Screenwriting : Tales from the BlackList by Kamala Lane

Interesting. Why three scripts?

I'm really curious to follow this conversation, just because I was also thinking about joining Blacklist, but wasn't sure if it was worth investing in.

Thank you, Gary! I'm not really going for Indie, but I'm definitely drama. Everything I write is Drama/Something. Even my comedy is a Dramedy xD

Thanks so much for the input good ppl!

The Black List is highly organized, but it really is a numbers game. To be a member costs $25 a month. You post your script but what's seen is your title and log line. If that interests someone then they may look more closely at your script's basic information or actually download it. This is all done anonymously. So, basically the more people that view or download your script the more your "number" increases and thus your script climbs the ranks and is made more visible to more people. However, and the site explains this, if you pay for a review, costing $50, and that review is a good one, then you can also make that review available for interested readers which will thus increase your "number." The problem with this scenario is that if you choose to not get a review your chances of viewership lessens. The Black List highly recommends you pay extra for reviews. If you get a bad review you can always pay another $50 to get another review from a different anonymous reader and hope that the second review is better than the first so that you can use it to drive viewers to your script..... Whew! Anyway, this can get expensive and may not produce the result you are looking for. On the other hand, if you have a kick-ass script and receive great reviews you should do well. So, proceed with realistic expectations!

I totally agree Ken. I tried The Black List for one month. I had lots of views and several downloads. I did pay for a review and it was "okay." I could have posted it. However, I just decided this wasn't worth the money, nor would it really work for me. Most scripts that are on The Black List came from those who are already "in the know." Before they launched the web site, scripts that made the list had already been read and had already been circulating in the industry. The Black List is the list of well-liked scripts that have not been produced yet. For someone like myself trying to break in, this may not be the right avenue. I believe one can promote a script better on their own. :)

Specscout.com has a slightly different methodology, Anybody use them?

I think blacklist got some sort of deal going on with Warner Brothers. Personally, I've only posted on AmazonStudios, SellaScript, JuntoBox and Inktip.

I'm new to The Black List. Just posted my script there about fours days ago and in less than twelve hours someone had already downloaded it. What this means, I don't know. Wait and see I guess. One thing I didn't expect ON THE VERY FIRST PAGE one gets to when uploading a script is the so called Blind Commitment Agreement. I guess I was just surprised they would offer it right there. Perhaps it's a BUSINESS decision. It was so tempting to just check the Opt In button, but I decided against it. And that was good, because after I sat down to read the VERY LONG agreement I discovered it would had been a very bad decision to sign it. Yes, they would pay you about $60,000 USD for a first draft, AND some more for a first rewrite. BUT, and this is a BIG BUT: Whoever signed that agreement would be considered a "writer for hire" AND would LOSE ALL RIGHTS TO THE MATERIAL! I was flabbergasted that someone would want to exploit a person in such a way. Oh, well. I guess it's a business this film thing. In the meantime, I keep writing to the best of my ability, and wait for the right opportunity to break in. I'm not going to basically give my stuff away to any studio just to "break in." Good luck to all of you. And keep writing! P

I just signed up over there so I will follow this thread and let you know what happens.

@pedro - what are you talking about? I just uploaded a script and didn't come across the Blind Commitment Agreement, just a 4 line submission agreement. Are you getting BL confused with Amazon Studios? It's interesting some of the misconceptions here about the Black List. Those who are interested should really research the pros/cons of the Black List (for them). Franklin Leonard is very legit and responsive to emails.

If your script is ready then BL is a good way to see if your script is marketable. I have noticed your reviews and scores may vary from reader to reader. One reader may give you a 3 and another could give you a 6. Make sure you have a killer logline as this will help you garner interest. If you score 8 or above you will create some interest, but there are folks who have scored 9 and 10 and not sold their script. The site seems to be the best way to find a manager, not sell a script.

Yup, as said earlier, The Black List is highly organized and is perused by people in the industry. The problem, or rather concern, is the ratio of success verses cost. It's all based on viewership, numbers and ranking -- really based on random chance. Sure, it certainly can work for you and the more money you put in can also help. But, even The Black List suggests that if you are not getting traction on a script you should stop, take it down or try another script -- thus spending more money. I guess, in my mind, your chances of success improves when you are the one personally driving your readership, approaching people on your own, choosing people that may have real interest in your script verses putting it up somewhere where you have no idea who is seeing it. Then again, The Black List does offer another way to try to get out there and be discovered, another avenue worth trying. So... all roads lead to Rome, right? :)

Bruce Dern on Charlie Rose made a point of "softly" defending Kazan re: the McCarthy Hearings in the '50's. Said he only gave 10 names of actors he saw at a certain gathering. All in all, his directing career spun downward by the industry as a result. But brilliant as Kazan was--he was never popular to begin with...

