New Year

Tonight sees the onset of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. So I just wanted to wish everyone a happy and healthy new year, and thank you all for reading my blog over the past 12 months.

Also, at this time of year we ask people we may have upset or offended over the last year to accept our sincere apologies and forgive us for any hurt caused.

I'm aware that a large part of what I do is give feedback on scripts that are very personal to the writer - and although I try to be as careful and delicate as I can be with my words, if I have said anything that has caused any hurt please accept my apology.

But this is a screenwriting blog so let's not get too heavy. Let's end the year with a screenwriting resolution - courtesy of Danny Stack - and make next year the year to end all script formatting problems!

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow

I'm in New York on our annual vacation to spend time with my wife's family. And it's snowing. Hard. We're talking big boy snow here. None of that namby pamby stuff that shut down England and nearly caused us to miss our flight.

Anyway, I just wanted to take this opportunity to thank everyone who takes the time to read this blog. I hope it's been entertaining and informative, and I will try my best to maintain it during the coming year.

Thanks also to those who have allowed me to read their work and have asked me to give feedback in order to take their projects forward. I've done my best to both call things as I've seen them, tell it like it is, not shirk on asking the tough questions, but hopefully all in a manner that has only helped and not offended. The service, and the prices, will stay the same for as long as it can.

Finally, let me wish everyone a happy and healthy new year, and success both personally and professionally in 2011.

Script Reading on the Blog - One year on!

Has it really been a year? Goodness me. Script Reading on the Blog was set up to redress what I saw as an imbalance in the industry for writers, particularly newer writers, to get much needed feedback on their work. With a few notable exceptions, the only services available were very expensive. Now, as I've said before, people have a right to charge whatever they wish, and will no doubt state they provide value for money. Fair enough. Good luck to them. But whether it's value for money or not is a bit irrelevant if writers can't afford it in the first place.

So the plan was to set up an affordable service, that would mimic the sort of script reports readers write for production company execs, but that writers never usually get to see. This was going to be a way to show writers how these readers (me being one of them) think and assess their work. And then as the scripts started to come in, that all flew out the window. Partly responding to feedback from clients, partly off my own back, the service changed a little bit. But significantly, what was meant to be a 2-3 page basic report, evolved into 3-4 pages of more intensive development notes. No one forced me to do this - I just can't help myself! Because you know what, I actually enjoy doing this. I like connecting with other writers, reading scripts, and seeing if I can help the writer develop their work.

(It has become apparent though that it's a little more time consuming than was initially planned, and as a response to that the two main script reading services have gone up by just a fiver. I still think this is a pretty good price for the report received and everything is always turned around within a week. I don't think anyone does it faster than that.)

But anyway, more importantly, what have I learnt from the first year of Script Reading on the Blog? Well, firstly, the standard is really high. Higher than I expected actually. Most of the scripts that come through the blog are by unproduced, un-agented writers. This is not the case with scripts I read for companies. But I can tell you right now that there is no qualitative difference from the best ones I read privately, to the ones I read for companies. I absolutely love to find a fantastic script that has come to me through the blog from an unknown writer. I would be unbelievably proud to have helped develop a script that goes on to be produced. I'm simply not in a position at the moment to help anyone else in that respect, working as I am to get my own work produced! But if the day ever comes when I am in that position, there are already 2-3 writers and projects that I have 'found' that I would certainly chase up on.

Of the scripts that I get that aren't quite there yet, the standard and enthusiasm is still very high. I know there is this conceit that readers tell people what they want to hear and don't tell people they are just bad writers. Well, I can only speak for myself in that the first statement is false and the second one is absolutely true. Because there is no way to judge from one script whether a writer can cut it or not. And who the hell am I, being just one bloke and one opinion, to tell anyone this is not for them? But more than that, during the course of the year I have had perhaps two scripts that I was at a bit of a loss with! And again, that may just be my take. Of the others, I don't call them bad. Something that is bad suggests to me an intrinsic problem that cannot be resolved. But I have had plenty of flawed scripts. But a flaw can be worked on and corrected. A massive pleasure for me has been to see the same script a few times, improving with every single draft.

