will call you, you don't call them.
More information on the "real" Black List here: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_List_(survey)
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Dan, so I guess bribes and sexual favors are out then.
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John H:
No, Trump offered me a job as a speechwriter. I'm on my way to Washington.
John
Matt Damon saved China. No need to go now