Writing Coverage
Coverage is a written evaluation of a screenplay’s promise as a commercial feature film for a specific production company that is in the market to buy a property, (properties are often screenplays or books but can be other story forms such as short stories, novellas, and comic books). Large production companies pay a Reader a fee to read screenplays and write a short report (usually 3-5 pages) on the property’s promise. The Reader may be contracted to do this work but may also be a member of the script development department of a production company or studio. In addition to a plot synopsis, the Reader will offer a critique and his or her opinion on the screenplay’s potential for the type of film the company wants to produce. The Reader will finally recommend one of three options to the producers: PASS, CONSIDER, or RECOMMEND.
“PASS” means this screenplay is not what the production company is looking for right now. It is a rejection, but doesn’t necessarily mean the screenplay is badly written, it just might not be the kind of material the company wants to produce. Perhaps the Reader thinks this property doesn’t have to potential to attract a large audience. If the production company wants to produce a horror film and the screenplay is a romance, the reader will most likely pas on it, even if the script is beautifully written. Large commercial production companies are seldom in the market for the kind of short screenplays developed in this class; they are more interested in bigger properties with strong commercial possibilities. Short scripts are more likely to be produced and directed by the writers themselves or independent artists looking for unusual properties.
When a commercial project is in development, perhaps the most important question the producers consider is the one of audience. Audience research is a major part of what large media companies do, using focus groups and audience surveys to understand who might be interested in what types of films. Producers basically want to know the income bracket/status, age, gender, and race of their potential audience. Often property development decisions are made according to what development executives believe they know about audiences and their habits.
The Reader’s opinion might provide clues to the rejection of a script, but may not be very useful to a writer considering a second draft of the work. A reader for a different production company might consider the script or even recommend it. However, it could be that the script has some flaws that make it difficult for the Reader to see it as a potential money-making film. The notes provided by a Reader for a large commercial production company rarely provide detailed suggestions for solving story or character problems. The commercial Reader is not in the business of helping writers; the commercial Reader is in the business of finding a property that will be a wise investment for the production company that is paying his or her salary.
In addition to the Reader working for script development department of a studio, there are Independent Readers who offer this service directly to writers for a fee paid by the screenwriter. They might refer to themselves as “script consultants” or “script doctors.” An independent Reader can offer an assessment of the screenplay’s merits but ultimately can’t say how any specific production company might respond to that script unless that particular Reader is a rare individual with inside knowledge of what kind of material the particular production company wants and an insider ability to make those recommendations. However, the title “Independent Reader” usually means just that. The Reader has no current working connections. This Reader may be able to boast about some previous experience, very often this Reader is also a screenwriter with at least one important sale in his or her resume, but is not currently under contract with a production company. Writers will often pay a premium for this Independent Reader service without any hope that it will lead to production.
This unit asks screenwriters to become Independent Readers of each other’s work and write a report similar to what a production company might pay a professional Reader to write. However, there will be differences. As a student with access to other student producers, you might read a screenplay you think would make a strong short film and know another student looking for such a property. You might consider introducing the screenwriter to your producer, but you won’t conclude your coverage with the “pass,” “consider” or “recommend” grade that would be part of the commercial Reader’s service. You can informally introduce the two parties but this is outside the scope of the graded exercise. Also be aware that many of the students taking this class have intentions of producing their own short scripts. Your “coverage” should be about helping a fellow writer make the best of his or her script, to help a fellow writer to see any potential weaknesses in his or her screenplay before that writer makes a personal investment in its production. In order to help the writer, it is important to understand the kind of story and characters that writer wants to present. Try to avoid critiquing the script on the grounds that it’s not something you would write or because it reflects a genre you personally find “lame.”
Begin this process with a careful reading of the screenplay. You’ll probably want to take notes as you read, marking any areas on the script where there is confusion or potential problems. You may need to read the script several times before you are able to “see” the film it will make, warts and all. Once you feel like you know this script, you can begin writing coverage. Your coverage will be typewritten (computer generated and saved as a pdf file, in a manner similar to the pdf files you created for your own scripts and screenplays). The finished coverage should be about two pages long and double spaced.
Begin your coverage with all the identifying material:
Title of the screenplay:
Screenplay Author:
Reader: your name
Genre and Length:
Logline:
Synopsis: Follow the identifying information with your synopsis written in paragraph form. Your synopsis will be a few sentences summarizing the action of the story. The synopsis briefly answers the question: what is this screenplay about?
Comments: This is where you assess the merits of the script. How original is the story? Were the characters believable? Were they consistent? How emotionally involved were you in reading this script? If there was a central character, was he or she compelling? Was the dialogue convincing? Did the screenplay create enough tension? Is the action easy to visualize? What mood or atmosphere does the script invoke? You can make comparisons between this script and produced films, predicting how successfully this script would create a similar moment or characters. You can offer advice, but avoid attempting to make this script your own. Try to be as sensitive as you can be to the screenwriter’s intentions. If the script misses the mark somewhere, what will it take to get the story or characters back on track?
The form below is similar to the reader evaluation forms used in screenwriting competitions. It asks the reader to score specific elements of the screenplay. Fill out the form before beginning your written coverage. You should find this a helpful way to begin thinking about your coverage, however the written evaluation ultimately mean more to your author. You want to submit both. The elements of the screenplay will be scored with the lowest score (1) meaning unsatisfactory, (2) adequate, (3) appropriate, (4) excellent, and the highest score (5) meaning superior. Some screenwriting competitions will add these scores together, so that the higher scores will be the winners in the competition. Include this form with your written evaluation. Be prepared to discuss your evaluation with the author. Remember, this is not your screenplay. Don’t try to rewrite the script for him or her. You want to help the writer see what might be potential problems.
Finally, though this exercise doesn’t ask you to pass or recommend this script to a producer, consider whether or not you like to see the work produced and why or why not. Be honest but considerate about any problems you see in this project.