^ Harty har har!

Such great insight! It seems to be worth a shot just as long as your expectations are realistic and BL shouldn't be the only iron I have in the fire. It seems like an interesting avenue, though, considering the partnerships that keep cropping up (Warner Bros, Cassian Elwes Fellowship). And Franklin Leonard seems to drop by the Done Deal forum to answer loads of questions about BL from time to time.

An interview with a Black List success story: http://thebitterscriptreader.blogspot.com/2013/11/an-interview-with-blac...

@Monique. My mistake. The BCA is not on the first page. It's on the next page. - No. I'm not getting BL confused with Amazon Studios. - Mine, was not a "misconception." - I did researched BL before I submitted to it. And I only submitted my script to them because I was satisfied with what I found. - At no point in my post did I imply that the people who run BL are anything, good or bad. - What I did imply in my post was that I was pleased that my script was downloaded very soon after I posted it. Anyway. Nice meeting you. I hope this is not the last time we "talk." : -) Success in all your endeavors. P

Do your homework. It's not going to work for everyone. They certainly are NOT a scam, but I've heard form many writers that they felt their reviewer just skimmed the material, which I attribute to the rapid growth of the service. Also be clear on the difference between the annual list and the script service. They are fairly transparent and more than willing to listen if you feel something is amiss. If you can afford it and you are confident in the material, it is worth a shot as much as any of the contests writers throw money at -- be open to notes, and realistic that you are relying on someone's opinion.

^That's pretty disheartening.

Stating the obvious... Ah well yeah... You can't copywrite an Idea. AND I have a feeling that You may have, heaven forbid --certainly taken/borrowed someone else's Idea. Get over it. You'll live longer.

I've had a very mixed experience. Had two scripts spotlighted but saw virtually no response, due to an outlying review I had another script slip by the Top Lists. Polarising material does not do well on there. The reviews are a very mixed bag, many are excellent but I've had a couple of quite obnoxious and inaccurate ones.

I'll agree with several other posters here. I know someone who submitted a script to Blacklist - it's one that I've read and regard very highly. (Not my script. And believe me, I don't often say a script is really good.) But the reviews the script garnered were... subpar. Some details were gotten wrong/misrepresented, and the score just wasn't (IMHO) reflective of the script's quality. Again - it's not that I'm blind to any flaws this particular script might have. The same script is currently in Bluecat, and the reviews there were actually pretty insightful - even the critical ones. But... given the lowish quality of the Black list readers that this script encountered, I wouldn't really recommend them. Granted, this is only one experience - others may have faired better. But especially since this is a pay-for-play situation... not particularly impressed. :(

I don't wish to be redundant, but I agree with Janet and Manda. Not only was my reader simpleminded, his most crucial sentence in criticism was muddy and abstract, sort of like a beginner... Oh, and there was a typo!

This is my favourite type from a BL reader, ironic given the context. This was the opening to the weaknesses. "Typos, gramatical errors, and misspellings abound,..." This was the same reader who scored my script 3 while the other two scored it 7. They went on to claim it was violent, one dimensional and overtly sexual, which was nonsense. There review came in on Boxing Day too, right along with another harsh, similar scoring review, claiming the same issues. So that's what you sometimes get with BL, a $25 a read reader working on Boxing Day.

I just got the Black List Evaluation for my script NAVY ONE. The script scored only a 6/10, which it was "a bit lower" than the 7/10 I thought NAVY ONE merited. BUT -I do have to say- it was a very thorough review, and the reader did have some valid points regarding my second act. I guess I just have to sit down for another rewrite to make it more "perfect"! :-) Ah! I almost forgot: The reader did indicate that NAVY was great "commercial potential" AND that -when improved- it will be "one to watch"! That's a good thing. Back to the rewriting board! :-)

Pedro, good luck to you, just be wary, from my experience the readers often have wildly different opinions over what a script needs to be better. I've rewritten 'sure fire blockbusters' with 'action sequences filled with wit comparable to Indiania Jones' only to find the next reviewer felt the action sequences 'were too long and boring'. BlackList is a great concept, something the industry really needs, but, in line with Trevor's comments above, readers are a difficult breed to get reliable results from.

Such great feedback. Very helpful. I've decided to forgo using Blcklst for now. It seems like a last resort for me. I've got some other irons in the fire, so maybe I'll come back and reconsider at a later date.

Another thing about "readers." You don't know if they're your "peers," what their credentials are. I personally know two who are fresh out of high school and trashed a script of mine that had been recommended for production twice. Still, I have been considering Blacklist for one of my screenplays... the one just mentioned. I guess being a glutton for punishment is a prerequisite to being a writer...