Riprap Entertainment TV The Business Side of Writing with Barry PROFESSIONAL SCRIPT COVERAGE

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THE BUSINESS SIDE OF WRITING WITH BARRY

PROFESSIONAL SCRIPT COVERAGE
By Barry M. Putt, Jr.

The Business Side of Writing With Barry [August 21, 2007]“Script Coverage,” is a term used in the film and television industries for a professional, written script critique. It is used throughout the business, from the major studios to the small independent companies. In this installment, I’ll discuss how the coverage process works along with the benefits and drawbacks of receiving coverage on your work.

READERS are the individuals that evaluate scripts and write coverage. They are frequently culled from film schools or are persons attempting to get a foot-in-the-door in the film and television industries. They may generate coverage for individual production companies or for coverage services whose sole function is to provide script critiques for other industry professionals.

Most coverage assessments contain three standard components. The first is a synopsis of the story as summarized by the reader. The second is an open-ended critique that cites the strengths and weaknesses of the script. The final element is the reader’s decision on the piece. They can either “recommend” or “reject” a script for production.

To give you a better understanding of how the script coverage process works and how it fits into the bigger picture at a production company, I have put together a brief case study based upon my experience working as head script reader at an independent film company in Manhattan.

The Business Side of Writing With Barry CASE STUDY
COMPANY’S OBJECTIVE: To produce high quality, feature-length films on a low to moderate budget.

The Business Side of Writing With Barry SCRIPTS SOLICITED BY THE COMPANY WILL:
a. Have either won or placed in a screenwriting competition.
b. Be from specific Writers Guild of America (WGA) agencies.
c. On occasion, be brought in by company executives who received them from writers they met at industry parties.

The Business Side of Writing With Barry HEAD SCRIPT READER RESPONSIBILITIES: (MY POSITION):
a. Identify scripts from outside sources that should be requested for the company to review.
b. Log all new scripts into a database.
c. Assign and distribute scripts to the reader staff. (Each reader will typically cover one script per week.)
d. Read and provide coverage on screenplays.

Each week I generated a report containing the readers’ coverage statistics. This included the title of every script currently under review and all readers’ responses to it, which were either “recommend” or “reject”. The report was reviewed by the executive committee (the VP of Development and the company president) to keep them abreast of each script’s status.

A script had to be rejected by three readers before the company officially rejected it. Likewise, a script needed to be recommended three times before executives would consider reading it. If, after reading a particular script, the executive committee was interested in producing it, an option deal would be extended to the writer. The company would then work with that writer to further develop the script as it moved towards production.

If your script is rejected by a production company, it can be helpful to request a copy of the coverage. The best way to do this is to send the company a short letter with a self-addressed stamped envelope (SASE). Reviewing the coverage will give you insight into why that company didn’t select your script for production. Looking at coverage from several production companies will enable you to see trends that could be helpful in revising your script. It is important to note, however, that it is up to the discretion of each company whether they decide to provide you with coverage on a script you’ve submitted to them.

Some producers have begun to only look at scripts that have received positive coverage from a professional coverage service. If you encounter a situation like this, you need to decide if employing a coverage service is worth the investment. A one-time review of your script by one of these services may cost upwards of $100. As of this writing, one of the leading companies, Scriptshark.com charges $155 for their coverage service, while Scriptpimp.com charges $250. There is no guarantee they will give your script a favorable review. If your script is covered in a positive light, many coverage services will then help you market it to production companies in exchange for a small percentage of the sales price. If your script doesn’t receive a favorable review, you will have the coverage document to refer to as you continue developing your script.

Professional script coverage is subjective and each production company has its own set of standards and specifications, which determine what they are looking for. If you have workshopped your script and feel you have a solid draft, I would recommend submitting directly to production companies. There are quite a few out there. The Hollywood Creative Directory is a wonderful source to find the latest information on film and TV production companies. Regardless, where you ultimately obtain feedback from, I encourage you to polish your work and submit it. That will give you the best chance to find success.

Written by Barry M. Putt, Jr.
Copyright August 21, 2007 Barry M. Putt, Jr. all rights reserved. This article may not be reprinted without permission from the author.

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THE BUSINESS SIDE OF WRITING WITH BARRY

PROFESSIONAL SCRIPT COVERAGEBy Barry M. Putt, Jr.

VIEW MORE EXCERPTS LOADED DAILY!

PROFESSIONAL SCRIPT COVERAGE
By Barry M. Putt, Jr.