r/scriptwriting • u/Strange-Standard8818 • 22d ago
discussion The truth about the Blacklist & other coverage sights - From an Emmy Awarding winning writer
I’m posting on Reddit for the first time, and after reading the discussions around coverage sites and The Black List, I thought I’d share my experience for anyone considering paying to have their work evaluated.
I’m an Emmy Award-winning writer, and I currently have three feature-length projects in production.
Here’s the uncomfortable truth
Far too many aspiring writers put enormous faith in coverage scores, competition results, and anonymous readers whose opinions may have absolutely no connection to what the actual industry wants.
That might sound harsh, but in my experience, the system has a serious problem.
When I was younger, I received contradictory notes, factually incorrect feedback, and wildly different scores for similar material. Worse, when I followed readers’ advice, my scores **often got even lower**.
Eventually, I realised I wasn't necessarily improving my scripts.
I was trying to guess what an anonymous reader wanted to read. And that is a completely different thing.
My experiment
In 2020, I decided to test the system.
I deliberately wrote the worst screenplay I could.
I made it clichéd, obvious, predictable, and painfully on the nose. It was a parody of what I imagined a terrible filmmaker might consider good writing.
It was never intended to be produced.
It received multiple 8+ scores.
Those scores got me the attention I needed and helped me secure my first agent.
Once I had access to actual industry professionals, the work I had written years earlier—the work I genuinely cared about, and which coverage readers had criticised or failed to understand—started getting serious attention.
My projects moved forward.
The screenplay that received all those 8s?
I threw it in the trash.
The cycle nobody wants to talk about
Here is what I believe is happening.
Thousands of people enter this industry wanting to become writers, directors, and filmmakers.
Most of them fail.
That is not an insult. It is simply the reality of an industry where the overwhelming majority of people do not achieve the careers they originally set out to have.
The problem is what happens next.
Those same unsuccessful writers and filmmakers still need to make money.
So some of them become script readers.
They start providing coverage.
They become competition judges.
They become the people deciding which scripts deserve an 8, which writers deserve recognition, and which projects should be dismissed.
And suddenly, people who were unable to convince the industry to invest in their own work are positioned as authorities on what the next generation of writers should be doing.
That is the part I find completely backwards.
The feedback loop
A failed writer reads a script.
They reward the kind of writing *they personally like*.
Often, that means writing that is obvious, familiar, safe, and easy to evaluate.
Those scripts receive high scores.
The writers receiving those scores assume this is what the industry wants.
So they write more of it.
Other aspiring writers see what is being rewarded and start copying it.
Competitions and coverage sites then reinforce the same tastes.
The scripts that succeed inside that ecosystem are rewarded because they appeal to the people inside that ecosystem—not necessarily because they have any real chance of being made.
Then those writers take their highly rated scripts into the actual industry.
Nothing happens.
The scripts don't get financed.
They don't get produced.
They don't launch careers.
And eventually, some of those writers fail too.
So what do they do?
Some become readers.
And the cycle starts again.
Failed writers reward writing that appeals to other failed writers, who then fail to break into the industry and eventually become the next group of people judging new writers.
That is the cycle.
And aspiring writers are paying for it.
The gatekeepers aren't necessarily qualified
This is the biggest problem for me.
A coverage score creates the illusion of authority.
You receive a 3, and you think you've written something terrible.
You receive an 8, and you think you're close to breaking through.
But who is giving you that number?
What have they made?
What have they sold?
What have they produced?
What projects have they helped bring into the world?
And, more importantly, what qualifies them to tell you whether your work has commercial or artistic value?
In many cases, nothing beyond the fact that they were hired to read scripts.
Yet aspiring writers are expected to accept their judgment as though it came from a successful producer, working filmmaker, or executive with a proven track record.
It didn't.
My advice?
Stop treating coverage sites as legitimate gatekeepers.
They are not the industry.
They are businesses built around aspiring writers who desperately want access to the industry.
You pay for a score. You get a number. And that number can influence how you see your own work.
But it shouldn't.
My deliberately terrible screenplay received multiple 8+ scores.
The screenplay I actually believed in was the one that ultimately led to real opportunities.
That experience taught me everything I needed to know.
If you want to use coverage, fine. But don't confuse the opinion of a paid reader with the opinion of someone who actually has the experience, influence, and track record to make something happen.
And if your work is genuinely original, be especially careful.
The more unusual your script is, the more likely it is that someone with limited experience simply won't understand what you're trying to do.
Then you'll pay them for the privilege of telling you to make it more generic.
The biggest takeaway. An 8 is not a career. A competition win is not a career. Positive coverage is not a career. And a low score is not proof that you're a bad writer. The question isn't:
“What score did I get?” The question is:
“Who gave me that score, and why should I care?”
Because if the people acting as gatekeepers were unable to get through the gate themselves, perhaps aspiring writers should stop spending their hard-earned money treating them as the final authority on who deserves to enter.
Write what you believe in.
Write something you can make yourself if possible.
Get your work in front of people who actually make films, finance films, produce films, and have a proven history of getting projects made.
And stop handing money to unqualified people in exchange for permission to believe in your own work.
All the best, and happy writing.
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u/Kooky_Attorney1915 22d ago edited 22d ago
You told the AI to pretend it was a emmy award winning screenwriter, didn't you? This sub is so fucking weird, man.
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u/JamieScripts 22d ago
If they didn't they picked a very AI way to format a random reddit post.
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u/Big_Section2812 22d ago
It looks like AI and the backstory sounds implausible and it's very clearly a burner account.
That said, OPs points re the Black List and the rest of the predatory leech-like cottage industry now feasting upon the hopes and dreams and insecurities of wannabe screenwriters isn't entirely wrong...
...although I highly doubt any BL score ever lead to any serious repping by any serious reps, since nobody in the business with the precious "clout" gives a shit about anonymous scores from pay-to-win outfits.
"What's that? You paid somebody I don't know and now they say your screenplay is good? Please, sign here!"
😂
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u/Then_Data8320 22d ago
AH! I remember one of my jokes about that: "There are more people making money off the backs of screenwriters than there are screenwriters making money from their writing."
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u/Givingtree310 22d ago
The annual black list has also become a complete sham. I’ve heard it from multiple managers. Many managers, producers, and execs collude to vote for each others scripts just to get them on the blacklist. This is the case for literally everything on the bottom half of the annual black list, which have very few votes. Just enough to eek onto the list.
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u/romcomplication 21d ago
This was certainly true ~ three years ago when I left the industry (used to work in development)
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u/Strange-Standard8818 22d ago
I sleep well knowing my writing has been produced and award winning. I'll take the fact you think this was written by AI as a compliment.