Not everyone will make it as a screenwriter. Sorry. There are just too many writers for too few gigs. Especially at the moment. And there are probably people who are just not very good at this thing of ours, something that can only be judged over a number of scripts (and probably a number of drafts - as for example a set of first draft scripts are probably all gonna be rubbish!) But most writers who go to the considerable effort of finishing script after script and draft after draft usually don't fall into this category. You get a feeling, an instinct, and you improve over time as it is.

But it's extremely hard to do that in isolation. Feedback isn't a luxury. It's an absolute necessity. The best way to get this regularly is to form a workshop group with other committed writers. If that is not possible, for whatever reason, use a script reader. If you want to get better, you need at least one other set of eyes looking at your work, asking the tough questions, pointing out the flaws, and even suggesting solutions. (Some readers don't do this. Some writers think readers can't do this. I think that is a nonsense.)

So to conclude, I just want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has allowed me to read their scripts, something that is often personal and hard to share, over the past year. I hope I have helped every single time. I have certainly learnt a few things too. And I hope that I have become a better reader for it... and a better writer too.

Thanks again and if you keep sending em, I'll keep reading em.

We are what we write III

Actually the title is a bit misleading. I just thought it would be cute to continue this little series. But in fact this one is probably more accurately 'we aren't always what we write.'

A few weeks ago I had a meeting with a producer. Ostensibly it was to talk about possibly script reading and scouting for them. But we got on well and the conversation moved onto talking about our different projects and what we were both working on now. This producer was actively looking for a specific new project and they asked to see one of my scripts.

Now, from our conversation, I was pretty sure that this particular script was not for this person. But I wasn’t about to say no, you can’t read it! So I sent it and sure enough, I got an apologetic email the next day telling me that they couldn’t really get past the first act because they didn’t emotionally engage with it… and so stopped reading!

I could only laugh. Thank goodness I am experienced enough to take this kind of comment (given as it was from a very, very nice person who had built up a relationship with me after only one meeting to be able to be this frank.) I am also extremely confident about this particular script, and it has probably been the warmest received piece of work I’ve written to date. And like I said, I knew deep down that it wasn’t this person’s sort of thing.

But it did occur to me that if I had been a bit wet behind the ears, feedback like this would’ve left me completely mortified! So despite what I said in the posts here and here, sometimes, we aren’t necessarily what we write.

There are determining factors. As above, maybe the script you’ve written is just not for the person you’ve sent it to. And that's not all. I know from my own experience of both giving and receiving feedback on scripts, it's not personal (or never should be at least,) it's just about these particular words on these particular pages. One bad script doesn't make you a bad writer. One aspect of one script, say dialogue for example, doesn't mean you are bad at writing dialogue. It just might mean that for this specific project it is not working, for whatever reason. Another script on another day and the dialogue might be flying.

Stuff like this is important to remember. Because as writers we are going to get hammered again and again. Dare I say it, but probably most of us will have more failures (by that I mean scripts that don't get sold let alone produced) than successes. That's just the reality.

I'm about half way through my Peter Ustinov Jury Dury and some scripts are good, and some aren't. Just like any other pile on any desk, for any other scheme, competition or company. But the ones that haven't worked on this particular occasion does not define the writer.

So I take back what I said in the previous posts. I should've known better. In screenwriting, things are never black and white are they?

We are what we write II

In an unofficial follow-up to this post some other things have come in the last couple of weeks of script reading work.

Picking up from where we left off, to sum up, as writers all we have is our scripts. A revolutionary statement I know, but nevertheless, it's important to remember that those 100 or so pages we send off, represents us completely and utterly. Certainly at the beginning of our careers, when we haven't had the time yet to build up any sort of reputation.What lands on a desk may be all that that person knows about us.

