The Black List

http://deadline.com/2017/12/2017-black-list-scripts-ranking-list-screenplays-1202222558/

Who Reps Them


http://deadline.com/2017/12/the-black-list-2017-agencies-management-companies-ranking-charts-1202222555/

In years past, unrepped writers have made the list, it appears this,year that didn’t happen.

-Don

Seems so. One script on the list was the subject of a bidding war which closed in October. It's definitely not filmed yet, however I don't think it categorizing it as unproduced is in the spirit of the blacklist.

It is sad.

I think there was only one writer to ever make the list that was fully unrepresented without an agent or manager.
Now most of the writers on the list are backed by agencies, management companies, and even now, producers and financiers.

It should be the best unproduced scripts that are about to be produced.

But hey, those writers are getting stuff made. So good on them.
It just stinks that yet another door has seemed to close.

I believe the writer of Meat was not repped at the time.

http://scriptshadow.net/amateur-monday-meat-new-top-25-script/

Pia,

That is definitely possible.

I'm not one hundred percent certain on how the blacklist works. Whether or not the writers are pooled into to it prior to the release or not.

Although a recommendation from Carson Reeves may have helped Logan gain representation as well.

Cool article. Thanks for sharing.

All the best,
Marty

Meat was on the Bloodlist which comes out in Oct. I think the list is already compiled early Oct, maybe sooner. The writer had managers and agents listed there. So, he may have gotten those managers and agents in a couple of weeks after the scriptshadow review, but I think it's far more likely he already had them. From what I can tell, the script wasn't submitted to scriptshadow. It was just picked for a review.

Not trying to derail the thread, but I looked Meat up and read the whole thing.

Wow, what a piece of trash. It’s just horrible. A repetitive story with no real substance. The guy uses the word "just" so many times in the script. He just does this, he just does that. It kind of builds to something then just ends.

Nothing is really explained, stuff just happens.

I know there are constant debates about the rules and yes this Carson guy says the rules will get you a good script but breaking them will get you a great one. Well if that’s considered a great script... yikes.

The writer does break so many of the rules and you know what; yes it definitely affects the script in a bad way. Constant we see, we hear, the red text, the constant, and I mean CONSTANT comic book sound effects.

There isn’t a hint of horror in this script.

Seriously that was God awful, has anyone read it?

We have so many features on SS that are so, so, so much better than that.

Maybe a manager paid Carson to write a good review in order to get him some publicity.

I'll give it a read.

I feel that must be the case. Even his review is laughable, he blows so much hot air up the script and it's not worthy of any of it.

I don't really know anything about Carson but I'm guessing he's just another self-proclaimed guru feeding off the dreams of wannabe writers, and probably making a nice little profit while he’s at it.

I googled him and surprisingly didn’t find a list of his many writing credits.

Carson will be the first to tell you he wanted to be a screenwriter, but he sucked at it. He's read and anlysed thousands of scripts and decided to make a career out of that. His blog is VERY successful and he's known for being able to make BIG things happen with your script if he loves it. He has access to BIG studio people and agents and other business inside people.  :)

Just saw John August's (a real, paid, successful screenwriter) thoughts on Carson and he definitely disagrees.

Lots of people disagree with him. Many even hate him due to him used to review scripts that were still in production. Still, there have been plenty of writers who have got their scripts into the hands of studio execs and agents thanks to him. Including a handful of people from Simply Scripts. One of which has been produced with James Earl Jones and Bruce Dern in it.  :)

I once did the analytics and this site has exactly double the unique visitors that scriptshadow gets. If I remember correctly 18K people visit that site a month, while 36K this one. I also remember some guy did the numbers, which are the most visited websites about screenwriting 2-3 years back and scriptshadow wasn't in the top 15. So, I really don't know how successful that site is. I think he makes the bulk of his money from his coverage business. I highly doubt he has any kind of major "contacts" in the business.

Warren,

Did you read the draft from scriptshadows or the one from the blacklist? I was just interested in whether the script changed much between the two.

Quoted from Warren Not trying to derail the thread, but I looked Meat up and read the whole thing. Wow, what a piece of trash. It’s just horrible. A repetitive story with no real substance. The guy uses the word "just" so many times in the script. He just does this, he just does that. It kind of builds to something then just ends. Nothing is really explained, stuff just happens. I know there are constant debates about the rules and yes this Carson guy says the rules will get you a good script but breaking them will get you a great one. Well if that’s considered a great script... yikes. The writer does break so many of the rules and you know what; yes it definitely affects the script in a bad way. Constant we see, we hear, the red text, the constant, and I mean CONSTANT comic book sound effects. There isn’t a hint of horror in this script. Seriously that was God awful, has anyone read it? We have so many features on SS that are so, so, so much better than that.

Yeh I read it. And I know what you mean. Although I was kind of sucked in by his plodding but distinctive style and it was - if nothing else - different.

Quoted from Marty Warren, Did you read the draft from scriptshadows or the one from the blacklist? I was just interested in whether the script changed much between the two.