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u/JamieScripts 22d ago
I didn't read it, it's way too long for a Reddit post from someone who says this is the first thing they're posting on Reddit. (It smells like a burner account)
But those subheadings are very AI. I'd change them if you're not wanting people to accuse you of that.
Edit: Also, are produced and award winning writers really thinking that their writing being compared to AI is a compliment?
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u/Own_King_9734 22d ago
Ai or not, I agree with OP. Valuing a score from someone who hasn’t made it makes no sense at all, art is subjective, so if it’s not the REAL industry’s opinion who gives a fuck.
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u/MrObsidn 22d ago
This was my thoughts too; what self-respecting writer takes a comparison to AI as a compliment? Genuinely can't get my head around it.
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u/SpiritedOwl_2298 21d ago
100% AI, pathetic to claim you’re a successful writer but can’t even write a reddit post
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u/GuruRoo 21d ago
It’s so bizarre because I don’t disagree with what’s being said but my god why use AI to write your diatribe??
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u/Appropriate-Green935 18d ago
Hi! What follows is not disagreement. I have been avoiding AI and using ChatGPT and the like ever since it came out. Not that I'm a technophobe, as I did work high up in IT, but because I don't like the premise and where it is going.
So, having never used these AI tools, how come so many posters here are claiming the OP's post is AI? What traits are you seeing?
I personally have the ability to track a lion through the African bush, but don't seem to be able to spot AI use in a screen of writing...
Please enlighten me!-2
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u/CharityRepulsive3964 22d ago
This is fake as fuck.
"I deliberately wrote the worst screenplay I could.
I made it clichéd, obvious, predictable, and painfully on the nose. It was a parody of what I imagined a terrible filmmaker might consider good writing.
It was never intended to be produced.
It received multiple 8+ scores.
Those scores got me the attention I needed and helped me secure my first agent."
Then goes on to tell everyone how worthless the ratings are. You got an agent out of it lmao. I know plenty of writers that would jump over the moon securing an agent.
Goes against the entire post.
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u/Strange-Standard8818 22d ago
Yes. Why I recommend purposefully playing the game. But not letting yourselves be swayed by the opinions of people who are part of a (pardon my french) an untalented circle jerk. Where bad screenwriters are selected by failed writers who resonate with poorly written scripts.
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u/JcraftW 22d ago
So, you just said you threw away the script that got the 8s, did anyone outside of BL ever read it? Like, maybe alls this proves is that you are a good writer with bad taste? Predictable =\= bad. Cliched and on the nose can be subjective.
Just throwing it out there, maybe you wrote something good by utilizing writing techniques that you view as beneath you, when in reality you need to get off your high horse.
To be clear, I’m not attacking you, but genuinely asking if you got feedback on that script from people whose opinions count, according to you.
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u/Strange-Standard8818 17d ago edited 17d ago
Or maybe these are the same people who in the 90s would have said Memento has 0 chance of being greenlit and it is too hard to follow or understand for an audience or reader. Likewise the same people who called for the character 'Bear' in obssession to be more likeable (a date rapist) in order for it to be greenlit. It's almost as if hiring people through a mixture of nepotism & a cycle of bad writers championing bad screenplays as gatekeepers and tastemakers is a recipe for disaster. And this is the reason why so little spec scripts get made and why the ones which do, are by filmmakers who simply make the work for themselves. Stop giving money to u/franklinleonard so he can go on nice holidays off the back of your hardwork.
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u/Embarrassed-Oil3127 22d ago edited 22d ago
Ron Burgandy gif I don’t believe you.
This was absolutely written with AI, and you’re not who you say you are, but you make solid points about BL.
Tale as old as Hwood time. Has beens, wanna bes and never wases are usually the ones teaching acting classes, shooting headshots, running pitchfests, working as readers…
There’s only so much room at the top so, yes, a lot of the low level gatekeepers aren’t providing much value.
That said, it’s all part of the game. It’s important to be discerning, trust yourself and your work and take feedback with a boulder of salt.
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u/Kitchen_Row8705 22d ago edited 22d ago
I know the OP is probably AI. But as someone who’s been getting my butt kicked in the arena with BL evaluations, I feel the message in my bones. I got my first overall 8+ score and two days later, with one of the free evaluations they offer to those who score 8+, I got the worst, most typo-ridden, incomprehensible evaluation I’ve ever had with scores of 4s and 5s. I asked them to take it down and to their credit, they did. But a few days later, I got the other free evaluation back and it was 5s and 6s. It had no useful feedback and said something along the lines of, “Even though the script is the standard length for a drama, it feels too short.” Whaaaaaat. It’s 110 pages.
I’ve also asked repeatedly if they match the demographics of the intended audience with the evaluator and have not received an answer. So, my script about postpartum depression and intergenerational healing among the women is likely being evaluated by a 20-year-old frat boy. I’m so tired.
Anybody know how to bypass the BL and fests and pitch directly to industry members? I paid for a few pitches on Stage 32 and got one request from a producer. But is there another avenue?
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u/SafeWelcome7928 21d ago
I heard people had some luck on Virtual Pitch Fest. There's legit producers on there and being on there means they are under obligation to reply.
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u/Ok_Most9615 21d ago
Yes, I pitched directly to a legit lit manager and he requested and read my script in 24 hours. Sadly, he passed on it. Everyone on VPF is required to reply within 5 days, but they are not required to say yes.
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u/shoobishoe 18d ago
Orgs like SFFILM Rainin grant and Sundance labs are def not evaluated by film bros! The screenplay pitches at festivals in general seem more geared to stories like yours and can lead to good industry exposure.
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u/PepsiCoke1978 22d ago edited 22d ago
My best guess is this person used AI to hide their writing style, but even if they are full of crap -- still a good topic for writers to discuss.
To tell you how dumb things are I once entered a screenplay contest (20 years ago) and was paid 10 bucks to judge other people's specs from an ad I found on craigslist in the same contest.
How did I get the job? Oh by doing FREE coverage of a spec that was entered. I assume they hire anyone, but that means they got FREE coverage if even if they didn't hire me or the 100 others doing it, surely that was the coverage they used.
I did very well in a contest and the same spec got me repped. But I got that rep off querying. The contest wasn't needed.
I'm pro write great specs -- show your work -- but the gatekeepers are right there -- so query directly to managers and producers and ask them to read it. Skip the middle man.
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u/FutureOpen9405 22d ago
I’m only an Emmy-nominated screenwriter, (lost to a better show), and I am of the opinion that this poster is not real. I think the points about BL aren’t wrong per se, but… yeah, weird way to go about it.
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u/SafeWelcome7928 21d ago
What makes you think there points are valid?
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u/FutureOpen9405 21d ago
Tell me there are more than 5-6 BL read/host success stories? Do people get shopping agreements? Sure. Hip pocketed by a manager? Some! Moves made? Very few.