I was reading the script of a client recently. And no it's not Steve this time (who outed himself here) It was the third script I'd read from this writer, and the previous two had been excellent, some of the best I've read since I started Script Reading on the Blog. But whilst this latest script was competent and structurally and motivationally sound, there was something missing. It was a bit flat. It lacked the spark of the previous stuff and I knew the writer was capable of more. You see I knew, because I was familiar with their work. So I told them what I felt and interestingly, the writer replied, in not so many words, that they had gone through the motions a little bit on this one. Something slightly similar had recently been on TV and a certain impetus had been lost. They felt they should finish the script and so did so, but without any real flair or gusto.

I found all this incredibly interesting because it was clear to me that the writer's feelings had manifested itself on the page - to the detriment of the work. It made me think back to scripts I'd written, maybe just to get them done and move onto the next thing, and wondered whether this kind of attitude had transferred itself to the script.

Because you can send what you like to me (and other readers like me) Splurge drafts, first drafts, fifth drafts, drafts full of typos. That's all fine. That's what I'm here for, to hopefully help to make things better.
But it's probably not a good idea to send something that you are not pumped up about yourself, to a production company, producer, or even a competition. It will show on the page. And if whoever is reading it does not know you or your work any better - then that's it. It could be the end of the road for you with that particular person/company before it's even really started.

Like I said last time, you never get a second chance to make a first impression.

Shooting myself in the foot?

It did occur to me, even before writing the last Things we noticed watching TV this week segment, that I might be shooting myself in the foot. What if I criticise a show, and then get a meeting with the person behind it, who then reads my blog (cos it's linked to the end of my emails) and sees what I've written. Sounds a bit pretentious, but then when the Primeval insider commented (and no I still don't know who it was) it made me think about it again. Maybe it was Adrian Hodges himself, although I doubt it. Maybe it was one of the writers, a producer, someone who works for Impossible Pictures? Maybe it was someone I'd really want to work with? Would they take offence? (I must say I am just using this as an example cos they seemed pretty cool, pointed out a couple of errors I'd made, and after all I do really like the show and still annoyed it was cancelled.)

But the thing is this. I speak my mind and I tell it like I see it. About a show I've watched, a movie I've seen, or work I am giving feedback on. But not once, to my recollection, have I ever said this is crap, full stop. Or I hated this, end of story.

Right from the word go, at the beginning of my MA, that sort of thing was outlawed. Why? Well firstly because it's rude. And secondly who exactly does that benefit? We were told, in no uncertain terms, that if you didn't like something, or if something wasn't working for you, you of course had to say so, but only if you explained why. (And I would add, in the nicest terms possible.) The writer is then free to either agree, or not. Because any one persons opinion, and that's all it is, may not necessarily be right.

And you have to be pretty thick skinned in this business as it is, perhaps more so as a writer. When I get the chance to ask a writer about their show, I always ask were you happy with how it turned out? And it always amazes me how candid they often are. Usually some things they liked, and were happy with, and some they weren't and will try to put right in the next series. Because words on the page don't always come out as you imagined on screen, even for the biggest writers in town.

One day, hopefully, loads and loads of things I've written will be on screen - and then it will be open season for anyone to say what they think of them! That's freedom of speech isn't it? And as long as it's constructive and remotely intelligent and analytical, (not just YOU SUCK) I am big enough to take it. Ask anyone who has ever read my work and commented on it and I think they will all say I took what was said in good grace, even when I didn't agree.

So, I will continue to talk about TV shows etc, because it's as much for me and my own writing, to analyse what is working and what's not (in my opinion!) I recently watched Occupation, May Contain Nuts and am still watching Hope Springs, so come back soon if you wanna know what I thought of them.

100 not out

So apparently this is my 100th blog post! That's nothing really compared to David's mammoth 1500th - but still seems like a mini milestone to me. I've really enjoyed it and it's been fantastic connecting with other writers. Rumours abound that blogging is out of fashion and dying out cos of things like facebook and twitter - but screw that, I'm not going anywhere! (This blog, and to a lesser extent my facebook profile, is my presence on the internet. And that pays off when I take meetings with people who begin with "so I read your blog...")

