I’ve been a freelance and union story analyst (fancy term for “reader”) for studios and production companies and a story consultant for private clients in Hollywood for the past sixteen years. Like a hockey goalie, I’m usually the first defense against the deluge of screenplays, graphic novels, writing samples, teleplays, treatments and books that writers, agents and managers attempt to slap-shot by me and into the net for a score. It’s my job to block most submissions from being read by my client, the buyer. Don’t hate me. I’m saving you from some of the worst films on the planet. I should wear a cape.
Here’s how it works. I read the submission in question, which can be as thick as the new Stephen King manuscript or as slight as a pile of newspaper column clippings, as was the case when I evaluated SEX AND THE CITY as a possible film or TV series. Yes, I have to read every page; I’m the only one in the company who has to. I write story coverage on the material (two pages of synopsis and one solid page of comments) evaluating the material’s merits or lack thereof, what is right or wrong with the story, whether it is visual enough, strengths and weaknesses of the writing, the plot’s commercial viability and marketing potential – basically, I decide whether anyone else in the company should bother to read it.
As a story analyst, my job is to keep my executives from reading as much as possible while also preventing that rare gem of a script from slipping through the proverbial cracks. My job description means I’ve read literally thousands of scripts in my career thus far. Most of them will never flicker to life on a theater screen at a cineplex near you, or even light up your flat screen TV as a straight-to-DVD. Not just because I say so, but because story analysts like me all over town wherever those scripts were shopped concurred with my assessment in their coverage for their buyers, too.
A smattering of the scripts I read are good. As I’ve already labored to death, many more of them are bad. Some are awful – seriously, like, the “give me some bleach to scrub my eyes” kind of awful. But do you know what the overwhelmingly vast majority of screenplays I read are? Average. Mediocre. Pedestrian. Commonplace. Nothing is terribly wrong with them. But nor is anything particularly right about them. They simply fail to stand out, to shine. While the writing itself may be technically proficient, the mediocre script always offer marginal or derivative concepts with by the numbers plotting and generic characters we’ve all seen before. Shrug. Next.
I have three choices when passing judgment on someone’s literary baby that they spent days, weeks and months writing. I can PASS on a script, meaning the executive can thank me – I’ve just saved them two hours of reading (and two hours of coverage writing) that I’ll never get back. I can CONSIDER a script – meaning, hey looky here! There’s something here in terms of strong writing, characters and concept that warrants a closer look. Lots of those make it to the big screen and are money-earners for my clients. I can also RECOMMEND a script, meaning, STOP whatever you’re doing and read this script NOW because it’s likely going to sell before the day is out, plus I’d pay money out of my own pocket to see this film get made! In sixteen years with my LASIKed eyes on thousands of spec scripts, guess how many times I’ve put “RECOMMEND” on story coverage. Go ahead, guess. That’s right. Twice. They won multiple Oscars.
That’s why every time I pick up a script, I WANT to love it. I WANT to find the company’s next hit. Plus, reading good scripts is simply a lot more fun than reading dreadful ones. So, clearly, I’m on the writer’s side. I’m rooting for you to submit a good screenplay. Don’t believe me? I’ll prove it. In my next blog I’ll give you some random tips and even some story analyst pet peeves to keep your script from falling into the “average,” “mediocre,” “bad,” or “pass the bleach awful” categories on my story coverage.
Marie Rose holds a Master of Arts degree in Theater from The University of Texas at El Paso and is an American Film Institute Directing Workshop for Women alumna who has written, produced and directed award-winning short films starring such talent as Dakota Fanning (FATHER XMAS, iTunes International Shorts). As a proud member of IATSE Local 700 story analysts guild, Marie’s clients have included such studios as Disney, MGM and production companies such as Regency, Village Roadshow, Scott Stuber Co., Icon Production, Disney Channel and more. A published children’s author (PRINCESS SILVER TEARS AND ONE FEATHER, Ocean Front Books, 2007), Marie is also a past recipient of The Walt Disney Fellowship in Screenwriting for her first screenplay, DIVINE INTERVENTION. In 2009, Marie competed and was selected for participation in the Producers Guild of America's Diversity Workshop where she developed her original reality TV concept, THE HIGH ROLLER, under the expert guidance of seasoned, working non-fiction producers and show runners. Recently, Marie's new sexy comedy feature spec, FRENCHING, was unanimously named "Best Romantic Comedy" by Gotham Screen Festival judges. www.indierosefilms.com
Here’s how it works. I read the submission in question, which can be as thick as the new Stephen King manuscript or as slight as a pile of newspaper column clippings, as was the case when I evaluated SEX AND THE CITY as a possible film or TV series. Yes, I have to read every page; I’m the only one in the company who has to. I write story coverage on the material (two pages of synopsis and one solid page of comments) evaluating the material’s merits or lack thereof, what is right or wrong with the story, whether it is visual enough, strengths and weaknesses of the writing, the plot’s commercial viability and marketing potential – basically, I decide whether anyone else in the company should bother to read it.
