The next project, found, cleared and on the slate
Development is reading everything, checking the rights on what survives, and keeping a dozen projects moving at once. BlackSlate puts each of those jobs in one place.
Source the material
Find
- Public Domain RightsMore than 36,000 works, each showing when it enters the public domain in the US, UK, EU, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
- Untapped StoriesMore than 25,000 true stories, each with why it matters now and who would buy it.
- GroundswellMore than 2,400 stories drawn from online communities, scored for narrative and commercial pull.
- Advance ReaderBooks and other IP publishing soon, surfaced before the option market moves.
- IP ScoutUpcoming books, podcasts and IP matched to your company's taste, refreshed daily.
- Untapped Precincts50 professional worlds a returning series could live in, each with its story engine.
Know when to move
Time It
- MilestonesOver 5,600 anniversaries between 2027 and 2034, ranked by how commissionable they look.
- Industry NewsThe week's industry stories, each with what it means for a UK producer.
- Commissioner BriefsWhat UK commissioners are seeking, what they rarely buy, and how to pitch them.
- Axiom ForecastCultural and audience trends scored for confidence, with the window in which each peaks.
Build the story
Shape It
- Thematic Debates100 arguments a story can be about, each set out as two answers.
- BlackSlate for WritersA screenplay editor that formats to A4 or US Letter, imports Final Draft and compares drafts.
- Emerging TalentWriters, directors and producers to know, with their festival records and where they are heading.
- CastingSuggestions for every character in your project, with why each actor fits the part.
Run the slate
Run It
- The SlateProjects, drafts and deal terms in one place, with a schedule and a writer tracker.
- Script SubmissionsAgents submit through their own portal; you triage, assign a reader and reply.
- Options and Deal TermsEvery option and deal, with fees, expiries and the history of every clause.
- Tax CreditsProduction incentives across many countries, compared before you lock a location.
Evidence, or it says Not verified
A rights date you cannot check is a guess. Where there is a record, we cite it by number. Where nobody has checked, the record says so.
The Salt Road
Novel by Ruth Kemp, first published 1953. The author died in 1951.
United States renewal
Status
Evidence
Nobody has checked yet
Our Rule
Unchecked Stays Unchecked
Where nobody has looked up a US renewal, the record says Not verified. We do not round it up to public domain or down to protected, because either guess costs somebody money.
Trademarks and editions
Status
FlaggedEvidence
Checked separately. Not legal advice.
Our Rule
Public Domain Is Not the Same as Clear
Restored foreign copyrights, live trademarks and later editions can still catch you out. Those get their own flag, and none of it is legal advice.
No Borrowed Credibility
There are no customer logos on this page because nobody has asked to be quoted yet. When somebody does, they will be here.
Find the next project before anyone else does
Producers and development teams start here. Writers come in through the producer who has them on a slate.