Anyway, never one to miss a chance to take stock of a few things, I am gonna do just that if I may.

Firstly, I've been quite overwhelmed with the amount of requests I've had to read The Storyteller. I can understand why. If I'd known Felicity the year before, I would've also wanted to read her winning script, just to get even a hint of a leg up. However just a word of caution. Had I read Felicity's before I entered, it may well have done more harm than good. Not because her script isn't any good, because it's excellent, but because her style, tone, story, pretty much everything, is sooo different from mine. If I'd read that thinking okay, this is what a winning script looks like, it may well have thrown me off my game, as opposed to help me improve it. So by all means, you're welcome to read The Storyteller, because it did win, it is a good script, and reading good scripts helps write them. But please, please, don't make the mistake of thinking this is what the Academy is looking for so I should tailor my project to fit this kind of thing. What they are looking for is what they say the are looking for. And surprise, surprise, it's what everyone is looking for. Originality, strong voice, great characters, good story etc. Write the story you want to write and just write it as well as you possibly can.

By the way, I think I have responded to everyone who has emailed so far, but some have gone to junk and some of my replies have apparently gone to spam for some reason. So if you haven't heard from me check that first, and if there's nothing there, feel free to drop me another line.

Finally on this subject for now, with just over a month to go until the deadline, drafts should be well under way. If you would like me to look at it I would advise getting in as early as possible, because firstly, you'll want time to rewrite afterwards, and secondly, if everyone emails at the last minute, it's gonna be a nightmare!

In other news, I got a few questions about what happened to the Rise Summer Challenge, probably cos I mentioned it on the blog a few weeks ago. I have to say I had no idea as I'm not connected with them in any way, just another entrant. So I decided to email them myself and this is their response:

We have had a lot of enquiries regarding The Summer Challenge and understandably so, it has been an incredibly long time. We have found it hard coming up with a short-list as many people are involved with reading at this stage. This has meant it has been hard coordinating everyone's busy schedules to finalise the list.

If you would like to enter other competitions or send your screen play to other people, please feel free to do so however refrain from giving any rights away as we still hold them. To regain them please send an email to summerchallenge@risefilms.com stating your withdrawal from the competition and wait for a response.

We are sorry for the wait but we want to give each submission the attention it deserves.

Best wishes

The Summer Challenge Team

So whilst it has been a rather long time, fair play to them for being upfront about it and explaining the delay. I assume therefore that if you haven't had an email from them saying you haven't won, you're still in with a shout! So keep the faith and those fingers crossed.

I'm also relieved to say I made it through the first Writers' Academy culling - meaning I'm down to 150 from around 500. Massive phew and thank goodness for that. Nothing now until the end of June. But there was an interesting blog from Ceri Meyrick about the initial process here. It's well worth reading and provides some interesting insights as to what sort of thing is being submitted, what's working, and what's not. The summary was particularly interesting to note and breaks down like this:

Positives:

- Most of the readers felt that the standard was higher this year.
- Lots of bravery - interesting original worlds.
- Sparky dialogue
- Technically accomplished scripts (although this meant the need to be stand out original was greater)

Negatives:

- Too many stage directions
- Scripts opening with several pages of monologues
- Dialogue that sprouted facts endlessly
- Spelling mistakes and hard to read script formats

The positives are great news. Overall improvement and brave story telling across the board is better for everyone. The negatives though were a little shocking. I blame the Americans for the stage directions! The wealth of scripts on the net is fantastic for writers but we need to be careful about reading shooting scripts, or scripts that are published but are not really how the script would've been written in the first place. Long story short, lay off the stage directions. We just don't do them here. And if you don't wanna look bad to people who matter, like BBC readers, leave them out.