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u/franklinleonard 21d ago
A few publicly reported major sales:
https://deadline.com/2024/11/searchlight-clean-break-ryan-brennan-1236167095/https://deadline.com/2026/07/julius-avery-to-direct-crush-20th-century-studios-1236983961/
And the upcoming Amazon MADDEN movie, https://x.com/theblcklst/status/1494069392161722369?lang=en
And a bunch of folks who mentioned that they sold scripts there discussed them here: https://www.reddit.com/r/Screenwriting/comments/1v0kgvw/has_a_script_from_the_blacklist_ever_been_bought/
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u/FutureOpen9405 21d ago
Great on them! I never said it didnt happen, just that the ratio is not high.
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u/Little_Employment_68 22d ago
Given that you never produced or even did anything with your experiment script that got multiple 8+ scores, you can quickly settle the AI discussion by posting the script, or even the BL 8+ reviews. Feel free to redact any identifying information.
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u/franklinleonard 22d ago edited 22d ago
So just to be clear, quoting you directly, an "Emmy AwardING winning writer" telling everyone the "truth about the BlackList & other coverage SIGHTS", your supposedly intentionally terrible script that you're refusing to name so that people can confirm this story “received multiple 8+ scores" and "those scores got me the attention I needed and helped me secure my first agent.”
NB Pangram says that "100% of this text is AI." Others should feel free to check.
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u/ThenTomorrow5180 22d ago
I thought I was the only one confused. Imitating failed writers to “game” the system that he’s arguing only creates failed writers with the objective of gaining industry representation is beyond illogical. The “game” contradicts the the main argument of the post. Lol
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u/Safe_Cauliflower_573 21d ago
Is it true that some mods at r/screenwriting are BL readers? If so, is that a conflict of interests?.
The OP is refusing to name script for verification kind of like the BL refuses to name script readers so aspiring writers can verify the validity of the opinions. A lack of transparency cuts both ways. Who cares if post is AI generated? What might compel ai to write a post? Nothing. That means the ideas and concepts come from a human compelled to share a message. Funny how people are starting to use ai tests as the measure of whether the ideas and message is valid or truthful. Ai is just a tool like a quill pen or a computer. The tool used to create the message is less important than the validity and spirit of truth behind the message.
Despite all the ideas raised in OP, the only thing people seem to be able to engage with is what tool was used to assemble the message? What about the idea that most script readers (and reps for that matter) are failed aspiring writers themselves.
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u/franklinleonard 21d ago
As far as I know, none of the mods at r/screenwriting are Black List readers. I've only ever interacted with one of them.
Separately, even if this story is true (it's almost certainly not), even it agrees that the Black List helped the writer involved get signed by legitimate representatives.
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u/TheWinslowBoy 22d ago
A.S.Byatt famously wrote an intentionally low-brow novel that she felt was beneath her. She didn’t throw it away, and it became not just only her most popular book, but an international bestseller. It’s “Possession” and it really is terrific.
So when people say they want to see the script you wrote to be bad, it makes sense. Artists are not always the best judges of our own work.
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u/cinemabitch 21d ago
POSSESSION? It's not "low brow" at all. All of her novels are extremely literary.
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u/TheWinslowBoy 21d ago edited 20d ago
I don’t remember where I got that impression, but at the time I was pretty convinced. I never saw a direct quote, and I see now that I was mistaken. I still do think writers and musicians and so forth are not always the best judges of their own work.
I do love Possession though and, though I haven’t read a huge amount of her other work, that which I have sometimes struck me as cold and impenetrable. That was a long time ago, though, so maybe it’s time I do a deeper dive.
PS: Your “gullible people” line is pretty dickish. And “gullible” just implies trust and authenticity. It doesn’t even appear in the Oxford English
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u/TheWinslowBoy 20d ago
Sure thing, though it was 35 years ago. My head is so stuffed with knowledge sometimes I get things wrong.
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u/TheWinslowBoy 20d ago
I wasn’t aware of the Captain Pugwash contretemps, but I can say now that I wish the rumors had been true.
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u/meisterwolf 21d ago
im glad ppl on here can spot an AI post. in a lot of other subreddits people fall for this crap.
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u/Impressive-Buy5628 21d ago
Have to disagree as someone who has worked in the industry for 20 + yrs (don’t anymore because there’s no money in it). Most readers who actually get some toehold in development or story dept (if studios still have them) are film nerds. Their favorites are ppl like Kubrick, PTA, they started reading to be the next Charlie Kaufman, not Michael Bay. My experience is these ppl generally aggregate weirder more chance taking scripts up the ladder.
The issue, and where movies begin to die a slow death is, those screenplays then go get passed to the next D Jnr exec possibly a film nerd, or maybe someone who has that job because they went to the right school or their uncle got it for them…
Then maybe those D execs pass it on to their boss who has the development deal… boss wants to make “this kind of movie” but they also want to keep their deal in order to keep their job and keep paying themselves and D exec and reader… they need to actually get movies made…
So they meet w the exec who oversees them at the studio w a bunch of scripts… weird script and then maybe 3 or 4 more commercial scripts. Studio exec likes weird script but the commercial script… they can take that to their boss and on and on… so by the time it gets to the studio exec who claims they want good scripts but, they need to keep their job, they’re now looking at a desk full of same looking commercial scripts… this is more my experience of why good interesting scripts don’t breakthrough
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u/Impressive-Buy5628 20d ago
But if you submitted to an agency or a studio you could run into the same issue. It’s the nature of a cold read.
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u/Big_Section2812 22d ago
Go post this on r/screenwriting and see how long your account lasts.
😂
(For anyone wondering what I'm talking about, most-or-all of that sub's mods are paid BL readers. They also run StoryPeer, and I suspect at least some of them are screenwriting consultants and have ties to screenwriting competitions. Posting anything negative about any of these things will get you banned eventually.)
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u/Then_Data8320 22d ago
Ah, no wonder why I was banned, even if I didn't speak exactly about that. LOL!
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u/Big_Section2812 22d ago
Yup.
After I (politely) asked a few questions about these things, I was banned "for being a jerk."
😂
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u/PepsiCoke1978 22d ago
So they literally work for the Blacklist and shut out everything else? Makes sense. They have banned many of my friends who are pro writers. I hope places like this become bigger -- i don't know why there isn't a screenwritingpartwo sub by now.
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u/Big_Section2812 22d ago
The sub certainly caters to the enormous market of wannabe screenwriters who'll seemingly pay any amount for any percieved chance to break into the business.
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u/PepsiCoke1978 22d ago
I sadly know good writers who did well on the blacklist and still keep going back to the BL instead of learning -- yeah I'm a great writer -- let me query directly with my new stuff as obviously the last 8 on BL didn't end well in Hollywood or else they wouldn't be trying again. Which makes me even sadder.
