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cover page usually includes a checklist in which the script's various aspects are rated on a scale ranging from poor to excellent. Finally, the cover page highlights the analyst's ultimate recommendation. Although script coverage is a tool used primarily by motion picture production entities, it is sometimes used by screenwriting competitions as a way of separating "wheat from chaff." The coverage done for script competitions is usually simpler than that done for production companies — substituting a logline (a brief 1 or 2 line summary of the story) for the synopsis and simplifying the assessment — often employing only the checklist rating of the script's various aspects.
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tale. The second is a subjective review of the piece (typical length of which could range anywhere from 1 sentence, in short-form contest coverage, to 2 or 3 pages) which assesses the effectiveness of the screenplay's various components—including its concept, story structure, story development, characters, dialogue, and writing style—and points out its strong points and problem areas. The evaluation ends with a recommendation from the analyst as to what he/she feels the production entity should do with the script. This recommendation usually employs 1 of 3 terms:
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plot, and ultimately the premise of the story. Scripts that are not economical and include peripheral characters, scenes, and storylines that do not support character or plot development do not affect their motivation, and therefore can be omitted from the coverage. In this manner, well-written scripts may have longer synopses than poorly written scripts with a lot of extraneous action.
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By the very nature of summarizing a complicated plot, the coverage will not include every plot twist and subplot. Some characters will be omitted, or only briefly introduced for the sake of brevity. In order to decide on what will stay and what will go, the character and actions must support the main
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When completed, the synopsis, review, and evaluation are assembled and fronted with a cover page that lists the script's vital information (author's name, story genre, time and locations in which it takes place, length of the script, etc.) and contains a brief summary of the story and the review. The
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In addition to production entities and screenwriting competitions, a number of independent services employ a roster of veteran script analysts to provide professional-level coverage for screenwriters who wish to see how their scripts will be received by the industry. This gives the writers a chance
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In recent years, advancements in artificial intelligence have given rise to AI-powered script coverage services such as
Prescene. These services use natural language processing and machine learning algorithms to analyze screenplays and provide detailed feedback on various aspects such as character
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Script coverage is the summary and analysis of a script's plot and writing quality, used by production companies to track film and TV screenplays. Coverage consists of a number of elements. The first is a 1-to-2-page synopsis of the script's story highlighting the main characters and events of the
90:: The reader feels the script has a considerable number of strong points and is good enough to proceed with, while acknowledging that it has a number of significant problems that need to be successfully solved before the piece can be considered suitable for production.
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development, pacing, dialogue, and marketability. While AI script coverage is still a relatively new field, it has the potential to revolutionize the screenplay development process by providing quick, objective, and cost-effective feedback to screenwriters.
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Hauge, M. (2011). Writing
Screenplays That Sell, New Twentieth Anniversary Edition: The Complete Guide to Turning Story Concepts into Movie and Television Deals. Harper Collins.
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Trottier, D. (2019). The
Screenwriter's Bible, 7th Edition, A Complete Guide to Writing, Formatting, and Selling Your Script. Silman-James Press.
96:: The reader feels the script is extremely strong in all respects and that the production entity should proceed with it without reservation.
84:: The reader feels the script fails to make the grade in most areas and that the production entity should not proceed with it.
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Lerch, J. (1999). 500 Ways to Beat the
Hollywood Script Reader: Writing the Screenplay the Reader Will Recommend. Fireside.
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Hicks, N. (2011). Screenwriting 101: How to Get Your Movie Idea Onto the Silver Screen. BT Elite
Publishers LLC.
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Kirkland, C. (2011). I Liked It, Didn't Love It: Screenplay
Development from the Inside Out. Lone Eagle.
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for categories that include characterization, premise, storyline, production values, dialogue and more
31:. While coverage may remain entirely oral, it usually takes the form of a written report, guided by a
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to identify and resolve problems before submitting them to production entities.
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that varies from company to company. Criteria include, but are not limited to:
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Field, S. (2005). Screenplay: The
Foundations of Screenwriting. Delta.
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Synopsis: Summary of plot: 1–3 pages depending on script quality
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https://www.bluestockingpress.com/screenplay-competitions.htm
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Identification: Title, Author, Type of
Material, Locale,
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Blue
Stocking Press. (n.d.). Screenplay Competitions.
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Comment summary: A paragraph summary of the analysis
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64:Budget: The script reader's estimated budget
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217:Prescene. (n.d.). AI Script Coverage.
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