Franklin Leonard, the Blacklist's Founder founder gives his take on what the biggest mistake people make when writing a screenplay.
"Focusing way too much on plot — and then this happens and then this happens — and not enough on how does this make the audience feel. We don’t go to the movies for plot. We don’t go to the movies for information. We go to the movies to feel something, whether it’s to laugh or to cry, or to feel awe or to feel scared. If you don’t deliver those emotional sensations, no one is remembering your movie."
And, old Frankie also said this:
"The first thing is to just write something amazing. I think a lot of people think that good enough is good enough, but it rarely is. Worry less about breaking in and worry more about being able to write something that melts people’s faces off every time they read it; then the rest kind of takes care of itself."
The writer of this article claims Leonard was a studio production executive. However, looking at his track record, he appears to have done jack and shit. Wow. My life is changed forever. Here's the link to the rest of article by Franklin Leonard:
https://traveler.marriott.com/checking-in/the-black-list-founder-frankli...
Read the article if you want Franklin's advice.
As for me, me no likey the Black List.
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He needs to let the people shilling out their hard earned for his website know this amazing information to increase the .0000000000003% success rate it has.
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Matthew:
Well stated. Just like Jason and the Argonauts. You get the Golden Fleece. Either that, or your gold gets fleeced.
From Wikipedia: The vast majority of The Black List scripts however were already purchased or commissioned by large studios, prior to being placed on The Black List.
So make that .000000000000000001%
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Is it me, or is it odd that someone who "knows" so much about screenwriting hasn't got a film they've produced even listed on IMDB? I get the impression, more and more, that so many of these sites, including a lot of the competition ones, are simply there to make money from people hoping to get their screenplays made when the reality is very few of them ever do and most are never sanctioned or produced via those very channels anyway!
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The Black List is a very successful tool.......for Franklin Leonard. My plan is to write low-budget contained horror and pitch it directly to managers, producers etc. I may enter a few major comps such as Nicholl, Austin or Page but that's it. No one needs the Black List.
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I've uploaded my scripts onto ScriptRevolution but it's free. You are right that comps are a lottery because who knows who the readers are and what they're qualifications are?
Chris: Good job on the shorts. I've had one industry person contact me via Script Revolution. Never heard back but that's common with all listing sites. And I like your observation about comparing listing sites to lottery.
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Uncle Phil, thanks for the article! I skimmed it - barely. What's great about an article like this is the actionable advice. The thought of writing something that would melt someone's face off would never occur to me. But, duh, remember the film Face/Off?
This is similar to the advice given to entrepreneurs at venture capital conferences. "Create a company that will change the world" or "Create a company that will have a billion dollar valuation." Wow. And I only had to spend $250 for this advice? Total gold.
But this article is free! All I had to do is invest my time...
Snark aside, I really do appreciate you putting these things out there. You never know what tidbit of information will resonate and you can incorporate into your thinking and approach to your writing journey.
Best to you and the other Stage32ers!
David D.
Glad to help and thanks for the kind words.
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I think Franklin is right about why people go to the movies, but only most people for some movies. No one goes to a Fast & Furious film to weep, do they?
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FYI, a Hollywood manager I met with recently complained about all the politics that goes on in order to get a writers' script to make the blacklist list (not the site). He said he'd had writers make it on there but often didn't try because there was too much begging for votes required.
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Eric, I wonder if there is any data showing a correlation between making the Black List and $$$? If so, then it's in the manager's financial interest to lobby for their clients' work. More money for client = more money for rep, yes?
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Black list the Black List!
My experience was with BL was back in early 2013 when I had only been writing screenplays for about 8 months. I listed a screenplay then paid 50 dollars (now 75) for one of their readers to review my one of my earlier works. The review as so insulting and derogatory that I just deleted it. I'll admit I was probably making formatting errors and some narrative mistakes. But that same version of the script when on to place at Austin Film Festival and Screencraft Action Film Festival. However, based on that vitriolic, non constructive review I received, I wouldn't ever pay another centavo to a BL reviewer. It was unprofessional and obviously written by a frustrated writer dealing with anger issues.
A few years back, I saw BL was running a contest on Twitter with some producer (can't remember his name) who said if you listed and paid for review at BL, he would consider reading your script. When I made a negative comment, Franklin attempted to engage me in a Twitter war. When I offered to provide him with my feedback offline, the only response was from the crickets in my backyard. If he gave a shit about customer service, he should've jumped on my offer. But obviously he doesn't. He'd prefer to start an argument on Twitter. That's my impression of Franklin. Whereas yesterday, Scot, the guy who runs Coverfly was very very interested in my feedback and thanked me publicly in the forum. So who is the better businessman?
Last week, I did a paid script consultation. I was very direct and specific with my remarks. Here's what the writer had to say:
"I paid for an honest and even handed critique and I got what I needed. Again, thanks for your candor. It is through honest feedback that we grow."
There's a world of difference between honest, constructive feedback and insulting remarks.
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"There's a world of difference between honest, constructive feedback and insulting remarks." Ain't that the truth... It sad some folks take honest feedback personally...The only way we grow as writers is honest, constructive feedback.
Franklin's cred and history aside for a moment (although that's what most posts talk about), he's right. And yes, even Fast 'n Furious gets the audience to care about the characters - that's an emotional response.
Plot is necessary, but it's not the holy grail of screenwriting. Characters that people identify with, care about, hate with passion, or that just remind them of someone are what sticks. I learned this the hard way. I made a masterful thick-plotted, logical script - and it comes off as half-baked.
Characters in situations that bring about ANY emotion is what people go to movies to see. In that respect, Franklin (and many others) have it right. I could give a fat rat's ass about what Franklin has done or not done, or Blacklist either.
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As an audience member, I don't watch movies trying to spot plot points or act breaks or character arcs. None of the viewers even know what they mean.
We watch movies that can fascinate us, make us see things you don't normally see. The movie just sucks you in and constantly follow to see what happens next.
You always wonder and always live with those characters. You hope the bad guy fails in the end.
And those scenes that make us feel fascinated: The spectacular car chase, the hero plowing through 900 enemies using blade moves, the thrilling gunfights, the LoTR like battles but with spaceships, the damn 300:Rise of an Empire final battle scene.
On my laptop, I just watch those scenes over and over again, because I like them....
Or comedies, where I don't give a damn about the little to no dialogue rule. I just want to laugh and feel good.
After a really rough day, when I was really down, close to breaking point, a TV comedy series actually had the power to make me laugh, make me feel better, at least temporarily. I forgot. I laughed. I was amazed.
But of course, the rule is to use very little dialogue. I don't mind dialogue heavy movies, even in action or sci-fi. I don't mind having things explained to me if I can't figure why the hero does what he/she/they does(do).
Just don't make a movie where two people just talk and that's it! Don't talk too much without adding something interesting happening.
And get to the point soon. Give us something to follow. I once watched a movie where nothing interesting happened for 1:30 hours(some kind of family went skiing and stuff) until we switched channel.
Boring movies=background movies, that's what I call them. A movie for when you have guests and everyone is talking and nobody really pays any attention to what's happening on screen.
Finally, stay true to the genre. Deliver what you promise. If it's action, I want to see shootings and blowing up stuff and fast-paced action as big as possible.
If it's horror, I want to be scared so bad, I can't sleep that night. I remember watching a "comedy" about a dog's life and I actually cried in the end.
Some morron labeled it comedy on TV's genre intro.. Sorry for this long post, just wanting to share a few thoughts...