The story behind script coverage: Comments

A week or so ago, I received some feedback about this series: The Story Behind Script Coverage, which I ran in June 2009. The readers suggested I re-run the series, figuring that many GITS readers might have missed the original run. So each day at 11AM PST (U.S.) for the next eight days, I will break down one facet of what a script reader does per the actual coverage packet from an actual Hollywood agency. Today’s topic: Comments.

Continuing our analysis of the “ICM Story Department — Coverage Packet,” today we consider the final part of the “How To Do Script Coverage” introduction: Comments.

1) STRUCTURE — Your comments should begin with a summary paragraph, briefly listing all the strengths and weaknesses you are going to address in the body of your comments. The issues of Concept, Story, Characterization, Dialogue, Action/Visuals, and Commercial Potential should all be addressed. The final paragraph should summarize your comments, making explicit your overall impression of the material.

2) BE SPECIFIC — Simply saying, “Dialogue is good,” “The second act is weak,” or “Characterization is excellent,” is not very helpful. If you like the script, then explain why. Quote dialogue to make your point. If a character has conflicting personality traits, then list them. If the story is not engaging or believable, then illustrate how and why. If a strong premise falls apart, then point out where.

3) PRIORTIZE — The relative importance of the various script elements — story, characterization, dialogue, etc — will vary from script to script. Therefore, you should prioritize your comments, beginning with (and devoting most time to) whatever element is most significant. For most commercial properties, though, you can be assured that the story and concept are very important elements.

What can we learn from this?

* Comments is where the script reader gets a chance to weigh in with their analysis of the screenplay. Therefore, to the degree you have captured the reader’s imagination with your script, you may anticipate kudos; if you haven’t, then… not so much.

* Take a good look at those categories by which the reader is expected to assess your screenplay: Concept, Story, Characterization, Dialogue, Action/Visuals, Commercial Potential. That serves as a good reminder to consider each of these when prepping and writing our script, but perhaps a different approach to some of them.

* For example, when in prep-writing mode (brainstorming, plotting, character development), that’s when Concept, Story, and Commercial Potential should be top-of-mind — to help you (a) determine if you have a strong enough foundation to continue on and write the script, or drop the project if it doesn’t seem big / good enough to be a motion picture screenplay, and (b) shape the material to make it the most viable, marketable story you can. But when you’re in page-writing mode, you want those questions answered and done with, not lingering in your mind, so you’re free to immerse yourself in your creativity.

* Likewise when you’re in page-writing mode, that’s when Characterization, Dialogue, and Action/Visuals should be up-front-and-center considerations. Much of the character work will have been done in the prep-writing phase, but you want to be attuned to each character as you’re writing them, listening to what they have to say and watching where they take you. The same with Dialogue and Action/Visuals, but in some ways, those are best hammered out when you hit the rewrite and polish drafts.

* The bottom line is that — again — you need to spend time thinking about these narrative elements, not only because that process should make your script better, but also because you know that the script reader is going to analyze your script using these categorical tools.

* The admonition to the reader to “Be Specific” sounds like a great screenwriting mantra to my ears. When I recall my young son’s advice, “Go into the story, and find the animals,” what I take that to mean is a screenwriter needs to immerse his/herself in their story to such a degree that the world of specific elements emerges — specific character traits, specific backstory events, specific ways of talking in dialogue, specific themes, specific moments and beats, etc. Those specifics can give your story universe a rich, resonate texture translated into images and feelings on the part of the reader, which they in turn can communicate — with specifics — in their coverage. So the key to being specific is going into the story.

* “Story and concept are very important elements.” Let me humbly nominate this as The Screenwriting Understatement of the Century. What the doc is saying is that scripts will vary in terms of genre, style, tone, etc, and therefore accordingly certain of these assessment categories will rise and fall in importance. But most of the time, the two most important elements in determining the fate of a script are — Story and Concept.

Yet again, this doc drives us back to basics. The Concept is critical, so before you type FADE IN, make sure you feel confident that your core story concept is something the buyers will be able to visualize as a movie. And the Story? If you do due diligence and work out the Major Plot Points (Plotline) as well as the Protagonist’s Transformation Arc (Themeline), and you can honestly look at what you’ve got and say, “This is a compelling story,” then you should be in good shape and ready to commence the page-writing part of your process.

For the original post [June 22, 2009] and comments, go here.

Go here to download the coverage packet. Note: It is likely dated at this point. However the basic areas it covers re script coverage still pertain to how readers go about their business on a daily basis in Hollywood.”