The Black List and Writers Guild of America have formed a strategic alliance to advocate on behalf of writers and provide new platforms for their work, the two groups announced Tuesday.
The new partnership between the guild and the script-hosting web site will enable WGAW members to add their script titles, loglines, tags, and representative information to the Black List, as well as monitor their work's ratings and user traffic, free of charge.
WGAW members will also receive a 20 percent discount on paid Black List services to host their scripts and obtain reader evaluations of their screenplays. In addition, all scripts uploaded to the Black List web site by WGAW members during the first 30 days of the alliance announcement will be hosted for one month free of charge. Future months' script hosting will be charged at the 20 percent discount rate all WGA members are entitled to receive.
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In turn, the Black List will feature WGAW-related educational and resource information on its website, including information on the WGAW's Feature Access Project and Writer Access Project programs, both of which aim to provide increased employment opportunities for writers by making their work available to industry professionals. Also available will be links to the WGAW Registry, the guild’s screenplay and intellectual property registration service.
Black List founder Franklin Leonard said advocating for writers was a mission his organization has shared with the WGA.
"We couldn’t be more excited about working in cooperation in that effort, and, personally, as someone who came to Hollywood because of a deep admiration of storytellers, it’s quite a special moment," he said.
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WGAW board of directors member Billy Ray ("The Hunger Games") agreed.
"Since the inception of this list, Franklin's work has been all about celebrating writing and writers. We're thrilled to make him an official partner of the Guild," said screenwriter and WGAW board of directors member Billy Ray ("The Hunger Games").
In conjunction with the launch of the alliance, the guild will host a members-only educational event on Tuesday, July 9, at its headquarters. Leonard will present a history of the List, demonstrate how to make the most of the service, and answer questions.
The Black List's script-hosting website has been responsible for dozens of writers finding representation with major agencies and management companies, as well as more than a dozen script sales