As a story analyst, my job is to keep my executives from reading as much as possible while also preventing that rare gem of a script from slipping through the proverbial cracks. My job description means I’ve read literally thousands of scripts in my career thus far. Most of them will never flicker to life on a theater screen at a cineplex near you, or even light up your flat screen TV as a straight-to-DVD. Not just because I say so, but because story analysts like me all over town wherever those scripts were shopped concurred with my assessment in their coverage for their buyers, too.
A smattering of the scripts I read are good. As I’ve already labored to death, many more of them are bad. Some are awful – seriously, like, the “give me some bleach to scrub my eyes” kind of awful. But do you know what the overwhelmingly vast majority of screenplays I read are? Average. Mediocre. Pedestrian. Commonplace. Nothing is terribly wrong with them. But nor is anything particularly right about them. They simply fail to stand out, to shine. While the writing itself may be technically proficient, the mediocre script always offer marginal or derivative concepts with by the numbers plotting and generic characters we’ve all seen before. Shrug. Next.
I have three choices when passing judgment on someone’s literary baby that they spent days, weeks and months writing. I can PASS on a script, meaning the executive can thank me – I’ve just saved them two hours of reading (and two hours of coverage writing) that I’ll never get back. I can CONSIDER a script – meaning, hey looky here! There’s something here in terms of strong writing, characters and concept that warrants a closer look. Lots of those make it to the big screen and are money-earners for my clients. I can also RECOMMEND a script, meaning, STOP whatever you’re doing and read this script NOW because it’s likely going to sell before the day is out, plus I’d pay money out of my own pocket to see this film get made! In sixteen years with my LASIKed eyes on thousands of spec scripts, guess how many times I’ve put “RECOMMEND” on story coverage. Go ahead, guess. That’s right. Twice. They won multiple Oscars.
That’s why every time I pick up a script, I WANT to love it. I WANT to find the company’s next hit. Plus, reading good scripts is simply a lot more fun than reading dreadful ones. So, clearly, I’m on the writer’s side. I’m rooting for you to submit a good screenplay. Don’t believe me? I’ll prove it. In my next blog I’ll give you some random tips and even some story analyst pet peeves to keep your script from falling into the “average,” “mediocre,” “bad,” or “pass the bleach awful” categories on my story coverage.
Marie Rose holds a Master of Arts degree in Theater from The University of Texas at El Paso and is an American Film Institute Directing Workshop for Women alumna who has written, produced and directed award-winning short films starring such talent as Dakota Fanning (FATHER XMAS, iTunes International Shorts). As a proud member of IATSE Local 700 story analysts guild, Marie’s clients have included such studios as Disney, MGM and production companies such as Regency, Village Roadshow, Scott Stuber Co., Icon Production, Disney Channel and more. A published children’s author (PRINCESS SILVER TEARS AND ONE FEATHER, Ocean Front Books, 2007), Marie is also a past recipient of The Walt Disney Fellowship in Screenwriting for her first screenplay, DIVINE INTERVENTION. In 2009, Marie competed and was selected for participation in the Producers Guild of America's Diversity Workshop where she developed her original reality TV concept, THE HIGH ROLLER, under the expert guidance of seasoned, working non-fiction producers and show runners. Recently, Marie's new sexy comedy feature spec, FRENCHING, was unanimously named "Best Romantic Comedy" by Gotham Screen Festival judges. www.indierosefilms.com
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