What Script Readers are Really Thinking

Posted on February 22, 2010

This marks the first of what we hope will be many articles written for you, our readers, by you, our readers. As “How to Be a Script Reader and Give Great Coverage” continues to be one of our most popular posts (according to Google, anyway), we’ve invited a script reader living deep in the studio trenches to give us a peek into the inner workings of The Gatekeeper.


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by The Bitter Script Reader

Many aspiring screenwriters probably look upon script readers as the enemy: that bitter, soulless person whose only job is to say “no” and crush the dreams of young writers. But that’s not entirely true. A good reader can be your best friend and your most valuable advocate – if you’re a good writer.

Contrary to popular belief, we don’t read scripts solely to find problems with them; we’re desperate to discover something entertaining and enjoyable. Unfortunately, we are often are deluged with submissions from writers who have yet to learn the fundamentals of screenwriting. If you saw a script through my eyes, you’d understand. That is why I now present a “live feed” of my impressions of a recent script submission, Twitter-style at 140 characters or fewer at a time. Read on »

I received an email today from someone in New York asking how to become as Script Reader and I thought, “If she wants to know, maybe you want to as well. “

Reading services aren’t just for the big studios, there are directors, actors, producers, investors, and book publishers everywhere who need screenplays evaluated–or “covered”.

Here’s what I told her:

  1. Read a pile o’ scripts. At least five, preferably more…a lot more. Either mix up genres or not but do choose your favorite movies. You can buy published screenplays but there aren’t too many. This site will start you off: http://www.script-o-rama.com/snazzy/dircut.html Be sure to choose FILM SCRIPTS and not Transcripts.

  2. Get this book and study: Reading for a Living: How to Be a Professional Story Analyst for Film and Television by Terri Katahn.
  3. Try your hand. Just Google “coverage sample” and copy someone’s format. The industry standard should be represented.

Extra credit if you brush up your story knowledge with any or all of these: The Reading List @ [[ The Story Spot ]]

Giving good coverage not only requires the ability to understand the mechanics of a screenplay but also the ability to assess the viability of the project from the standpoint of the person hiring you to read. That’s another skill entirely but without it, your opinion means diddly.

Those are the basics of starting out in screenplay coverage as I see it.

Check out my story services at storydoc.fatbrain.ca or click the script pile to the right.

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