Hi,

I read the version on scriptshadows. I'm not sure if it changed at all.

Warren,

I peaked at both the scriptshadows one and the black list one and it looks like the page count jumped considerably.

Maybe Logan was given notes from his original that may or may not address some of the qualms you had with the scriptshadows one?

I have not read either one yet but if you're still interested, I would recommend you check out the black list one.

All the best,
Marty

Quoted from Marty Warren, I peaked at both the scriptshadows one and the black list one and it looks like the page count jumped considerably. Maybe Logan was given notes from his original that may or may not address some of the qualms you had with the scriptshadows one? I have not read either one yet but if you're still interested, I would recommend you check out the black list one. All the best, Marty

Regardless, it’s the scriptshadow one that Carson gave such a glowing review. I'm not sure I can waste any more time on that script. Maybe if someone else has read it and thinks it's amazing (the blacklist one that is) I'll have a look to see what he did to save it, but there was so much wrong with it, I can’t imagine it would really have changed that much. I assume he took Carson’s advice and gave the wife a subplot to blow out the page count a bit more.

On the Blacklist

The underlying service where you pay $50 for script reviews is a must to avoid in my opinion. In my view simply a money making scam.

In terms of "The Annual BlackList". Theoretically it's a list compiled from the suggestions of film executives. for projects receiving mentions that have not begun filming. Basically, scripts in the hopper. This always made me wonder about the incentive. If a studio or an agent had a killer script, what is their motivation for recommending it to the Blacklist? Why not just film the sucker?

My suspicion is that they are using the Blacklist as a promotional tool for scripts that they already plan or hope to plan to do something with so their votes are self serving.  I mean come on, 67 of the scripts are from 4 of the largest agencies on the planet. So one must believe that folks not associated with those agencies are voting for scripts held by their competitors or - the far more plausible - Agencies are stuffing the ballot box for the scripts they own, are producing and this is just a way to generate pre-release buzz.

It's a magical formula because of course many of these are going to get made and then the Blacklist gets to crow - "look, our list must have merit since many of the scripts were ultimately filmed."  No shit. Could it be because that the list was really just a list of films that were already in the planning stages. I think so.

On Script Shadows

I read and comment there and think the site has value. Yes, it serves as a promotional tool for Carson's paid services but there is no obligation to pay. While this forum is far and away a better one in my view, I see Script Shadow as just one more tool in the toolbox. And I have submitted scripts there for Amateur Friday.

Carson himself has some good thoughts and some bad ones. i.e., from time to time there is some insightful stuff and other times it is a head-scratcher.

MEAT was one of those for me. I read the entire thing and just didn't get the love. The dialogue was stilted and there were huge logic issues with the story most note worthy of which - you would have to believe that becoming Vegan means starvation.  Anyway. others loved it and I do believe that Carson's love of it (inexplicable as that was) was a huge factor in it getting repped.

Anyway - my diatribe for the day.

Quoted from eldave1 I do believe that Carson's love of it (inexplicable as that was) was a huge factor in it getting repped.

The SS review was posted Sept 17. The script appeared on the Bloodlist with 2 agents and 2 managers listed on Oct 25. The Bloodlist announced on Oct 1st that the list is being published on the 25th. Which means it was likely done at that time. It was also number 1 on the Bloodlist, which means it was probably in circulation, at least some people in the industry knew about the script.

I know a guy who had a script on the Bloodlist, with agents and managers. He was shopping the script around production companies (taking meetings) for months before it appeared on the Bloodlist.

I find it a bit unlikely that the writer found both managers and agents, two different companies to rep him in just a couple of weeks after the SS review was published. Plus the script was optioned by a production company in November.

I do agree with Dave that The Black List 50$ review service is a scam.

Quoted from Demento The SS review was posted Sept 17. The script appeared on the Bloodlist with 2 agents and 2 managers listed on Oct 25. The Bloodlist announced on Oct 1st that the list is being published on the 25th. Which means it was likely done at that time. It was also number 1 on the Bloodlist, which means it was probably in circulation, at least some people in the industry knew about the script. I know a guy who had a script on the Bloodlist, with agents and managers. He was shopping the script around production companies (taking meetings) for months before it appeared on the Bloodlist. I find it a bit unlikely that the writer found both managers and agents, two different companies to rep him in just a couple of weeks after the SS review was published. Plus the script was optioned by a production company in November. I do agree with Dave that The Black List 50$ review service is a scam.

Your chronology makes sense - my speculation was probably incorrect. Thanks for the info

I usually don't like bringing back old threads but MAN am I glad people hated this as much as I did. Just strolling through the comments and I just saw the word vegan. Yep. Now it makes sense. If you ever met one of these cultists, believe me, the fact it's getting praise will be crystal clear.

Not all are like that of course. But a lot of them are. Maybe they're malnourished. I don't know. But the writing in this was as tedious as tedious gets.

