By: Sarah Chaisson-Warner
Getting coverage on your screenplay is one of the most valuable parts of the writing and editing process. But what is coverage, what kind of coverage is right for you, and what are the benefits? Read below to learn more about Shore Scripts’ approach to coverage, including a special announcement about a new and exciting added benefit!
What is Coverage?
Coverage was born through the submission process at studios. A staff member at the studio – anyone from an intern to an in-house story analyst – read the submitted script and wrote a summary for the company’s producers, as well as a recommendation as to whether the studio should take on the project. Each studio’s coverage report template was different, but they all focused on the same questions, including: Is the story well-written? Will it attract an audience? Does it fit what we’re looking for? Each script report included a “grade” – pass, consider, or recommend.
What do these grades mean? Pass means “no thank you.” The script may still need work, or perhaps the story doesn’t resonate with the reader. The budget for the script might be outside of the studio’s anticipated range, or perhaps the script is good, but it just isn’t what they are looking for right now, or they have another similar script already in their development pipeline.
Consider means “it’s worth thinking about.” The script is largely in good shape, but likely still needs improvement. The story is compelling and interesting to the reader, and it may be a good fit for an upcoming studio project.
Recommend means “take notice of this script” and it gets passed up to producers or other company executives. Very few scripts receive this grade, but the ones that do are nearly flawless in their plot, characters, emotional connection, and more. The script also meets what the industry or the studio may be looking for at the moment in terms of genre, lead character, etc.
While industry coverage serves the producer or studio’s needs well, it doesn’t help the writer.
The report stays internal to the company, and you, as the writer, never get to see their reaction to your script.
Recognizing that writers also need quality feedback to improve their script, independent script consultants began offering coverage services as well, but for a different purpose. While industry coverage was largely meant to determine whether a studio should make a particular script into a film, writer-focused coverage helps writers strengthen their script through objective and critical feedback.
Writer-Focused Coverage
Writer-Focused Coverage from Shore Scripts helps the writer get a sense of their script’s strengths and weaknesses, what needs improvement, what may be confusing, and the general marketability of the story. Shore Scripts provides coverage on television pilots (half-hour and one hour), feature films, short films, and treatments.
Coverage is provided by one of our story analysts, each of whom has had significant experience in the television and film industry. Their directive in writing coverage on your script is straightforward – provide clear, constructive, and actionable feedback on your script to help take it to the next level. Each coverage report provides written feedback in the following areas:
- Premise/Theme
- Hook/Stakes/Plot
- Characters
- Dialogue/Sound
- Structure/Pace
- Production/Representation/Presentation
- Concluding thoughts
More expansive coverage reports also include a synopsis from the reader, which may be useful when pitching your script, as well as an industry scorecard and a predicted industry outcome using the pass, consider, or recommend. You can also add “follow-up questions” to your coverage purchase, giving you the opportunity to gain greater insight into your reader’s comments. (Click here to read more about why follow-up questions are a valuable addition to your coverage report!)
A Big Announcement – Industry Coverage!
Shore Scripts’ sole focus is helping writers take their script from page to screen. In addition to our successful coverage services, we are excited to announce that we now offer Industry Coverage through our partners at Verve!
Verve is a premier talent agency providing global representation for clients across film, television, publishing, digital, commercial endorsements and branding, audio, theater, and books-to-screen.
Founded in 2010, Verve prides itself on discovering the most exciting new voices in entertainment and guiding the careers of some of the most sought-after storytellers in the world. Verve clients have been recognized by the Academy Awards, Emmy Awards, Grammy Awards, Tony Awards, and the Pulitzer Prize.
Verve has a long history of working with Shore Scripts through our prestigious Industry Roster. Now, the team at Verve, one of the biggest talent agencies in the world, will provide industry-focused coverage on the top screenplays submitted to our Writer-Focused coverage service.
Each month, the Shore Scripts team will choose the project to be sent to Verve each month. With the writer’s prior permission, the Verve team will review and write industry-focused notes on one script per month. Their notes will then be sent back to the chosen writer, offering you an invaluable insight into how the industry evaluates your story, helping you not only grow as a writer, but learn more about how to best navigate the film and TV industry.
There is no additional cost to receive Industry Coverage from the team at Verve – simply submit your script through our coverage services and if your script is the top script read that month, it will be sent to Verve with your prior permission.
This is an incredible opportunity for writers to get insights into how their script may be received by the industry and what changes producers might seek to make the script truly stand out and be marketable. Prior to this, a writer would never have access to a production company or studio’s coverage report – this is your chance to see what insiders have to say about your plot, characters, dialogue, marketability, and more!
Learn More
Want to know more about Shore Scripts’ coverage service and our partnership with Verve? Click here or email our Coverage Services Manager, Patty Papageorgiou.
Coverage can also be purchased as part of your entry into our Short Film Fund, TV Pilot Contest, or Feature Contest.
