Screenwriting : Slated by Dan Guardino

A friend of mine uses it and is getting funding for his current feature. I've been registered with them for a while but I don't have any of my own projects listed, I'm just following my friend's project.

Free to sign up and post a project. Their financial and script analysis are pricey. Good place to be seen at least.

Thanks guys. I was looking at the script analysis and financial for two of my screenplays which would run a couple of thousand dollars which is why I wanted to get an opinion first. Thanks again.

Far as I know the free component is basically useless. I don't know of anyone who has gotten traction with it, but the price point is high to go beyond that. I wish sites like this would have case studies of successful users -- or maybe that's your answer. Keep us posted.

I would highly recommend Slated, especially given that you have solid credits and will likely earn a respectable score once you enter them into your profile. That ranking of you and your team gets combined with the script scores to form an overall project score that the accredited investors look at. At least, that's my understanding of it. Correct me if I'm wrong. Haven't put up a project yet but I may give it a shot. It's a rougher road I think for set techs making the transition to producing. Especially if you've worked on smaller indies that don't list on IMDB or report box office or VOD figures to baseline. Then it's really hard to boost your score on that site.

But are there examples of projects that have been funded based solely on a score or even through their pricey script/financial review?

I've given it a sign up and so far am impressed. It seems like a better LinkedIn specifically for film packaging. Very well designed. The main reason I've completed profile is I'm surprised how many professionals I've worked with who are already registered on the site. If there will enough member activity for it to be worthwhile, time will tell....

Hey Lynn - Baseline is a competitor of imdb, they've been around for about as long but it never really took off other than to run scriptshark. They were owned buy the New York Times, but I don't think they still are. They only pull from distributed /published credit lists of major theatrical releases and as much as imdb can drive you crazy in submitting listings at least they get back to you with name quirks etc. Even with my extensive (published) credit list, Baseline only has about half of them due to the difference of initials etc.

My goal is to find funding for a project. My director has quite a few IMDb credits but apparently they don't use that database so that might be a negative for me. I will probably try one movie and see what happens.

Dan - did anything work out with Slated? I am doing some pre-production planning on a screenplay of mine and have been looking at their service. I don't see any real value in it, but maybe I'm missing something. I think I'd rather pay someone to put together a professional shooting schedule and budget.

Robert, I have four projects and I am now deciding which ones to put in because it isn't that cheap. I will be putting one in pretty soon. I already have budgets and shooting schedule, directors some actors attached. I did hear the free version doesn't do any good that doesn't surprise me. I will let you know after I put it on if something happens.

Dan - Did you do your own budgets and shooting schedule (I did them myself for a script years ago) or are you working with a producer or did you pay to have them done?

I did one budget myself and one I had done and I still have two to go which I will have someone else do. With Gorilla software it isn't that hard but I don't have time to do them myself. I am working with other producers.

Wondering if anyone has had any success with Slated.com recently? Thinking of using their eval service for a script of mine. I don't have a team or a director attached. If a script scores high, does it attract producers and directors as well as financing? Thoughts, anyone?

Mary Goldman This is an older thread. I too am curious after two years if Dan Guardino, M L. or Mark Vincent Kelly have had any success with them. I didn't use Slated and am still working on the financing of my film.

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I am confused by this site. (Okay I'm a dumb newbie) So i put a script up for analysis. (The one I would has his coverage and contest evaluations - wouldn't do one cold) After the analysis - what happens? Is it on their site for views (aka black list / ink tip) do they find matches? They leave a lot to the imagination.

Also I was looking through their successes - not one script scored over 80%. Just curious on that.

I'm interested in getting my script(s) out there and sold but I do not want to be a producer or a director.

Scam

The reason I was interested is because they claim they have investors/executive producers looking for projects that have talent attached and distribution etc. So considering those things would it be worth it? I don't even know what they charge but I am not worried about. I just find it difficult to believe that an executive producer would be looking on that site for a project but I could be wrong.

Dan Guardino I doubt I can add much more to your knowledge of the industry, but this is just a voice from the wilderness out here;

I think putting it bluntly -- It is prolly useless unless you’ve already something that stands out like neon. Or, unless you’ve got A-list talent or something so striking there’s no way anyone WON’T fund you,

I think almost ANYONE might frankly be better off with Kickstarter.

67K members? 67K?? Maybe that's accurate but - WOW... How would producers even sift through 18K writers submissions?... If the # is accurate (suscpicions...) Too many people are using it and investors see films on there the same way they do in real life— not worth the risk unless there’s something to mitigate it.

I guess if you have something REALLY special if it were when the site first started it would make it easier to get noticed by investors, but so many people seem to be on it now.... But... I don't know.

Kevin. That is what I suspected which I was reluctant to submit my any of my screenplays there. I really do appreciate your opinion. Thanks!

I just read a blog from a filmmaker who used Slated.com. Some good things, some not so good. Seems like it's another 'lottery'. Here's the link:

https://darentsmith.com/a-few-thoughts-on-slated-com/

Mary. Thanks for posting that. It does seem like another lottery and I never play the lottery. I didn't post my script there so I guess I saved some money.

Hi all. I use slated and have had 3 scripts evaluated. It is the best coverage I have ever gotten. And it’s stopped me from charging ahead to produce a script with a low score. The script score target of 70+ is a good target.

Their extensive reverse analysis of film profitability shows that films with script scores below 67.5 no not make money. 70+ scripts when combined with excellent scoring producers, directors and talent, combined with solid reputable distributors make money.

We are just polishing 3 scripts with a target score of 75 minimum. Then we will use slated as a tool to support our equity financing outside of slated, as well as to find money in the slated community. We only start looking for equity after we have a high slated score, 1-2 names attached, and sales LOIs in place for domestic distribution and for foreign, with estimates, both from solid reputable distributors and sales agents, and financing in place for tax credits/incentives and sales MGs. So slated is not a magic financing web site, just part of the overall three dimensional chess game of financing films.