Obvious statement of the day: screenwriting is not an easy profession to break into. Because of this truism, a cottage industry of screenplay services has popped up to help Hollywood hopefuls get notes, learn how to market themselves, and—most lucrative of all—have their material exposed to someone who might actually get their passion project made. But while much has been said (even on this site) about how worthless most of these services are—an inefficacy often inversely correlated to price tag, mind you—there might be room for a company to actually do it right. The Black List, a script reading service started by former development executive Franklin Leonard, is hoping to bridge the gap between screenplay services and producers.

Oh Hollywood. It used to be hard to get ahead here on talent alone. At the very least you needed famous family members, perhaps even a proclivity for allowing yourself to be blackmailed, all for a shot at the dream. But now it can all be yours, provided you have more than twenty dollars and less than $25,000.