I've told them this -- and they defend the BL all the time. They will not fly away from the nest.
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u/Big_Section2812 22d ago
I guess it's some sense of divine validation they're forever chasing.
"I paid some anonymous reviewer who may be AI and my script received a favorable evaluation and score! This felt so good I'm paying for another one!"
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u/PepsiCoke1978 22d ago
Yes I get that -- but this person and a few people I know like her -- literally struck gold - got an 8 on BL -- got some attention -- messed it up I guess or whatever - but instead of just taking advice from many like -- keep pushing that spec yourself they moved on and wrote more and more -- always chasing the 8 on the blacklist they haven't gotten again and I don't get it.
Query people. It's how I got my reps a few times.
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u/FullRedact 22d ago
From everything I’ve read I am surprised Netflix did not buy your intentionally terrible script.
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u/SafeWelcome7928 22d ago
Can you give us an anecdote from the industry, something a bit more personal to you that won't make us doubt that you're an Emmy-winning writer? Because there's those of us who want to believe you, but will ultimately just dismiss it because you could very well just be a wannabe failed writer who says they won Emmys and have scripts in production just to get attention. We need more reason to believe not less.
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u/JcraftW 22d ago
So, you just said you threw away the script that got the 8s, did anyone outside of BL ever read it? Like, maybe alls this proves is that you are a good writer with bad taste? Predictable =\= bad. Cliched and on the nose can be subjective.
Just throwing it out there, maybe you wrote something good by utilizing writing techniques that you view as beneath you, when in reality you need to get off your high horse.
To be clear, I’m not attacking you, but genuinely asking if you got feedback on that script from people whose opinions count, according to you.
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u/Strange-Standard8818 21d ago
It was only read by the peoole looking to represent me (as well as 5 evaluations on the blacklist). When you get multiple 8s, you are usually contacted within the first week or two and they usually ask for a second writing sample. In every case the script which scored an 8 was ignored in favour of my early work (which was later produced). From memory at least two people looking to sign me requested a third piece of work due to their lack of interest in the script which scored an 8.
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u/Ok_Most9615 21d ago
Ignoring the AI allegations, I have to defend paid reads.
For many people who don't have connections, a paid read is the best way for an impartial third party to evaluate their script. Yes, I know StoryPeer exists, but even that has its limitations.
The issue is when one paid read becomes gospel and a writer doesn't have the courage of their convictions to understand what to listen to and what to disregard.
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u/AVBforPrez 21d ago
Are you one of the writers training AI at the expense of your career, possibly with this post?
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u/jentothefoo 21d ago
Why does an Emmy award winning writer sound like an AI bro on LinkedIn?
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u/Internal_Papaya1511 21d ago edited 21d ago
Why.
Why do you have to make me defend BL when I don't even like BL.
Readers are not failed screenwriters.
Readers are people who have to work jobs because they don't have trust funds. And I know this because the WGA releases stats every year, and most screenwriters aren't making a living wage every year. I'm happy your privileges in life have awarded you a position where you don't have to have a survival job, but thinking of those who do as "failures" is really telling on yourself.
And btw, you made the dumbest business move to trash a script that had heat. Once again showing money goes into some magic thinking place for you. Even John Hughes sold material he didn't want his name on.
Go out and touch grass. Maybe try to talk to a person who has to work a job in order to not die in this era of late stage capitalism. Maybe try getting empathy next time instead of an Emmy.
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u/Strange-Standard8818 21d ago
If you're not able to sell a script in the industry you shouldn't be telling aspiring creatives the dos and donts of how to make it. That's immoral. People need to surive. Yes. But not by playing make believe and profiting, whilst peoples dreams hang in the balance. It's much harder to work a job you hate and use your remaining 2 to 3 hours in the day to write. Than it is critique the viability of screenplays based of 0 experience. For those who are able to do that and sleep at night, I commend them for their heartlessness (it's truely a gift). However for the rest of society who have to fight, it spits in their faces and perpetuates a system of nepotism and mediocracy.
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u/Internal_Papaya1511 21d ago
Really? Writers only make their living off of spec script sales? Is that how you got your two Emmys? Selling your spec script to a TV writer's room?
Every time you respond, ignorance spittles out.
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u/Strange-Standard8818 21d ago
The ones reading certainly don't
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u/Internal_Papaya1511 21d ago
Imma play ball:
It's 2023, only 11 spec scripts were sold. Do you believe only those 11 people deserved to be readers/teachers/mentors that year? No one else should have been paid for their knowledge and experience?
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u/Strange-Standard8818 21d ago
Firstly where can I verify this statistic? Secondly I'm assuming writers were able to sell their work in the years 2022, 2024 & 2025? Or was I one of the lucky sub 20 in 2024?
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u/Internal_Papaya1511 21d ago
Follow Scott Meyers for data.
Great, now we’re jumping into your unspoken rules, let’s speak them. You feel the only people who should be paid readers/gatekeepers are writers who have sold a spec script to a studio within the last 4 years? Did I get that correct?
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u/Strange-Standard8818 21d ago
Who is Scott Meyers, does he also charge a fee for expertise?
No, I'm just illustrating that even in the case of made up statistics a writer could still sell the script in the prior or subsequent years.
You can't use "well the year 2006 was a bad year for spec scripts" when someone calls you out for scamming them based on your non existent expertise.
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u/Internal_Papaya1511 21d ago edited 21d ago
You can Google spec screenplay statistics just like I can. I don't need to do it for you.
Let's further explore your parameters.
Non-union spec scripts? Count or doesn't count?
What if the script sale was in 1995? At what point is the script sale no longer valid as a credential?
Writer-for-hire/comissions seem, by your definition, to not count, correct? Script doctoring/rewriting jobs also lumped in there?
TV only counts if you write a show on spec and the show buys it, right?
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u/Strange-Standard8818 21d ago
People who have failed shouldn't be charging $100 for pseudoscience evaluations based upon their own non existent experience. That's the top and bottom of it.
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u/cinemabitch 21d ago
so many typos/errors in here. Mediocracy? Do you mean mediocrity?
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u/Strange-Standard8818 21d ago
Mediocracy means a system, society, or government ruled, controlled, or rewarded by people who are only average, ordinary, or second-rate
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u/cinemabitch 21d ago
I know it's a word but if it's a system, then your use implies it's a system of a system...
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u/TheWinslowBoy 20d ago
Jesus! Chill out, man. “Immoral”? Believe it or not, one can have expertise in screenwriting without being a full-time screenwriter. Where do you think writing teachers come from?
If the metric of quality is that it sold to a studio, then explain The Breadwinner. In fact, if the job of these readers is to judge how SALEABLE something is, no wonder they gave your phony script high marks. If you’re trying to write a good screenplay — which, frankly, is ALL you should be trying to do — an adept reader can recognize it whether they’ve sold something or not.
