Screenwriting : Blacklist and Screenplay Competitions... by Ye Er

Ye Er, Take a look at this Group for an Evaluation of your Script http://wildsound-filmmaking-feedback-events.com/

Check out a site called Talentville if you're still interested in getting feedback/coverage.

Go to see InkTip site.

I had a similar experience. Thank you for sharing yours, as I feel "better" knowing my experience is not unique.

Okay...a few things...First, Blacklist says that it takes 3 weeks to get your coverage back. So to ask for your money back after 2 weeks seems like you're just impatient. Second, if your script doesn't GET high ratings on its analysis then no one would find it on Blacklist anyway. So by NOT getting the coverage, you basically made sure no one could find it on there. Third, It takes much more than a month for people to find it. That's how they make their money. But if you thought Blacklist was a waste of time, definitely don't bother with Talentville or Wildsound. There are no pros on those sites looking for material. If you want coverage or notes, go to a professional/ script consultant. Not peer feedback sites. And InkTip doesn't do coverage.

I'm thinking i might use the coverage on here.

I've paid for a lot of BlackList (BL) reviews. The site launched back when I'd finished my first three scripts. The way I saw it was I could pay $50 to get a basic overview of my scripts plus scorings to see where I was in relation to the pros. It felt very useful at the time, and I still believe the scores instilled a confidence in me that strengthened my writing and my attitude. Looking back, the reviews seem very poor now. Some far too brief, some inaccurate, many conflicting, and a few amateurish. I think the experience taught me way more about readers than it did about writing. But, that said, I don't regret it. Although, for other reasons, I've since become very disheartened and very distrustful of the BL brand. As for exposure, despite a couple of spotlights and some good scores that nearly put me in the TopLists, I got pretty much nothing. But I see that as a good thing as I wouldn't want anyone to see those early scripts now. A lot of us seem to expect script listing services to generate exposure and reads, but we have to appreciate why that can't always be the case. BL is designed so the higher scoring reader reviewed scripts gain the most traction. Technically we can get exposure without paying for reviews, but realistically we wont. Yes we can tag our scripts so they list in searches but we have to accept few, if any, industry members are using the site in that fashion. We need to be getting in the spotlights, we need to be in the Toplists, we need to be indexed into the recommendation engine and that only comes with the reviews. Regarding the initial delay on getting the first read. BL will actually refund your first months hosting if the turnaround time exceeds the three weeks they state. You've really got to go out there and read the forum threads on BL on places like DoneDealPro, a lot is said and revealed within them that isn't put on the website.

Hello Danny, LOL, you know me so well. I was impatient, I was waiting for Blacklist's evaluation, if it was not good, I could still use it to make some final changes before I entered Nicholl... But they were slow... and I didn't have many friend to rate my script. 2 friends have read it early, they laughed. That's it.

Wow, CJ, I don't know what to say... Thank you for sharing your experience with BL. I am already out. I've come a long way to get here, stage 32. I like 32 better. It is a cool place where almost anyone can just talk about almost anything. And it is kinda hot. Lots of emails. Staff here work hard. My early drafts, I sent them to production companies I found at mandy.com. Bold, right? People read it and I got 10 feedbacks. It really helps.

@CJ nice post and it seems to be the consensus on what has happened as of late over on the BL. They do have great follow up on service if you have an issue. To anyone else, I cannot stress enough to stay away from wildsound they will do nothing to help you as a writer.

I don't know how I feel about BL service. A review I complained about was defended and I've since learned that, according to the complaint guidelines they've shared since, it should definitely have been pulled. I did get a free review, which was positive, but sadly the script's average score had been sandbagged at that point. There's other stuff too, but I'm wary of going into it. As some will know, the site owner has a near omnipresence on screenwriting forums. Therefore a lot of BL conversations tend to take place in private now.

@CJ Yep, I hear you -- you're not the only one.

same here. It's not you.

wow, i think i'll stay clear of BL from now on if that's the attitude.

The Blacklist is can be a cold, indifferent website. If you want more bang for your buck try Inktip. For free reviews, you can try Trigger Street Labs but you have to read other people's work to get coverage for your script, which can be anywhere from very good to ridiculous. When you look at sites like the Blacklist, you have to realize that they get thousands of scripts. So unless you have a compelling logline, it's hard to stand out from the crowd. For example, I posted a biopic script last week and have already had a few downloads. Screenplay competitions like Austin Film Festival and Nichols get over ten thousand scripts. So the competition is fierce.

Cherie, don't discount BL. It's a great concept that has helped many writers gain representation. If you have the money to spare, I recommend giving it a try. Just go in with a realistic view of what it actually is and how your script/writing stands.

Ok.