Scripts opening with pages of monologues - and for that read voice over too. There are loads of people to blame for this, like American Beauty, Guy Ritchie and many others! But you know what, they all worked, so what's the problem? The problem is, most of the time it doesn't. Nine times out of ten, it's just really boring. I would never give a sweeping rule like don't ever open your scripts this way - but I would say think very carefully about whether this is the best way to do it. This extends to the next negative, which amounts to expositional dialogue. It's a massive no, no! It's boring, slow, and will mostly float over everyone's head. But here's the flip. Every script that's ever been written, probably has some exposition in it. Any information that you as writer know, but you need the audience/reader to know, is probably exposition. The trick of course, is to get it over in a way that doesn't look like you are doing just that (like two characters having an argument,) or that there is something else going on in the scene that is more exciting and distracts us. Probably the all time classic example of this is in Raiders of the Lost Ark. Who the hell remembers all that jargon about where the Ark is and how comes the Nazis are digging in the wrong place. But we do remember praying that Indie doesn't eat the poisoned dates that kill that little monkey.

But Ceri's final negative was the most shocking of all. I really thought, with script samples out there, and formatting programmes like Final Draft, Movie Magic or indeed various free ones, that this sort of nonsense was on the way out. In fact, less and less of the scripts I get sent, either privately or through companies, are guilty of this. So if I'm not getting them, why on earth people are sending them to the BBC in the most crucial, biggest, life changing scheme around, I really don't know.

People - we have to sort the format out! It's courier 12 point for a reason. The script layout is there for a reason. It doesn't matter if you've found a cooler font or a flashier way to set it out. You're gonna look like an idiot. No I take that back, you're gonna look like an amateur, which is worse. Invest in a formatting programme or get someone to show you how to download one of the free ones if you're not technologically minded (I'm certainly not!)

As far as spelling goes. This too is unforgivable. Again, I don't see this too often so it's bizarre it's been an issue for the Writers' Academy. It's extremely hard to proofread your own work. You tend to just see what you think you wrote. But it's always, always worth putting it aside for a bit and then doing a read through purely looking for spelling mistakes and typos before you send it anywhere. Better still, if at all possible, get someone to read it through for you with a big red pen at the ready. Actually proofreading properly is a thankless task, because you shouldn't be reading the text for the story. It's slow reading in a very detached way. I know because I'm a professionally trained proofreader with Chapterhouse.

So, I've decided to open up a proofreading service connected to Script Reading On The Blog. Once again, I would always suggest that if you don't need this service, of course don't use it! Far better, and easier, to get a mate, a partner, a parent, whoever, to do it for you. (As long as they do it properly!) But if you don't feel you have anyone you can ask or trust, by all means get in touch. Because it's the saddest thing in the world to slave over a script, work so hard on getting the story and characters right, and then just piss off readers with typos or spelling mistakes (and formatting ones too.)

So that's it for now - here's to the next 100 posts!

Turning Thirty

Shhhhhh. It's been a bit quiet here. There are two reasons for this. One, I have been swamped with post New Year script reading jobs, which is ironic bearing in mind the feedback debate started by Piers and replied to by Lucy. (Plus the over 60 comments on both posts.) Now Piers is a nice bloke and I enjoyed meeting him in person last week. But think it's unfair to suggest that when I give feedback, I may not be able to be trusted because I am likely to be dishonest and tell writers what they want to hear. The argument is fundamentally flawed anyway as it seems to be based on the idea that a script reader will only read the same project from a writer, over and over, draft after draft. And so I will hold back comments to keep em coming. Eh? Do writers only write one script? I certainly hope not. And whereas one script might be excellent, the next might have serious flaws, and vice versa. Is that not the case with everyone cos it certainly is for my work!

But anyway, I'm not going to go on and on. Enough has been written on this topic already on those posts. All I will say is that writers have to get feedback on their work. Get it where you can and from people who know what they are talking about. That may not be your mate, your mum, or your nan. But if you have a writers group or the power of three or whatever, then great. To date I have never paid for feedback, because I have about a dozen writers who I regularly swap work with (95% of whom I met on my MA.) But if writers don't have that support network, paying a good reader a non budget busting price is a way around this. And I will back my knowledge, prices and one week turnaround time against any comparative service.

