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THREAD: Wanted to write about my experience using @theblcklst and how I've found a number of clients from it. It feels to me like there's a lack of clarity out there as to how the site operates, at least from the representative side, so I wanted to walk through that. 1/
A point of clarity: this thread is about @theblcklst website where writers can pay to have their scripts hosted and get feedback on them. This is NOT about the annual Black List, which is voted on by industry executives and lists "the best liked" scripts of the year. 2/
There is a GREAT deal of confusion on this, which I understand, since @theblcklst website sprang from the success @franklinleonard had with the annual list and, to my knowledge, Franklin wanting to use that to create a resource for all writers to have access to the industry 3/
Furthermore, I have NEVER uploaded a script I've written to @theblcklst, so I've never had that experience. The clients I've found via @theblcklst have, so they can speak to that. I can only speak to my experience on the other end of the site, as a representative. 4/
For a representative (or producer), our experience of @theblcklst is that of a database we can log into. When we do, it shows us a dashboard of trending scripts and recommended scripts, based on the preferences we inputted when we registered. 5/
It also lists scripts by genres, so you can pick one and slide through, with the title, logline, and writer name displayed in each dashboard. There's a thorough search function, where we can search to find a script that fits any possible prerequisite(s) we're looking for. 6/
Once we've found the script that we want to check out, we just click on it and we're taken to the script's dedicated page... 7/
On that page, there's the logline again, as well as info about if they have reps, if there's a director, if it's based on anything, etc.. There are many, many tags for a lot of million things, from budget level to surprise endings to female protagonists, etc. 8/
Up top, there are multiple options, allowing us to read the script on the site, have it sent to our email, to contact the reader, etc. If there are public evaluation(s), we can read them, if we scroll down below the logline. 9/
My colleagues at @bellevueprods will often log on to the website multiple times a week and search for scripts that sound intriguing. Personally, I don't do that as much so I've come to rely on the weekly email that we get from @theblcklst 10/
This is a weekly email (one for pilots and one for features) that lists the scripts that the Black List's readers have recommended that week. It's my understanding that any scripts that score an 8 or higher are included on this email. 11/
Whenever I get this email, I try to look at it ASAP. It lists the recommended scripts: title, writer, and logline. I read those loglines carefully. If anything seems intriguing, I click on the title, am then taken to the script page, and read the first 15 pages of the script. 12/
If I like those first 15 pages, I download the script so I can read it later in the week in full. Often, I'll read the first 15 pages of 2-4 scripts, but only download 1 or 2 of them. Sometimes none. Sometimes all 4. You never know! 13/
I do try to move fast because people pay close attention to those emails and tend to move quickly on things that they love. I don't want to read something I love a week late and find out another manager has already signed that writer! 14/
If I like the entire script, I reach out to the writer via their email, which is usually on the cover page, and set a meeting. I've only had to use the Black List "contact writer" function once, on @SheridanKevin's script, because he had ZERO contact info! SO MYSTERIOUS! 15/
I'll set a meeting, if they live in Los Angeles (and there's no pandemic going on.) Otherwise, we set a call (or a Zoom nowadays.) Then it's about us each getting a sense of whether this is the right match of manager and client! 16/
I really do pay close attention to @theblcklst because, as @franklinleonard mentioned earlier today, I've found SO MANY clients via it. It's simply the easiest and most high-quality source for writers that I know of. At least as a representative, it makes everything SO easy. 17/
Of my personal clients, I've found @S_Malhot, @SheridanKevin, @ChrisParizo and, most recently, @JDeladriere via @theblcklst. They're not on twitter, but I also found clients Leigh Dunlap & Tom Cartier (whose THE BUILDER was on the annual Black List) via it as well. 18/
I also found my client Kathy Charles via @theblcklst after reading her script THE KINGS OF MAINE. Later that year, I took that script out, with it being so well-received that it landed on the annual Black List, as she discusses here: 19/ https://bit.ly/3hY8lR5
My colleagues at @bellevueprods have also found many of their clients via @theblcklst, including one whose movie they just produced with the client writing and directing. From the script they found on the Black List website! 20/
My goal with Twitter has been to make what I do as transparent as possible. Because I've found so many amazing clients via @theblcklst, I wanted to let everyone how the process worked on my end. 21/
I've found so many amazing writer clients via @theblcklst who changed my life. And I believe working together has changed their lives as well. It's made many of them into my great friends, as well. If just for that alone, I really appreciate @franklinleonard for creating it. END