I just want to give a quick review of the first page -- why does the writer say "we" if we're in the animal's POV? How do we know if we're in an animal's POV if the animal hasn't been introduced? We turn to a THWACK! How do you turn to a sound? SOMEWHERE as a mini slug? Oh yeah I can really see the film playing in my head.

Quoted from TheReccher I usually don't like bringing back old threads but MAN am I glad people hated this as much as I did. Just strolling through the comments and I just saw the word vegan. Yep. Now it makes sense. If you ever met one of these cultists, believe me, the fact it's getting praise will be crystal clear. Not all are like that of course. But a lot of them are. Maybe they're malnourished. I don't know. But the writing in this was as tedious as tedious gets. I just want to give a quick review of the first page -- why does the writer say "we" if we're in the animal's POV? How do we know if we're in an animal's POV if the animal hasn't been introduced? We turn to a THWACK! How do you turn to a sound? SOMEWHERE as a mini slug? Oh yeah I can really see the film playing in my head.

Indeed. But, the story logic (lack thereof) was the biggest issue for me.

Quoted from eldave1 Indeed. But, the story logic (lack thereof) was the biggest issue for me.

I think behind the success of the script is a lesson to be learned. There was a lack of story logic I guess, but MEAT was actually about something. Most amateur scripts have a plot that makes sense and a clear goal but aren't about anything. I'll use an example from last years Blacklist. There was a script about a guy who loses his family in a freak storm and monsters invade earth and start tearing shit up and he's freaking out but all of the other people are just continuing their lives as usual. Sorry, I don't remember the name of it, but that script was about global warming. They probably don't mention it once, but that was the hidden meaning of it.

Hollywood really wants to "own" an idea. Stake claim on it, if you will. MEAT was about vegans. It was about man's primal lust for meat. Let's say MEAT was actually made, then you could totally see a group of teenagers hanging out and making fun of one of the friends for being vegan..."Hey dude you should watch MEAT". Same thing about other famous indie films. Lets say that same group of kids are talking about claustrophobia..."Hey dude, you should watch that movie Buried".

I feel like studios that buy specs really want to have the "definitive" movie about something. MEAT was about vegans v.s. meat eaters. I can't think of any other movie that really focuses on that.

How many amateur scripts that you read on SS would be the "definitive" movie about something? You probably won't find one. But that's all you have to do to sell a spec lol. Seems easy but it's not. I still can't believe there's nobody else that thought up "A Quiet Place" sooner. Like, duh...a silent movie where the characters die if they make a sound. SOLD!

I think the fact that MEAT was a "definitive" idea is why the industry was going crazy for it. The fact that it wasn't executed well is probably why it didn't get made. (Not yet anyways).

Personally, I think the writer is kind of a shit though. He told everyone it was his first script when it got discovered on script shadow. But I stumbled onto a twitter thread where people were saying "Oh I remember Logan, he used to post his scripts on reddit all the time years ago." So yeah, I hate writers who make little lies like that to mind-fuck people who have been at it for years.

Whew, sorry Dave I was bored.

Quoted from RJP I think behind the success of the script is a lesson to be learned. There was a lack of story logic I guess, but MEAT was actually about something. Most amateur scripts have a plot that makes sense and a clear goal but aren't about anything. I'll use an example from last years Blacklist. There was a script about a guy who loses his family in a freak storm and monsters invade earth and start tearing shit up and he's freaking out but all of the other people are just continuing their lives as usual. Sorry, I don't remember the name of it, but that script was about global warming. They probably don't mention it once, but that was the hidden meaning of it. Hollywood really wants to "own" an idea. Stake claim on it, if you will. MEAT was about vegans. It was about man's primal lust for meat. Let's say MEAT was actually made, then you could totally see a group of teenagers hanging out and making fun of one of the friends for being vegan..."Hey dude you should watch MEAT". Same thing about other famous indie films. Lets say that same group of kids are talking about claustrophobia..."Hey dude, you should watch that movie Buried". I feel like studios that buy specs really want to have the "definitive" movie about something. MEAT was about vegans v.s. meat eaters. I can't think of any other movie that really focuses on that. How many amateur scripts that you read on SS would be the "definitive" movie about something? You probably won't find one. But that's all you have to do to sell a spec lol. Seems easy but it's not. I still can't believe there's nobody else that thought up "A Quiet Place" sooner. Like, duh...a silent movie where the characters die if they make a sound. SOLD! I think the fact that MEAT was a "definitive" idea is why the industry was going crazy for it. The fact that it wasn't executed well is probably why it didn't get made. (Not yet anyways). Personally, I think the writer is kind of a shit though. He told everyone it was his first script when it got discovered on script shadow. But I stumbled onto a twitter thread where people were saying "Oh I remember Logan, he used to post his scripts on reddit all the time years ago." So yeah, I hate writers who make little lies like that to mind-fuck people who have been at it for years. Whew, sorry Dave I was bored.

No problem, mate - interesting read