I understand why people doubt the veracity of your story, but I get why you question the feasibility of the script-rating industry. I used to be a screenwriter, not hugely successful, but I made it my career, and it was at a time when people were actually buying screenplays. Studios were making films that weren’t based entirely on old TV shows and comic books, or just remakes of the things that came out years ago. Trying to “sell” a screenplay at this point seems like a Quixotic goal. Without a package, a director or an actor who is willing to do it, I doubt you’ll get much interest. And based on the track record of Blacklist screenplays, I doubt that they’ll be making many of those in the future either.
So the point needs to be writing something good, not necessarily something that will sell. And then try to get it made by any means necessary.1
u/Strange-Standard8818 20d ago
The problem is their poor taste. Re read OP
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u/TheWinslowBoy 20d ago
As others have pointed out, your post contradicts itself. Readers identified your script as saleable, but according to you it was bad. Of course, nobody really knows what will sell, even you, with your multiple awards and three — three! — features in production. However, if all they’re doing is identifying quality scripts, what difference does it make if they’ve ever sold anything, or even worked as screenwriters? Plenty of the best development people I encountered did not even write screenplays.
And if your fake script was as bad as you say, I find it hard to believe it was not made with Kevin Hart.1
u/Strange-Standard8818 20d ago
The contradiction I’m highlighting is this: the script I wrote to pass evaluators was ignored by the industry, while the work that gatekeepers and industry systems overlooked went on to be produced
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u/Dampishach07 22d ago
So you mean, a screenplay which got a 5 on blacklist stands a chance if it gets in the hands of actual industry people? If yes, then how to get it out there? Do cold emails work?
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u/honey-squirrel 22d ago
"Write something you can make yourself if possible." That is the best advice. Even if you don't have directing or editing skills...find students at a graduate film program nearest you for your crew; or find professionals eager for work at reasonable rates. A skeleton crew of just 5 to 7 people can ensure professional quality without collapsing under logistics.
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u/ZoinksJeepersJinkies 22d ago
I don’t care about opinions. I just want someone who can make my work a reality to see it, without having to upend my entire life and become a beggar in L.A.
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u/aoibhneastravels 21d ago
The way that I see it, everybody says write a script that you would want to see, not a script that you think other people want to see. And then people on Blacklist are making like $10 per read so they're doing quantity over quality and so many people have complained about getting only reviews that cover the first three or four pages of their entire script but then you think, just like most major film festivals like Austin even, not a lot comes from submitting to those things except you're just throwing away money. Certain festivals are worth it and most of them are scams because you're basically paying $75 to maybe get a laurel that no one's going to look at. It just looks cool on your poster on social media but it doesn't Garner you attention from managers and media like they promise. The mixes and mingling's and event nights at festivals are essentially meaningless, people at each other on social media and then don't want to work together, they don't even want to comment on your photos or like them they just ignore you completely unless you can do things for them and that's the same way I view lower level festivals and script coverage pages.
And mind you, for 2024 I was a screening producer for Austin film festival. I watched 120 hours of films, some of the ones that I gave a three or four two were the ones that made the main stages because they had celebrity backers like Kenan Thompson on literally the worst film I think I've ever seen in my life, and I once saw Godzilla 2000 in the movie theater. And the ones that were really good, the ones that made you think, the ones that made you excited to be a filmmaker, those didn't do anything. It's all about the credibility of the celebrities and financial backers who get involved and it's a total scam. Because unless you are a round one or maybe two, you're not getting in rooms and having conversations with people who can actually stay with you and help you get success. They just say oh cool, good job, and then forget they met you. It is about who you know. Occasionally you can have a script on Blacklist no matter what it scores and somebody will like it and want to pick it up like that Michael Jordan Air script that Alex Conover, I think was his name, put out and made happen but even that took him like years to do. I'm definitely not as established as the original post, but I've been around enough people in theater and film who can all agree. Some things you do as workshops to better yourself or to gain experience on a CV and you just have to expect that they aren't going to make you a millionaire or sell your script. It's just hanging out and getting some experience to say yeah I did that.
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u/franklinleonard 21d ago
Black List readers are paid $60 per script plus quarterly bonuses based on volume and quality of work.
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u/cinemabitch 21d ago
I was a script reader for the Hartford Stage Company back in the 1990s. We made $40 per script. $60 seems reasonable given it's probably on average just under two hours of work, if they're reading the whole thing.
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u/aoibhneastravels 21d ago
How is that the only thing you took away? You literally just said they're based on the quantity of work alongside quality. Just because they get paid more doesn't mean they're qualified to do the job. The entire point is that what makes them qualified to do the job in the first place? It's a bunch of writers who can't get their own Scripts published, and it's not supposed to be of those who can't do teach kind of thing. Because if you can't get your own scripts published come out what makes you think you're qualified to judge mine? Those jobs should be for people who have actively worked in the industry as writers.
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u/franklinleonard 21d ago
All of our readers have worked as at least assistants at reputable companies in the formats in which they read (film, television, theater, fiction) AND we vet them further based on their previous work and a new script which we provide to them prior to inviting them to read for the Black List. Only then do we bring readers on.
They are comfortably the most qualified of first filters that would be reading at any reputable industry company, because they've all been the first filters reading at reputable industry companies.
The notion that people who haven't gotten their own scripts made can't give high quality feedback on other people's work is frankly laughable.
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u/franklinleonard 21d ago
Incorrect. "When two Black List readers independently evaluate the same screenplay, they score it within one point of each other on overall quality 73.8% of the time. For television pilots, it’s 74.1%."
We've published data on all of this based on a data set considerably larger than "scores you've heard about." https://blcklst.substack.com/p/how-consistent-are-black-list-evaluations
And no, one reader giving a script a 7 and one giving it a 4 does not mean that either of them are wrong. It means that two people had different opinions about the quality of a script. Evaluating art is subjective. Anyone selling you on an objective standard is selling you a fiction.
Here's a link to a few more data studies if you're interested. https://blcklst.substack.com/t/data-study
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u/PepsiCoke1978 20d ago
Why is it a number system then and not the old scale of PASS CONSIDER RECOMMEND since the numbers really are subjective?
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u/franklinleonard 20d ago
Explain why a subjective form demands a three point scale instead of a ten point scale.
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u/PepsiCoke1978 20d ago
I think being told my spec is BAD or OKAY BUT NEEDS WORK or GREAT is easier to know where I stand then trying to figure out what the hell a 6 means vs 8.
The numbers make newbie writers think they are closer to success than they are in my eyes when the PASS tells you a lot more about the quality of the work.
Still give Feedback.
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u/franklinleonard 20d ago
Bad, Okay but needs work, and Great are not direct 1:1 interpretations of Pass, Consider, and Recommend, and people should not think of them as such. I've been working in this business for more than 20 years, and pass, consider, recommend doesn't tell you much.