Moving on, the other reason I've been a bit busy is that yesterday I turned thirty! Wohoooo. Well, sort of wohooo. It is a little depressing not being a screenwriter in my twenties any more. I always thought my age, young for this business, was a strong plus (although that lot who write for Skins are probably laughing into their bowls of frosties right about now.) But my birthday also made me think of my five year plan, which ended yesterday. Five years ago I was just starting my MA. I gave myself those two years, plus a further three to 'make it.' (No one told me back then that it traditionally takes ten!) The plan was to graduate, get onto the Sky One footy soap Dream Team, get some screen credits and go on from there. The trouble was, although I got close to becoming involved with the show, by the time I had graduated they were on their final season and it was too late. So I was left floundering a bit and first year after college was a bit of a write off (get it?) I think the two after that have been a marked improvement, with the creation of a decent portfolio, some competition success, and a host of industry contacts that have been very supportive. More importantly in many respects, I now feel I have a good understanding of how this industry works, of who does what and also what I need to do. Maybe this is why it takes ten years. The first five are spent working out what the hell is going on.

My wife assures me that whilst it's good to plan, you always have to be adaptable to adjust to things as they come about. It's also important to remember to actually live a bit too. During the past five years I also nearly died (whole other story) met and married my wife, have dealt with more physical (and by extension mental) challenges than I care to mention, started this blog and have made many friends because of this industry. Would I have done anything differently? Well, probably. But that's irrelevant now.

It's time for the next five year plan...

Script Reading on the Blog **Update**

It's been a month since I launched my own script reading feedback service and it's been really interesting to see how its developed. I started it because I felt that most of the services on offer were extremely expensive for writers, who often work in isolation, to get consistent, quality feedback on scripts.

And by the response I've had it's clear that there is certainly a need for it. I had initially said that for the time being at least, I would only read scripts. But as well as features, I had enquiries to read thirty minute scripts, first ten pages and one pagers for Red Planet, as well as general outlines. And being that I can't say no, I didn't turn anyone away! It's not a purely altruistic gesture of course. I get paid a reasonable but not exorbitant fee, which still comes in handy when it's time to pay the rent. But let's be honest, it won't make my fortune - hopefully my own screenwriting will do that! But the point is there was a genuine desire for constructive feedback. And I have an equally genuine desire to help people improve their work. As I've stated many times, I sit on both sides of the desk and know how useful it is when I receive feedback about my own work. And it really is in everyones interest for the slush pile out there to be better and better. It will produce a more profitable British industry and garner more respect for our screenwriters.

But I wouldn't be a very good feedback service if I didn't take on board feedback about the service! I myself have realised that whilst the front page logline, table and brief comments are useful, the overall mark is pointless and stupid. So that has been removed! There was also a general feeling that the synopsis wasn't as helpful as I thought it would be, especially in projects that are still in early stages of development and finding their feet, as it might be deemed as too prescriptive. So this too has gone. Instead, the report will be more focused on development notes; what's working, what's not, and a look at characters, theme, genre, structure, dialogue etc. This was felt to be the most important aspects in developing the project and I am happy to oblige.

However there was one further element to my service, a bit of a gimmick some might argue, but an honest attempt to get attention for other writers. Each month the best script and writer was going to get coverage on the blog. But this hasn't worked so well and I hold my hands up to making a mistake. The problem was this. Most of the reading I have done previously is for production companies. And so by the time it reached me, the script was 'finished' to a certain extent. It was therefore easy to take a pile and judge them against each other. That after all was the whole point. I would recommend which ones were worth the executives reading themselves. But at Script Reading on the Blog, I am quite rightly seeing work at all different stages of development. It's impossible, futile, and counter productive to judge a first draft script against one that is in its fourth or fifth draft. What's more important is I help the work, at whatever stage, improve and develop further. So the competition element of this service has been scrapped and it's a lesson learned for me.

