S cript coverage is an essential part of the development process, but many screenwriters and even some producers are in the dark. If you’re pursuing a job in the entertainment industry, keep reading.
This post will guide you through the entire process of script coverage, including how they rate scripts and places for you to find professional resources and script coverage jobs. Plus, we include a free script coverage template.
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Script coverage is a report that provides analysis of a screenplay. It’s used by a variety of industry professionals including agents, managers, producers and studio executives. If storyboarding is the foundation of the visual image, then script coverage is the foundation of the written word.
There are professional services like WeScreenplay and consultants like Nick Fore that provide professional script coverage for production companies, studios, and producers looking for reliable, accurate, and trusted coverage.
If you're looking for scripts, a trusted service like WeScreenplay is akin to a finding a reliable realtor when buying a home. Films commonly cost millions of dollars to produce, and every dollar relies on the quality of the script.
These story notes allow decision-makers to prioritize the many projects they have on their plate; deciding which should move into production, and which should take a back seat. It also lets them screen the enormous amounts of material they receive every day.
Any executive worth their salt knows that competent readers who can produce comprehensive script notes will generate value. One of the primary roles of the assistant is to provide these notes, acting as a kind of gatekeeper for the massive amount of material that moves through their offices.
Script coverage is not only a decision-making tool used by professionals but a mechanism to help writers shape their content to better appeal to the wider entertainment industry.
Let’s say you’re an aspiring writer. You’ve just finished the final sentence of your masterpiece screenplay “Moby Dick 2: The Ghost of Ahab,” and want to send it out to the world.
Well, if you haven’t received industry feedback, or understand what executives and agents typically look for in material, then you’re selling yourself short.
This is why script coverage is essential for both the writer and reader.
