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How to Write Script Coverage

The film and television community relies on the quality of the scripts from which it makes movies and shows. Feature films and TV shows are sold sometimes without a script, but it is rare to enter production without the script (or scripts of the first few episodes) read and approved by the studio or financing entity. In this world, the script starts it all. However, before the script is read by anyone who matters in the decision making process, it is most often assessed by a "Reader," who is a lowly paid contract worker with little or no experience as a film-maker. This person does “script coverage” which can enable anyone who has read the coverage to pretend that he has read the script. The script coverage also can make the Reader seem like a marketing wizard. In other words, it is an ideal tool for Studio Executives who have large suits but little attention span.

Instructions

    • 1

      Read the script once from beginning to end, as if you are seeing the movie. Don’t stop to take notes or breaks. Take a breath when you finish and then write everything you felt and remember. These are your initial notes.

    • 2

      Read the script a second time, this time making notes in the margins as you go. You want to remember what works and what doesn’t.

    • 3

      Organize your coverage with a cover page comprised of the following parts: A table with the script title and author, the page count, the genre, the location, the budget range, the time period, the date submitted and your name. You'll also need a logline--a three sentence or less telling of the story; and a chart which includes your assessment of the script relating to Premise, Story Line, Structure, Characterization and Dialogue on an Excellent, Good, Fair, Poor rating scale.

    • 4

      Follow the cover page with supplemental pages. You will need a Synopsis (could be 1 to 3 pages), Comments (anything from structure to marketing to overall impact), and Recommendation (buy it now, have it rewritten, pass on it). A reader is sometimes smarter than the screenwriter and can write better as well. On the other hand, a great screenplay reviewed by a dumb reader will seem like a hopeless mess. Good executives are often made by good readers.

    • 5

      Proof your coverage. Make sure it is your best writing. Remember that the document you write might sell the script to a studio and might very well make people other than you rich and famous.

Film Production

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