Nevertheless I hope the service goes from strength to strength. What's important is that the fees are still the lowest around and everything is turned around in under a week!

So here's a breakdown of what's now on offer from Script Reading on the Blog:

Film or TV scripts between 70-120 pages = £35 (over 120 pages will be £40)
Film or TV Scripts up to 70 mins = £30
Script extracts, for example first 10 pages (useful not just for RPP) = £15
Short Film scripts up to 15 mins = £15
Story outline/synopsis/treatment = £15

And if any of the above doesn't quite fit with what you'd like, email for a quote.

Please note: Follow up discussion, either on email or over the phone, will not only be allowed, but actively encouraged, and free of charge!

Look forward to reading you work.

Script Reading On The Blog

Summer is over - it's back to work people! Okay so in truth writers never really stop. But with the onset of September, it's time to pick up the pace again and get down to some serious writing. And today sees the launch of the script reading service linked to this site, imaginatively titled, Script Reading On The Blog! I've mentioned this in previous posts but just as a reminder, I have been reading scripts for many years, for both individual writers and production companies. And although I get my feedback these days from my workshop group, this is not an option for a lot of screenwriters. But also not viable with any regularity are the large fees charged by the majority of those who provide feedback services. My aim is to redress that and help writers develop their work to a higher standard. Plain and simple.

This information will be on the sister site, but here are the details:

For the time being at least, my service will have only one option - Script Reading (although this will include both film and television). The coverage will take the standard form that production companies use. This will include:

• A front page containing a logline.
• A table of Plot, Character, Dialogue & Structure - marked either Excellent, Good, Fair or Poor.
• Brief comments summing up the key points.
• An overall mark of Recommend, Consider, or Pass.
• This will be followed by a two page synopsis of the story. Why do you need a synopsis of your own story? Because it's so useful to see how someone else summarises your script. Are the key turning points there and evident, or have they got lost somehow? Plus, you will often have to write a two page synopsis for producers, which is a right pain! But this way I do it for you!
• Finally, the coverage will conclude with a two page analysis of the script.

The thinking behind this is that writers often bemoan this type of coverage by faceless script readers reporting to company execs who then never see their work. I know because I sit on both sides of the table. As a writer I often submit my work to companies in the knowledge that a reader will be looking at it in this very context. And I will of course never get to see their report. As a script reader myself, I have written tons of these and know exactly what the execs are expecting and looking for. It's not a perfect system but complaining about it is futile. This is the reality and you have to be in tune with it. And this is hopefully where I can help. Your script will receive Production Company like treatment, only this time you will get to see the report afterwards. It will be polite, constructive and treated with respect. But it will also be honest. And of course, follow up discussion of why I have marked and written things the way I have will not only be allowed, but actively encouraged. I firmly believe this will be a massive help in getting your script past company readers.

The fee for this service will be £35 per feature film scripts or television one offs over 60 mins and £30 for television episodes (up to 60 mins).

You simply won't find it cheaper elsewhere. People can pay through Paypal and scripts and reports can be exchanged via email - thus ensuring fast delivery and no postage costs.

But there's another feature to this service. It will also run as a monthly competition. The best script I read each month will not only be given a refund, but will feature on the blog in a pitch format (logline, genre, synopsis etc) not dissimilar to Shooting People's Script Pitch bulletins. The writer will also be interviewed and receive a profile on the site and there are no problems with copyright issues or anything like that. But you will of course have the option to opt out of this feature if you so wish. However, self promotion is the name of the game in this industry so I would not recommend this. The idea behind this is that as I raise my profile and more and more people read the blog, a few other writers will also get some attention, and it all helps promote better scripts. And that can't be a bad thing.

So what are you waiting for?? Get in touch soon, the first day of September is nearly over already!