What are the basics of writing script coverage?

A writer in my class the other day asked me “What are the basic things I should know about writing script coverage?” (If you’re not sure what script coverage is, read my What Is Script Coverage page here.)

The short answer is: don’t sound like a movie reviewer, don’t treat coverage like a scorecard, don’t write filler and padding, and be diplomatic and objective. Oh, and also know your genres.

The long answer is: Script coverage is the critique of a screenplay, and the most difficult thing to do correctly is the written critique part (AKA the notes AKA comments AKA evaluation AKA feedback section). Here are those first most important “basic” things about writing script coverage critique that a new script reader should know, with a bit more detail:

Writing script coverage isn’t the same as writing a snarky movie review

Many readers, when starting out writing script coverage, take what I call an “angry movie reviewer” tone.

By that, I mean that they write from a position of haughtiness and superiority, coupled with heat and sarcasm and snark that makes them sound like they’re spouting off on a YouTube channel about the latest Marvel movie.

Ditching that “angry movie reviewer” tone is the first thing script analysts starting out writing script coverage need to do to get on the road to learning how to critique screenplays professionally.

To be clear, I’m not suggesting that writing script coverage should be on some pedestal and equated with high literary critique. Script coverage has historically been merely a quotidian internal studio document whose singular purpose is to tell producers what in the stack of screenplays may be worth a second look.

But then there’s also external, non-studio script coverage like what we provide at our script coverage service whose goal it is to help screenwriters and producer inside and outside the studio system improve their screenplays.

But in either form of script coverage, the studio internal coverage or the non-studio coverage, the snarky movie review doesn’t help anybody. It does, however, make you look edgy. Oooh. Edgy!

Writing script coverage isn’t about reaching a word count

When new script readers have nothing to say, they fake it. As you learn to write critique for script coverage, you’ll get better and better at being concise.

And the first step to being concise is cutting out the junk. The first two forms of junk you need to be aware of:

Filler and Padding.

“Filler” is anything that isn’t germane to the critique and/or doesn’t help the writer, and “padding” is adding words unnecessarily or consistently eschewing the use of word contractions (they’re, it’ll, there’s, etc.)

Filler Example: “Sci-fi films with killer aliens have always been popular amongst general audiences. Take for example Alien (box office $500 million), or Avatar 3 (box office $5 trillion).”

Padding Example 1: “In conclusion, the screenplay’s characters, both main and supporting, are rather quite strong and are also quite believable.”

(instead of just “The characters are strong and believable.”)

Padding Example 2: “The opening scene of Joe’s New Hat is well-paced and compelling, but Joe’s New Hat quickly descends into confusion as Joe’s New Hat hits right around page 12. Joe’s New Hat could be much stronger if it clarified page 12’s action sequence.”

(instead of just, for example, “The opening is well-paced and compelling, but gets a bit confusing by p. 12.”)

Writing script coverage is more than just “scoring” different elements of the screenplay

Many newer readers (and indeed other script coverage services) use what I call the “Check-The-Boxes” sort of analysis, which is basically filling in a series “boxes” such as Dialogue, Structure, Pacing, Story, etc. and then writing brief notes in each “box.”

For example, they read the script and then write all their notes about Pacing in a “Pacing” section, then they write all their notes about Dialogue in a “Dialogue” section.

Many many contests, and festivals template their coverages this way, with several specific categories (e.g. Pacing, Dialogue, etc) and framing their notes like this.

But when as a reader reads more scripts and garners more experience at writing script coverage, she starts to notice how difficult it becomes to write a critique that way: in neat little boxes.

This is because the more experienced the reader gets, the more she understands how interconnected everything is.

With more experience reading scripts, the script reader starts to understand that Pacing, Dialogue, Structure, etc. are all not separate entities, but are weaved together, play off each other, inspire different critical things to say about the other categories.

Dialogue, for example, has a huge impact on Pacing. Character is affected by Conflict.

Structure becomes stronger if Pacing is on the mark. Conflict is weak if the Structure is off due to Pacing.

Things like that. It’s all interconnected.

And more importantly, it’s incredibly easier as a script reader, and faster, to make comments / analysis on a screenplay when you can think *across the boxes* — across the categories — rather than forcing yourself to write your analysis for each particular category (e.g. Now I’m going to write about the Pacing. Next, I’ll write about the Conflict.)

When you critique a screenplay from the perspective and all the categories are interconnected, the critique becomes easier to compose and I would argue becomes more helpful to the person reading it.

Writing script coverage is about objectivity, diplomacy, and being fluent in many genres

Use language that’s as professional, calm, and neutral as possible. This means, yes, avoiding the angry movie reviewer hyperbole mentioned above, but also avoiding “absolutes.”

Absolutes are things like “This film will never get made.” (“Never” is the operative absolute there.)

“This script is beyond bad.” Not only is this statement needlessly freighted with insult, it offers no critical value—nothing specific that a writer or filmmaker can learn from or use to improve the material.

What’s more, as script readers, our voice becomes more credible and therefore, more authoritative, when we’re diplomatic. Being diplomatic means creatively and constructively critiquing the screenplay even when it’s plain awful.

If a script you’re reading is completely tone deaf and offensive, you don’t have to keep reading it. But if you do keep reading, remember that your job isn’t to change the writer into a decent or talented human being. Stick to the critique.

If you want to be extra diplomatic in such a situation, add a note after your regular notes on the story are already on the page that reads something like, “Finally, this reader advises caution with regards to the overall tone of the script, which many potential future readers could find offensive.”

In other words, writing script coverage that’s helpful requires you to be able to sometimes put aside your tastes in genre and voice as much as you can. A professional script reader needs to be able to constructively critique scripts from genres and voices you don’t necessarily like or understand.

Ideally, you’ll need to be able to speak the language of all genres, and know what makes a good script or a bad script within all those genres, even though it might not be a genre you gravitate towards. Even though it might be a genre that repels you. (That said, hopefully you’re not reading a whole lot of those.)

And keep in mind: a script reader can never be truly 100% objective in writing analysis for script coverage because script coverage is a very subjective endeavor.

You’re telling the writer or the producer who submitted the script what you think, what you feel, what your opinion of it is. That’s subjectivity.

The best script coverage, however, divorces itself as much as possible from the personal opinion of the script reader and focuses as much as possible on whether or not the script is working according to the best practices of screenwriting.

To sum it up:

These basic things are just the biggest and most common obstacles I see that new script readers need to surmount in order to grow as readers writing coverage.

There are invariably dozens of other speed bumps, large and small that you’ll face when growing your script reader chops, so stay frosty! Remember: script coverage needs to help: a screenwriter, a producer, a studio exec, whoever. If it doesn’t help, it’s just you shouting into the wind. That’s okay if you’re just in it to make a quick buck and then get out but that won’t cut it if you expect to have any longevity doing this, or if you expect to learn anything that can help your own screenwriting.

As always, hit me up if you have any questions! Happy to help.