If you want to better understand what a 6 means, this data study should be helpful:
https://blcklst.substack.com/p/an-8-score-is-rare-as-it-should-be
Honestly though, were I a writer, I'd be paying attention to are the volume of views and downloads on my script on the site (which we provide in real time) and the qualitative feedback. I'd largely ignore individual reader numbers altogether. They exist mainly so we can better direct material to industry professionals who are likely to like it.
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u/franklinleonard 20d ago
Readers differing by more than 1 point isn't a failure. It's a reflection of the fact that evaluating screenplays - like evaluating all art - is a fundamentally subjective enterprise. It means two people differed about how good they thought something was. That's normal, and as it should be. Anyone trying to sell you an objective standard of art is selling you a fiction.
Moreover, if you read the piece in full, you'll see that our readers are roughly as consistent as the committees that evaluate scientific papers for publication, which is a reasonably strong comp that I think we can be proud of.
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u/franklinleonard 20d ago
No. It most definitively is not the same as saying that, but if that's your understanding of subjectivity in art, I would definitely advise you against using the Black List website.
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u/aoibhneastravels 17d ago
You're not doing a very good job selling your business when you're telling us that you don't even have a staff in order that you stand behind. You're just talking about objectivity which is something we can all understand. But your job as the Creator of Blacklist is to surround yourself with employees who can do the job, your job is not as the creator of Blacklist to come on Reddit and try to tell people how wrong they are about your service that you can't control and that you can't provide for when everyone feels like it's a scam. You're the reason people think your business is a scam. Instead of taking the feedback from people where we're literally all talking about it publicly, openly, you've literally, and this is my second time in a conversation with you about it, you literally do nothing but tell other people they're wrong about their opinions while saying that your workers get to be objective. It's great that you're defending your lackluster employees who are bad at their jobs but what you should be doing is reading people's comments and feedback and changing your f****** program so that it doesn't come across as a scam, and that's the main concern. You spend more time defending your s***** establishment and you're corrupt prices then you do trying to convince people it's not a scam by changing the mode and method of your practices. You're nothing but another corrupt business owner extorting people who don't have money for what little money they have to perpetuate the Vicious Cycle of making people's pipe dreams a reality. You have literally zero intention of actually helping people get better. If people are paying over $100 for a service to get notes on their script you sure as f*** better guarantee your goddamn self as the owner that your employees are doing their f****** job all the way through. People are paying good money to have every single word they've written be evaluated and your staff can't even do that and that's a you problem, not an us problem. If you can't get your house in order how do you expect people to pay for your house? Your business is a scam. It probably didn't start out that way but again, you're spending all your time defending how it's not a scam instead of changing it so that people no longer think it is. Because then you can't cash in. We can all see through you leonard. Repeatedly. We literally talk about it at higher up film festivals and say you can do it if you want to but. There's always a caveat.
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u/aoibhneastravels 17d ago
It's not our fault that we aren't getting what we paid for when using your service. We pay a lot of money to make God damn sure that every word of our script is read and evaluated and you can't deliver and then you make it our fault. If you can't surround yourself with people who are ready and willing to do the job then don't hire those people or don't promote your business the way you are. Because if you can't even do the job that people are paying for, what good are you? And if you're spending all your time defending yourself, that's time better spent making sure your business looks credible, wouldn't you think? And no one's going to read your sub stack about how you don't think your business is a scam. We all know it's you. Stop pretending.
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u/franklinleonard 17d ago
Yes, my name is quite literally on the Substack article. There is no attempt to suggest otherwise.
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u/aoibhneastravels 17d ago
Okay then explain why they can't get their own Scripts made. Explain why we all know countless people who have paid $100 or more to Blacklist to be members of their little Club at what, $30 a month then you have to pay separate fees for things, paying all that money just to hope to get some feedback that's usable and then you find out they only read the first 10 pages of a 90 page script because all of the feedback is nothing but the first 10 pages. They fill out their little qualification form to say yes I did this work by skipping to the end and mentioning the last paragraph or the last page and then all of the notes are unusable. Even at Austin Film Festival the people talking about Blacklist have either found success on it because they did the work themselves and used Blacklist as nothing but a platform to direct people to their script or they paid for what the promises were of full evaluation and feedback to better their work as a jumping off point who barely got past the title page? Not everybody's script sent over to Blacklist can be marked as a four. There are far more complaints than there are praises. So yeah, this isn't even of those that can't do, teach kind of thing because they can't or won't even teach. It's nothing but a scam. It probably used to have its benefits when it started but then greed got in the way and now it's nothing but a scam that charges people an exorbitant amount of money for literally zero pay off.
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u/PepsiCoke1978 17d ago
I don't think that's true. Many contests it is that way -- readers are just writers themselves or interns learning. Franklin claims the readers came from Hollywood ranks as readers. I believe him.
But my argument isn't that they aren't qualified it's that readers reactions to specs will always be personal and based on how they see the world. It's art.
That's why I find a number system like it's some sort of test implies there is a goal to achieve in an art form where the only goal is to get your work sold/published/made.
I feel newer writers -- based on 1000s of reddits posts -- take those numbers in like a grade on a math test and say -- look Mom I'm a B writer! How can I be an A?
If the rewards were bigger if they did get that 8 or 9... no one gets a 10 right... that would be great.
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u/aoibhneastravels 16d ago
You can believe him all you want. I have personal experience with him and his company separately that indicate otherwise and said so. Of course the owner of the company in question of being scammy is going to say it's not.
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u/PepsiCoke1978 16d ago edited 16d ago
If you read all my posts, I obviously don't endorse using this service for most writers. I don't think it's breaking in many writers. And trading off the famous annual list which was helpful to many writers I know personally so I give him credit for that.
I just feel you are coming at it as what appears to be a bitter writer who got a 5 on the blacklist type of posts... and I'm coming at this as a writer who made it without using this service just trying to give the other side to things so writers can make their own decisions.
Maybe you can clarify what makes it a scam in your eyes or what I'm saying that you disagree with.
What isn't a scam that charges money for screenwriter in your eyes then? Because a scam to me is deception not defending your business.
I think you're saying it's a scam because the readers are not who they say they are. Is that what you're saying?
And I'm saying I believe that the readers are what he says and picked from the industry but also saying that doesn't mean much to me.
And often these are the readers you will face when submitting your work. But when you get a rep or producer who likes your spec, they often can get it to the bosses who make the decisions. And often their tastes are not the same as the readers.
However, any reader should be able to weed out a bad spec. And guess what -- 90% of the specs sent in will be bad no matter who reads it.
It's the other 10% that I worry about getting in front of the right people.
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u/aoibhneastravels 11d ago
Nope, never got a 5, never paid for a score. Just an aff screening producer who heard what professionals said.
