Franklin Leonard, The Black List, Go Into The Story and synergy [Announcement]
In the post yesterday announcing the news that Go Into The Story is becoming the screenwriting blog of The Black List, I focused on The Black List itself, how it has become an important brand in Hollywood, putting a spotlight on talented screenwriters and great screenplays. Today I want to talk about Franklin Leonard, the founder of The Black List. Here is a brief bio:
Overbrook Entertainment Vice President of Creative Affairs Franklin Leonard is the creator of the Black List and co-creator of Blcklst.com, a yearly publication highlighting Hollywood’s most popular unproduced screenplays and its ongoing home on the web. Prior to Overbrook, Franklin was the director of development at Universal Pictures. He has done similar work at the production companies of directors Sydney Pollack and Anthony Minghella, actor Leonardo DiCaprio and former Paramount Pictures president John Goldwyn.
Here are some background articles I have referenced in GITS posts over the years about Franklin:
NY Times [12/8/2007]
Entertainment Weekly [12/10/2008]
Hollywood Reporter [11/17/2010]
Here is video of Franklin speaking at Fast Company’s “Most Creative People in Business” event:
Okay, so that’s all great, right? But I can hear you thinking: How did Franklin and The Black List cross paths with Go Into The Story? Because of one thing: The synergy between what The Black List is about and what we do here at GITS.
* The Black List and Go Into The Story promote screenwriters: Both put a spotlight on the scribes who feed the idea factory that is Hollywood.
* The Black List and Go Into The Story honor screenplays: Both are about that ever evolving and increasingly popular narrative form.
* The Black List and Go Into The Story support screenwriting: Both in their own unique way encourage writers to aspire to greatness in their scripts.
Here is how Franklin sums up The Black List: “Celebrating great screenwriting and those who do it.”
Doesn’t that sentiment feel so much like what goes on here at GITS?
Another thing: What Franklin did with The Black List — coming up with an idea, pulling it together and putting it out there — is precisely the same type of spirit writers have when we create a spec script. As anybody who has spent at least a few months following this blog knows, I am a huge proponent of that approach: If you have a creative instinct, follow it. See where it takes you. If it shows promise, make something out of it. Then have the courage to offer it to the universe. Franklin did that with The Black List. I did that with Go Into The Story. I call that the “spirit of the spec.” Here once again, a point of synergy between us.
Finally there’s this: Franklin is impressed by the GITS community. In the two years he’s been following this blog (he receives a daily feed of all the posts), Franklin has seen what an incredible dynamism you generate on this site. You are not ignorant dreamers, you know how hard it is to break into Hollywood as a writer, and yet you forge ahead — learning, sharing, analyzing, and writing, creating a positive-minded and supportive atmosphere in an otherwise cynical, defeatist online world. Indeed it’s that understanding of the business and commitment to getting better at the craft day by day that is embodied in the success of the writers selected each year to The Black List. In other words, Franklin and I see the synergy of our two sites mirrored in the dynamic of who you are and what you strive to be.
So with all that synergy in place, here’s what we envision with this partnership: A unique online presence that takes to the next level the resources available to screenwriters, both professional and aspiring.
To that end, Franklin has invited Xander Bennet, he of Screenwriting Tips, You Hack fame to join in that online presence. Where I can speak to screenwriting from my experience as a Hollywood writer, Xander provides the perspective of the film industry’s threshold guardians: script readers. More about Xander’s participation here.
Yesterday we talked about The Black List. Today we learned some things about Franklin and the synergy we see in both of our sites. But what exactly does this partnership between The Black List and Go Into The Story mean in terms of the day-to-day experience of GITS readers? What can it translate into down the road and in the larger scheme of things?
That’s what I will cover tomorrow in a 3rd post on the good news of our association.
For yesterday’s announcement, go here.
For the tipoff last week, go here.
And don’t worry: On Friday, I will be posting something where you can ask any questions you have about this partnership and the upcoming transition of this website to The Black List. While I’m reminded of that wonderful bit of business in the delightful movie Shakespeare in Love:
Q: How’s it turn out?
A: I don’t know. It’s a mystery.
I can promise I will have at least some answers for your questions.
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