Script coverage: Difference between revisions

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* Synopsis: Summary of plot: 1–3 pages depending on script quality

* Budget: The script reader's estimated budget

* Analysis

* Analysis<ref>Trottier, D. (2019). The Screenwriter's Bible, 7th Edition, A Complete Guide to Writing, Formatting, and Selling Your Script. Silman-James Press.</ref>

==Script timeline==

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

* '''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.<ref>The Black List. (n.d.). About. https://blcklst.com/about/</ref>

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.<ref>Hicks, N. (2011). Screenwriting 101: How to Get Your Movie Idea Onto the Silver Screen. BT Elite Publishers LLC.</ref>

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."<ref>Blue Stocking Press. (n.d.). Screenplay Competitions. https://www.bluestockingpress.com/screenplay-competitions.htm</ref> 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.<ref>Kirkland, C. (2011). I Liked It, Didn't Love It: Screenplay Development from the Inside Out. Lone Eagle.</ref>

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

In recent years, advancements in artificial intelligence have given rise to AI-powered script coverage services such as Prescene.<ref>Prescene. (n.d.). AI Script Coverage. https://www.prescene.ai/</ref> These services use natural language processing and machine learning algorithms to analyze screenplays and provide detailed feedback on various aspects such as character 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.

==Issues in coverage==