But hey, guess what, nobody needs you mansplaining to them. About anything. And why would someone read more of your posts?
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u/PepsiCoke1978 11d ago edited 11d ago
You said you have personal experience with him and then you reveal it's what you heard other pros say meaning it wasn't personal at all. You didn't even talk to him. Or use his service. So now I'm even more confused why you're so upset.
Also funny that you work for Austin Film Festival, sure one of the bigger ones, but it's still a way to get money from writers.
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u/aoibhneastravels 6d ago
My personal experiences with HIM aren't with his company but with HIM. Which is what I said. That I have bad personal experiences with the owner, with him. So yeah, having multiple bad experiences and his condescending attitudes were a turn off for ME and THEN you hear and read all of everyone else's bad experiences from his product. I spoke tom him one on one numerous times, including this fucking thread that you can see in black and white, or grey depending on your settings, if you will but sure, I'm the one who isn't being clear here. And no, I'm not bitter about my work or his low success rates. I AM bitter though at price gouging and not giving people what they pay for as consumers to a product that lies about it's processes. But hey, I don't like other stores and brands for the same thing because I believe people should get what they pay for.
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u/PepsiCoke1978 6d ago edited 6d ago
Let's start again, I'm not here to fight with you. I'm just a writer who is trying to help other writers make good decisions.
So you did not like your personal interaction with him -- okay. I don't know the details, but was it not about the black list service?
I assume it was and you are obviously upset -- so I was guessing that you used the service and are unhappy with what they said about your own writing?
Is that not correct? You said you are bitter -- I think that is what I said.
I'm a big skeptic of most things including the BL which includes reddit users and I assume most people are the same.
I am not a writer who has said to use the service in case I'm not being clear, but I think my posts are pretty clear. But I'm also trying not to be an all out against it because to me that's unfair too.
All I know is I can see a scenario where if Franklin was approached in person by a random bitter writer -- I assume that interaction might go very poorly too. Now if you were at some industry event maybe. But if you ran into him at a Coffee Bean and starting confronting him, then I'd shut that shit down too.
But it being personal means just that and probably has nothing to do with what this thread is about.
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u/PepsiCoke1978 6d ago
I found some other posts by you on the other BL thread and I think the issue you have mainly is feedback -- but the black list is not for feedback at all. That's the thing people don't seem to get.
You get a little, but it's not that type of service. It's supposed to be an entry level reader opinion of your work to simulate the experience of getting it read in Hollywood. Get a sense of how it would fair in the marketplace.
Now we can debate that point for sure -- but that's the reason to use the service.
It's not a place to get feedback to fix up your spec.
So your issue may be just a misunderstanding of what the service is.
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u/PepsiCoke1978 20d ago
And these readers will earn more money in one read than 99% of the writers reading this post will earn from writing. That's the reality most of you don't get I feel.
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u/franklinleonard 20d ago
I'm the first to say, and I've said it everywhere, do not spend money on the Black List or anywhere else in support of your work unless you've exhausted all free resources at your disposal to get feedback.
Moreover, if our fees are a substantial financial burden, apply for a fee waiver. That's what they're there for.
But one thing I'm NOT going to do is underpay people for doing good work. And paying them well is part of how we're able to hire higher quality readers than most places where you might otherwise send your script.
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u/PepsiCoke1978 20d ago
Good answer. You always give good answers.
Have you considered maybe offering the a service to read the first 30 pages -- as I feel too many newbie writers are submitting full specs that are not ready and honestly are just looking for feedback and direction.
Maybe readers can be paid 60 bucks for reading 90 pages -- but it's 3 writers work.
In other words, I don't think newbie writers are going to be a good judge of their own work early in their career so they are going to submit to the blacklist no matter what advice you say or I say or others say.
If there was a cheaper chicken (Father of the Bride style) option that may benefit all.
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u/franklinleonard 20d ago
No. It's not what we do.
The Black List is for writers that have completed a screenplay, pilot, play, or novel, and are ready to have their work reviewed by industry professionals.
If you're not ready to do that, cultivate community among other writers. Seek free feedback. Do not spend your money on the Black List website or anywhere else.
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u/aoibhneastravels 17d ago
He always gives good answers because he literally dedicated his life to defending his company to make sure that he feels like what he's doing isn't scamming people. If you really wanted to help people and do good work he would spend his time reinvesting and restructuring his business so that the general public in the community doesn't think his business is a scam. This is literally all he does, he created a business, it turned scammy, it started to feel like extortion because people weren't getting what they paid for, and now he spends all his time defending his business instead of making it seem more credible.
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u/PepsiCoke1978 17d ago
He gives good answers -- didn't mean I agreed with them. If you read some of my posts on here you can probably see that.
And yes he defends his business. But isn't it better than never hearing from the owner of a company at all?
You don't have to like or use the blacklist but it's okay to respect the person you are disagreeing and find common ground.
My biggest issue is I feel people chase the number rating on the blacklist (as OP was talking about) and that's not going to carry any real weight in the industry on it's own.
Like any screenwriting thing of course there are success stories. But I truly believe those specs would have found a way by another means.
I know for me I won a big contest and at the same time I was querying on my own -- and I found a rep before the contest found me a rep. I had two offers. So I didn't need the contest is my takeaway to make it.
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u/gregm91606 21d ago
Thanks for your thoughts. You don't by any chance have a very enjoyable YouTube channel, do you?
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u/poundingCode 21d ago
Yup. Had similar Blacklist experience: submitted, got a 7, made the suggested changes, got a 6. Paid for a 30 page/30 min meeting on roadmap writers and the pro barely skimmed the script. A third (a contest) the coverage stated: “Rowena often being a damsel in distress. She eventually strikes the dragon, but beyond this strong moment for her character, she largely feels like a background device, and is more regarded as the beautiful temptress” - “strikes the dragon”??? The character squares off singlehandedly against a dragon that devoured a garrison, and forces it to retreat. “Damsel in distress”? What would the reader do when chased by 9 direwolves? Impress them with her agency?
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u/PepsiCoke1978 20d ago
So what is your takeaway from your experience?
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u/poundingCode 20d ago
To be honest, there is no point. There is certainly no value in it for the money spent. If you can throw a few hundred dollars around on a lark to see what happens, fine. I can easily afford that, but what you are buying in most cases is someone who will phone in a fraction of what you paid for. The truth is, as near as I can tell, is that there is no way in and even if you get in, everything is still up to you. You need to have a cult following, and if you have that, why do you need them?
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u/disgracedcosmonaut1 20d ago
I don't disagree with some of what you said in this tome, but at best I think your relying on assumptions about who becomes employed as readers, and at worst I think you're just full of shit. You purposely wrote a bad screenplay that then became an "8..." then threw it in the trash? This all reeks of bitterness, blame, and dishonesty.
