Exclusive Q&A: Story Analyst D.C. Mar (Part 4)
Another in a series of questions and answers from my interview with script reader DC Mar.
* What is your process when you sit down to read a script (i.e., look at the title page to see who’s written the script and who represents it, flip to the back to see how many pages the script is, flip through the pages to get a sense of how the writer approached scene description/balance of SD and dialogue, etc.)
With most companies I read for, the submission comes with a coverage submission form issued by the executive requesting the coverage. This form tells me the title of the project, the writer, who script was submitted to (which executive, producer, etc.) and from whom (agent, producer, studio exec, talent, writer, etc.), type of coverage needed (standard, general writing sample, project writing sample, project coverage, breakdowns, etc.) and when the coverage is due (same day rush, overnight, next day, regular, low priority). This sheet is what I look at first. From this information, I’m already making judgments about the script. For example, if the script deadline is a same day rush (meaning I have to get that coverage in asap within a few hours and probably have to call in a verbal assessment before writing the official coverage), the writer is a well-known name, the script has been submitted to a top executive in the company and it’s been submitted by one of the big agencies or a big name producer, I’m already going into the script with a positive bias — that there’s already hot buzz on and interest in the project or the turnaround for the coverage wouldn’t be so fast and urgent. That certainly does not guarantee I’ll give the script a “consider.” But if I do decide to pass on it, I have to make a much stronger case than usual for why it’s not right for the company.
If, on the other hand, I receive a standard coverage request and the deadline is low priority (meaning I have a few days to get the coverage in), it’s written by an unknown writer and submitted by an agency that’s not one of the top tier agencies (or directly from the writer), I’ve already formed a negative bias that this script isn’t that important, the executive receiving the submission and requesting coverage isn’t too keen about the concept and it will be a likely “pass.” It’s not fair, but this script gets shoved to the back of the pile, after all the “overnights” and “next days” and will have a harder time convincing me it doesn’t deserve a “pass.” If in this case I decide the script is great and should be considered further, I have to be certain to make a very strong case for why.
Other information on the coverage submission form that affects my bias going into the read is whether there are any talent attachments, such as producers, actors, directors, writers doing the adaptation , etc.
The point of all this is that most scripts, fairly or not, have the odds stacked heavily against them from the moment we receive them. Seemingly superfluous information such as who submitted the script and to whom and when it’s due tell me a lot about the script even before I read one word. Of course, I’ve read scripts that I expected not be impressed by and were pleasantly surprised as I kept reading. Those are the few gems that beat the odds because they were just too good to be ignored or overlooked.
After I pick through my pile of scripts to be covered and determine in what order they get covered, this is my typical process:
— First, I look at the title and make a guess as to what genre it is — comedy, drama, action-adventure, etc.
— I look to see if I know of the writer.
— I flip to the back to check the page count, which tells me if the writer has stuck within the average length for a given genre (shorter for comedies and horrors — 96–105, longer for action/thrillers 105–118, longest for dramas up to 120, etc.). These are NOT hard fast rules and some scripts come in longer that are great. But as I mentioned above, if your script exceeds the average page count for your genre, I’m going into it with some negative assumptions about you and your script and it’s up to the script and the writing to convince me I’m totally off base.
— I flip through the script to see how much dark space there is (i.e., long chunks of dialogue and big blocks of stage description).
— I set a timer for 45 minutes. That’s how long it should take me to read to the midpoint of the script. When the timer goes off and I’m still not at the midpoint, I endeavor to read faster to keep the read no longer than 1 ½ hours. A script that doesn’t allow for speedy reading and slows me down due to dense, overwritten narrative or disjointed, incoherent execution will earn itself a “pass.”
— As I start reading, the first page tells me a lot. Does the tone clearly signal what kind of movie I’m in for (genre)? Does the script have me hooked yet? Or am I confused? Indifferent? Bored? Or am I intrigued, excited, amused, unsettled and, in other words, emotionally engaged in some way?
— By page five, if something hasn’t hooked me yet, I’m scribbling peevish notes on the margins such as “what’s going on?” “what’s happening?”
— By the end of act one, if I’m still not hooked, I’ve already formed enough of an opinion and am starting to write the comment for the coverage.
— As I read, I circle major characters and plot points. To be honest, I’m reading so quickly that I’m not always paying attention to whether ALL the major story pillars are in place. I don’t break down your script’s structure, but I am reacting to whether or not it’s essentially sound.
I do pay attention to four major pillars and these are the ones I usually circle as I read: inciting incident, end of act one, midpoint and end of act two. I’m not saying to myself, “okay, here’s the inciting incident…here’s the ‘all is lost moment.’” But what I’m thinking as I read is, “something interesting has just happened to the main character (inciting incident/catalyst). “ “Ah, the central question or core problem is raised (end of act one). “ “Oh shit, everything just got more messed up (midpoint),” and “Oh shit, the protag is doomed, but let’s see how he/she get out of it (end of act two).” If I’m thinking “huh? What’s the central question? What’s the main character’s problem? When the heck is something going to happen?” — that means the story pillars aren’t in place, I’m bored and the script will get an easy “pass” (and probably a line in the coverage that reads something to the effect of “not enough happens in the plot to sustain audience involvement for the duration…” etc.).
— After I finish reading the script, I set the timer again for 1 hour, which is the time I allot for writing the synopsis and then another 30 minutes for writing up and/or finishing up the comments. All told, I allow an average of three hours per script from read to completed coverage. Sometimes it takes a tad longer, like four hours, for genres like sci-fi, historical dramas, etc. Readers hate when the read is dense and tedious, too bogged down by unnecessary details. If it takes me too long to read the script and grasp the story and characters without effort, and especially if I have to stop repeatedly to go back and re-read passages to make sense of what’s going on, the script will get an easy pass.
Every professional reader I know tries to stick to a time limit for each script, plus or minus an hour or so. Writers may protest that their script isn’t get fair treatment and would be more favorably received if these lazy readers spent more quality time on each script digesting the nuances. But the sad, hard fact is that 1) readers are under intense deadline imposed by the companies they read for 2) it’s a well known fact that most readers do not get paid much at all, which is why they read 2–3 scripts a day and do so quickly and under deadline. A reader taking eight hours to read one script a day simply can’t survive financially unless he/she has another job and 3) the simple fact is, great scripts are a breeze to read and are easily and quickly recognized. They don’t need hours upon hours of careful scrutiny and contemplation to “get.”
What all this translates to is that the majority of the scripts get weeded out quickly if they are not GREAT reads.
Okay, admit it — this is fascinating. To find out the actual process that a script reader goes through to read a screenplay. And her first three steps: Check to see who the writer is to establish what priority she will give the script; flip to the back page to see how long the script is; then flip through the script to get an overall sense of the look of the pages, comparing black to white space. That is precisely what those script readers I befriended in the late 80s told me. So some things never change.
What about you? What struck you as interesting in DC’s response?