The Screenplay Readers Team

Managing Editor C.E. Tucker (CT) — is a graduate of Chapman University’s screenwriting MFA program and received his bachelor’s in computer science from Case Western Reserve Univ. Clearly, he made a life change, but in reality he’s always been writing, just never thought he could make a career out of it. That all changed after a brush with death reorganized his priorities. Several competition wins, produced shorts, and brief acting gigs later, he has no regrets about the decision. In his spare time, he writes essays for his blog and makes epic grilled cheese. Favorite Films & TV series: The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly; Toy Story; Lord of the Rings; Dodgeball; Parks & Recreation; Narcos; Fargo; Better Call Saul; Brooklyn 99; Zodiac. Favorite Genre: Comedy, Epics, and Horror.

In alphabetical order by surname:

Krishna Devine (KD) is a Los Angeles based writer/director/producer and published author with deep roots in film and television. She has worn many “hats” throughout her career including working as an editor on Ava DuVernay’s first film, This Is The Life, exceeding in the roles of both director of distribution operations and acquisitions coordinator at film distribution company Big Air Studios — founded by former Sony Pictures leaders and consulting on delivery of several films including the WB distributed feature, The Nice Guys (Ryan Gosling & Russell Crowe) on behalf of Silver Pictures. Krishna is a graduate of the Art Institute of Seattle, studied screenwriting via UCLA’s extension courses and has completed comedy-writing programs at both iOWest (RIP) and Upright Citizens Brigade. Krishna is not only a script reader and consultant, she often submits her own writing for coverage and notes, so she knows what it’s like on both sides of the fence. As a long-standing member of the Producer’s Guild of America she keeps her finger on the pulse of current entertainment and industry trends. Favorite Films and TV shows: Alien, Battle Royale, It Follows, Night Crawler, Re-Animator, The Shining, Shaun of the Dead, Old Boy (South Korean version), Atlanta, Breaking Bad, The Wire, The Handmaid’s Tale, Parks and Rec, Fleabag, The Haunting of Hill House. Favorite Genres: Horror, Sci-fi, Dark Comedy, Crime/Thriller, Action/Adventure, and Indies.

Phaedra Dill (PD) Phaedra is a filmmaker, reader, and writer with a Bachelors degree in Film Studies from the University of British Columbia and a Masters degree in Entertainment Business from Full Sail University. She has read for industry leaders including Netflix and Eclectic Pictures, as well as independent producers and writers. Most recently she has been a judge for Black Writers In Focus (a program backed by major studios to elevate the voices of POC film and television writers). Phaedra’s coverage style is encouraging, creative, and firm. She will push writers to think outside of the box to deepen their characters and widen their story worlds. Favorite Films: My Cousin Vinny, A Simple Favor, Coraline, Just Friends, Heathers, Predator (all of them), Rush Hour (all of them), Berry Gordy’s The Last Dragon. Favorite tv shows: Arrested Development, Archer, Bobs Burgers, WandaVision, Avatar the last air bender, People Just Do Nothing, Chewing Gum

Joel Fishbane (JF) is an award-winning author of fiction, non-fiction, theatre, and film. He has a MFA in Creative Writing from the University of British Columbia and his screenplays have been honored by the New York International Screenplay Awards and the Finish Line Script Competition. His short fiction and non-fiction has been widely published while his novel, The Thunder of Giants is available from St. Martin’s Press. His work for the stage has been performed at festivals, contests, and conferences across Canada, the United States, and overseas. He’s happy reading a wide variety of genres and styles. A grab bag of faves: Promising Young Woman, Hell and High Water, The Band’s Visit, A Very Long Engagement, Pan’s Labyrinth, Children of Men, Back to the Future, Inglorious Basterds, Moneyball, Spotlight, Angels in America, Big Mouth, Bojack Horseman, Watchmen 2019. Favorite genres: Historical, bio-pic, musical, sci-fi / fantasy, screwball comedy, rom-com.

