Reader Question for Franklin Leonard: Is there a common factor for Black List scripts?

A question for Franklin from GITS reader Debbie Moon:

After many years of the Black List, you must have a very strong sense of the kind of scripts that sell, and the kind that end up on the Black List. Is there a common factor to the scripts that make the Black List? Are they simply the best scripts out there, or is there a specific element or strength, over and above the strengths that any good script must have, that they all share?

Here is Franklin’s response:

At this point, it’s impossible for me to generalize since the sum total of six years’ lists totals more than 500 screenplays, and any absolute declarative statements I make are going to be met with a chorus of “but what about…” response.

Here’s what I can say: typically, scripts that end up high on the Black List set themselves a difficult storytelling task and then exceed all reasonable expectations in their execution of it. It’s the sort of thing that people feel compelled to share the morning after they read it, usually in some form of “you would not believe what I read last night! …. It’s insane. And here’s the incredible thing: it’s amazing!”

What that can often mean is that it’s just too crazy to find financing, or even if it does, it might not make terrible amounts of money at the box office, even executed well.

What it also means is that this writer is someone who confronts the seemingly impossible creatively and can turn it into a compelling, enjoyable screen story, the kind of person that might be able to take an idea that is on-it’s-face commercial and turn it into box office gold.

You can access each of the Black Lists dating back to 2005 by going here. They’re really fascinating to read, a travelogue through Hollywood’s recent script acquisition and development history. And given the number of movies from the lists that have been produced, it’s easy to understand why the Black List is one of the most important brands in the business as far as screenplays go.

For those who may have tracked the Black List, what do you think are common elements — if any — among Black List scripts? Is there something — dynamics, themes, style, genre approach — we can learn that we can bring to our own writing?

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