Hollywood script showcase finds truth of diversity pivot

Franklin Leonard, creator of The Black List script tool, talks diversity and fake woke in the script development process with Benjamin Law.

The Black List is almost a legend, a bringer of fortune – though really, it’s no more than a clever mechanism which depends on the internet. The List enables screenwriters to claim attention for their own scripts, and an international (but primarily US-based) community has formed around it, by which working executives can read unproduced scripts, and vote on them. The most liked are published in a list; writers are advised to secure paid script coverage as part of the package. The site has a blog, educational resources and records of partnerships including New Zealand and Western Australia.  Membership costs US$30/month/script.

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David Tiley was the Editor of Screenhub from 2005 until he became Content Lead for Film in 2021 with a special interest in policy. He is a writer in screen media with a long career in educational programs, documentary, and government funding, with a side order in script editing. He values curiosity, humour and objectivity in support of Australian visions and the art of storytelling.