Joe Fordham (FF) studied advanced screenwriting with Sy Gomberg at UCLA. He was born in the U.K. and attended the same Jesuit grammar school as Alfred Hitchcock, which resulted in a strong work ethic and Roman Catholic guilt. Joe began his career making short films, which have won awards and played on BBC TV, Channel 4 TV and BAFTA/LA. Joe worked in visual effects, animation and postproduction in London and Los Angeles, followed by journalism that has included two decades with Cinefex magazine. Joe’s creative writing has mined science fiction, fantasy, horror, thrillers, comedy, historical and contemporary dramas. He has been optioned and placed (Nicholl, WriteMovies, Imagine Impact). Collaborations have included concepts developed from scratch, adaptations and page-one rewrites, with a close attention to detail that is a necessity for Deep-Dive script analysis. Joe is a patient listener, with an appreciation for the roots of language, and he sometimes understands swear words in French New Wave films. Favorite films & TV: Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, E.T., Dr. Strangelove, The Shining, Lawrence of Arabia, The 400 Blows, The Big Lebowski, Superman: The Movie, Some Like It Hot, The Towering Inferno, Rosemary’s Baby, Raiders of the Lost Ark, North by Northwest, Alien, Mean Streets, Lost, Devs, Duel.

Sam Gurney (SG) Sam Gurney (SG) holds a First Class Honors degree in Film & TV Screenwriting. He has written two independent feature films, while also having experience in script editing, coverage for UK production and distribution companies, and competition reading for BAFTA Rocliffe. Sam is on the selection committee for the BIFA-qualifying Wimbledon International Short Film Festival, with a passion for spotting and nurturing potential in emerging writers.Favorite films: The Godfather, Dr. Strangelove, Die Hard, RoboCop, Mean Girls, The Warriors, Carol, The Witch, Hereditary. Favorite TV shows: Fleabag, The Sopranos, Atlanta, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Peep Show, Adventure Time. Favorite Genres: Action, Comedy, Horror, Crime/Thriller

Brian Hibbert (BH) holds a Masters in Screenwriting and currently has several TV and film projects in development with horror directing duo, the Vicious Brothers (Grave Encounters, Extraterrestrial). Past writing projects have starred notable performers such as cult movie icon, James Duval (Doom Generation, Independence Day) and pop star / wonder prodigy, Ryn Weaver (Interscope Records). Favorite Movies: Performance, Suspiria, Black Swan, Trainspotting, Mulholland Drive, The Dreamers, Labyrinth, Akira, Noriko’s Dinner Table, Let The Right One In. Favorite Genres: Dark Comedy, Horror, Sci-Fi/Fantasy

D. M. Le (DL) has worked as a reader for the talent and literary agencies ICM and Media Talent Group. She has an MFA in Screenwriting and teaches screenwriting and film analysis. Favorite films/shows: Spirited Away, The Royal Tenenbaums, Pan’s Labyrinth, The Lives of Others, Amelie, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Mad Men, Daredevil, Black Mirror, The IT Crowd. Favorite genres: fantasy, dark comedy, character drama 

Terri Zinner (TZ) Terri is an award-winning independent producer and a produced film writer. She has worked on several feature films and a documentary as a writer, producer, consultant, casting assistant, and production manager. Terri is also the former Senior Vice President of Development for a major literary and talent management company that helped writers develop and prepare their scripts for the marketplace. She has been in story development for over 20 years working with various producers and production companies. She was voted as one of the top screenplay consultants. She has read for other coverage companies and contests. She teaches classes on screenplay coverage and been an invited guest speaker for several screenwriting conferences and organizations. She has provided notes and consultation on the following produced or pre-production films: American Sniper, Albert Nobbs, Kill Your Darlings, Break the Stage, the Brass Teapot, They Might Be Kennedys, Ten Thousand Saints, The Howling: Reborn, Bed & Breakfast, What Maisie Knew, Louder Than Words, Monster Party, and many more. She enjoys reading thrillers, especially psychological thrillers, horror, dramas, and arthouse scripts. Some of her favorites films and TV shows are Fargo, Jaws, The King’s Speech, A Civil Action, Ordinary People, Psycho, Rosemary’s Baby, Hush, Bird Box, anything Alfred Hitchcock, To Die For, Annie Hall, Father of the Bride, and Baby Boom. Terri likes nothing more than helping writers develop their craft.

If you’re interested in working as a script reader for Screenplay Readers, please visit our script reader job page.