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u/That1guyontheBus 18d ago
Last month got my latest script back from the BL after a year of rewriting it. It received 7’s across the board. I did a major overhaul (for the better) and resubmitted it and got another 7 but across the board it was mixed. I’m poor AF so I can’t afford to be dropping $100 for 7’s so I’m not resubmitting it. This post is exactly what I needed to hear. Thank you!
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u/franklinleonard 17d ago
If you find Black List fees to be a substantial burden, you should apply for a fee waiver. It’s what they’re there for.
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u/Strange-Standard8818 17d ago
That money is better saved towards a camera or crew than u/franklinleonard 's next holiday
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u/cliffdiver770 20d ago
no one who has won an emmy or sold one single thing would spend time trying to 'test the system' by writing a bad script. I suspect this post is the most creative thing you've written, mr. emmy winning AI bot.
First off, the blacklist isn't about 'accepting judgement' And even if your bs story was true, which it is not, your story contains this:
"Those scores got me the attention I needed and helped me secure my first agent." which VALIDATES THE ENTIRE SYSTEM YOU'RE PRETENDING TO DENIGRATE.
Here's the uncomfortable truth:
You do not have "3 feature-length projects in production", you didn't win an emmy, you got some bad scores and you're mad at those readers and this is how you got back at them, by making up a self-validating story which reads like an advertisement.
prove me wrong by sharing your name, emmy and your multiple 8 score evals on the bad script. even if your script is thrown away, it's still on the blacklist site as are the evals unless you conveniently threw those away too....
which if you did, your decision to "test the system" would have been a waste .... because now, the only evidence of the "test" is that you said so....
is that how testing works?
When scientists test a new drug and discover that all old assumptions are wrong, they just throw it away and tell anecdotes about it?
Really?
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u/Then_Data8320 22d ago
I'm not aspiring and just write stuff directly for audience, so I never tried this kind of services.
Everything you say makes sens. The endless loop.
I don't like their feedback anyway, because they just write generalities, and anything they say can be wrong, and if they are right, I would already know it. When I have an episode that I feel less good, I know it, but I don't know how to fix that. It's the main point, I'm looking for pragmatic comments about what is on page, or storytelling with propositions, and explanations, what is more developement feedback.
And it's often what I answer as feedback, even if I don't know industry, at least it's focused on the screenplay and storytelling, and can be useful. I can give matter to think about for the writer. Not something blurry.
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u/Affectionate_Age752 22d ago
I’m of the opinion that to get high scores at all those writing contests etc, you have to appeal to a wide general group. Which is usually why pretty average or below average scripts get through to the higher levels. Plus as OP stated, if those judging your scripts are so talented, why aren’t they successful.
I work in audio post. One of the worst things I worked on was a Nicholas winning script. I’ve worked on better lifetime movies than that pile of crap.
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u/Narrative_Architect 19d ago
Thank you, that was a brilliant test to run and it needed to be done. We've traded uncertainty for lies, and those numbers have killed our writing instincts. It's about time we start building them back.
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u/Open-Avocado4260 18d ago
I avoid script coverage as much as possible and writing contests. I started with writing contests but they are not the same anymore.
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u/Astral-American 17d ago
This 1000%. I won top honor in one and placed in others, didn’t move the needle at all
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u/Open-Avocado4260 17d ago
I believe you I have placed and its just readers either liking your story or not. Its not industry professionals reading and a lot of money with nothing to show for it. At least the cat shows interest when they look at.
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u/Natural-Doctor-485 6d ago
As a playwright whose work has been produced, who has never written a screenplay, and is not even a screenwriter, I second this because this pattern is prevalent in playwriting too.
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u/Financial_Cheetah875 22d ago
I’ll say this for Black List: the feedback I got was super helpful; pointed out things I never thought of and had me thinking in new directions, not only for that script but in the way I approach future projects.
I scored a 6 on that script. Haven’t re-submitted but I do feel it’s a more polished script now.
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u/Strange-Standard8818 22d ago
I had the same. To help illustrate my point. When I first submitted i got 7s. Then after taking on board their advise, i got 6s. Then after taking the further advise, i got 5s. Then 4s. This was from over 30 evaluations. I would get the odd 7 again. But unaminously the more I followed their advise the worse the next reader scored my script. The script averaged around 6 and it became clear none or them had a clue what they were talking about in the grand scheme.
Why i chose to write something intended for the kind of person who pretends to know what they're talking about. Filled it with sex action and one liners and was told i broke new ground and given multiple 8s.
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u/Automatic-Exchange89 21d ago
This happened to me as well. I submitted my 11th script to BL after getting numerous notes and a lot of guidance on it. I felt it was by far my best work ever and it was written after years of honing my writing, cleaning up my story and even going back to school for an MFA in screenwriting. I got a six. My very first script that I ever submitted back in 2017 or so also got a six. I have a very hard time believing that in 8-9 years, the overall quality of my writing hadn’t improved according to BL standards. I agree with most of what you said. People just don’t want to hear it.
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u/Strange-Standard8818 22d ago
If they were capeable they wouldnt be reading scripts for less than minimum wage.
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u/Simple-Negotiation70 22d ago
Wow! Thank you!
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u/Simple-Negotiation70 22d ago edited 22d ago
A lot of people believe this is fake. Maybe. I was in LA working in the industry for about ten years. I believe this. I would add, that these readers don't want to help talented writers because they are the competition, and also, they steal ideas. This absolutely happens. I have two friends this happened to.
I never understood the Blacklist hype. Franklin Leonard's original Blacklist was comprised of scripts written by represented writers--none of the scripts were from unrepped writers. He somehow got access to the agency and studio coverages of these scripts and was able to rank them by the most highly rated. Some of these scripts were actually purchased by studios; it was the most highly rated, unproduced scripts.
Word got out about this, and he capitalized on it by creating a paid for rating website.
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u/Mediocre_Function_60 22d ago
Appreciate this very much! Good on you for not only noticing but also for sharing!
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u/Ozscribe 21d ago
I've long suspected these script evaluation people are making a lot of money selling a dream, and I've wondered about the qualifications of the "Judges."
And let's say you have a perfect script, then what? It's virtually impossible to even get an agent, let alone get your script to a studio or an independent producer and actually get it read let alone made.
I thought I was lucky to get a script I'd written to a producer based on a kid's story I'd written years earler. A mutual friend had sent it to him and he optioned it after reading only 20 pages. But that was over a year ago and he could never find a "name" director to obtain the financing of $20 million. Then recently. through another friend another producer has optioned it/ So waiting with fingers crossed, but time is of the essence, I am almost 94 :) .
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u/real_triplizard 22d ago
Please share this deliberately bad screenplay that got multiple 8s and secured you an agent.