Script coverage: Difference between revisions

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'''Script coverage''' is a [[filmmaking]] term for the analysis and grading of [[screenplay]]s, often within the "script development" department of a [[production company]].<ref>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.</ref> While coverage may remain entirely oral, it usually takes the form of a written report, guided by a [[Rubric (academic)|rubric]] that varies from company to company.<ref>Field, S. (2005). Screenplay: The Foundations of Screenwriting. Delta.</ref> Criteria include, but are not limited to:

While coverage may remain entirely verbal, it usually takes the form of a written report, guided by a [[Rubric (academic)|rubric]] that varies from company to company. Criteria includes, but is not limited to:

* INDENTIFICATIONIdentification: Title, Author, Type of Material, Locale, [[Genre]].

* LOGLINE[[Log line|Logline]]: A one sentence summary.

* COMMENTComment SUMMARYsummary: A paragraph summary of the analysis.

* GRADEGrade: ''Excellent, Good, Fair, Poor'' for categories that include characterization, premise, storyline, production values, dialogue and more.

* SYNOPSISSynopsis: Summary of plot: 2-31–3 pages depending on script quality.

* BUDGETBudget: The script reader's estimated budget.

* Analysis

* ANALYSIS.

==The Script Timelinetimeline==

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 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.<ref>Lerch, J. (1999). 500 Ways to Beat the Hollywood Script Reader: Writing the Screenplay the Reader Will Recommend. Fireside.</ref>

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:

* '''Pass''': The reader feels the script fails to make the grade in most areas and that the production entity should not proceed with it.

Due to the high number of screenplays that production companies receive, script coverage is primarily the responsibility of interns and assistants within the development department. Some companies, however, employ dedicated staff readers or use the services of freelance readers who are paid on a job-by-job basis. A grade of "Pass" generally ensures that no one higher on the chain of command will read the script, but this is not always the case -- a high-profile submission may be read by executives regardless of the initial reader's verdict. A grade of "Consider" keeps the script in circulation, at which point it is usually read by another intern or assistant before it moves on to a department head or executive, who typically reads the synopsis and analysis when making a further decision.

* '''Consider''': 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.

* '''Recommend''': The reader feels the script is extremely strong in all respects and that the production entity should proceed with it without reservation.

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 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.

==Issues in coverage==

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.

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 to identify and resolve problems before submitting them to production entities.

=== Economy of the script ===

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 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 plot, and ultimately the premise of the story. Scripts which 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 synopsises than poorly-written scripts which have lots of extraneous action.

In recent years, advancements in artificial intelligence have given rise to AI-powered script coverage services{{opinion|date=September 2024}}

=== Formatting ===

==Issues in coverage==

Different agencies will have different formatting preferences, but usually the first time a character is introduced, as in traditional screenplay formatting, it is CAPITALIZED. In addition, in a "shooting script" that is meant for the development or production process (as opposed to a "spec" or "submission" script), any abrubt changes in ___location and tone are sometimes described with a CUT TO:, as in screenplays.

=== Economy of the script ===

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 plot, and ultimately the premise of the story. Scripts whichthat 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 synopsisessynopses than poorly- written scripts whichwith havea lotslot of extraneous action.

==Controversy==

==References==

{{Reflist}}

Any sort of rating system is prone to failure or ineffectiveness by all parties involved. ''Script coverage'' may suffer from the regular problematics of [[bureaucracy|bureaucracies]] as well as a system of reportage that is too removed from the actual material at hand. The internal rules of a production company are thus taken into play: the search for new material is often side-tracked by a tendency towards familiar material and safer genres. ''citation needed''

[[Category:Film productionFilmmaking]]

[[Category:Screenwriting]]

On the writer's side, a thorough knowledge of the business of production and script coverage mechanisms, (say, from reading this article), may yield a screenplay that has been tailored for acceptance rather than fresh ideas.

The above controversy assumes that production companies and script readers are seeking fresh ideas, which is commonly not the case. ''Script coverage'' makes reading easier, and is popularly a business venture. On the other hand, the aforementioned conclusion about tailor-made screenplays have been seen as [[reactionary]] because formulaic scripts are not the fault of the film industry, but of screenwriters who are looking towards formula for acceptance by production elements, instead of fresh ideas and creative writing.

[[Category:Film production]]