Decoder with Nilay Patel Recode Decode: Franklin Leonard
Jan 31, 2020
Franklin Leonard, founder of The Black List, shares how he unintentionally created a vital Hollywood survey connecting screenwriters and producers. He discusses the impact of diverse voices in storytelling, the systemic biases in Oscar nominations, and the need for equitable opportunities in the industry. Leonard also addresses why AI won't replace the human touch in script reading and emphasizes the importance of promoting diverse narratives to reflect broader audience demographics.
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The Black List Origin
- Franklin Leonard, while working for Leonardo DiCaprio's production company, struggled to find good screenplays.
- He created an industry survey, "The Black List," to crowdsource the best unproduced scripts.
Hollywood's Flawed System
- Hollywood's system for greenlighting movies is heavily relationship-driven, often neglecting script quality.
- The Black List demonstrates that prioritizing good scripts leads to financial success and critical acclaim.
Human-Driven Evaluation
- Leonard's competitive advantage lies in his belief in strong screenplays and trust in human evaluation of art.
- He prioritizes aggregating human responses over relying solely on AI for artistic evaluation.
