The Role of Script Coverage to Sell Your Script

One of the best tips on selling your script is to outline the role of script coverage in a production company. Script coverage is a film-making term for grading screenplays. It’s usually delegated to the script development department, during the so-called development phase of a project. As you explore selling a script, it is very worthwhile to understand the criteria most often used in the script coverage process to analyze a submitted written piece. Ultimately your script is graded just like you were in school, and if you don’t pass with flying colors your script won’t see the light of day.

The end result of script coverage usually is a written report, though sometimes grades are merely verbal. The criteria used by reviewers usually involves identifying the title, author, type of submission, locale and genre, plus a logline - a one-sentence summary. That’s followed by grade, usually something like excellent, good, fair or poor, for categories such as characterization, premise, storyline, production values, dialogue, and sometimes others. Script readers also could estimate a budget for a production, plus a final analysis. Understanding the script coverage process should be beneficial as you work to sell a script.

Sell Your Script Properly to Those Who Read It First

As much as you might think of script readers as your adversary, understand that they get so many screenplays that it’s a miracle they could read them all. That’s why often the job is relegated to interns or assistants, those who make up the “development department.” Some companies indeed have regular staff readers, or use freelance readers. When selling your script, you simply want a “pass” grade to move the script along to the next level of decision-making. Rarely, a script is so good it would be read by executives despite how initial readers graded it. Another grade is “consider,” which simply keeps your script from the round file with potential for a read by someone else.

Somewhat frustrating is how readers narrowly summarize what mostly are detailed or complex plots. Basically you are at the whim of someone else to ensure inclusion of key characters or action. This is a drawback for poorly written scripts, as readers may lose patience and for the sake of time not dedicate enough time in the summary they write. Remember, script coverage is a vital part of the process to sell a script. Therefore, it is worth repeating that the first key step in selling a script is to ensure you submit a clean product.

Selling a Script Through a Time-Crunched Process

You’ve probably seen end-product scripts before, so you can imagine how your script will be formatted by script readers. Names of characters are generally capitalized upon initial introductions to the story, and the term “CUT TO” is used to indicate a sudden location change. How this impacts your ability to sell a script is unknown, but don’t be surprised if later in the process you see your script in an unusual format. That’s actually a given in writing and submitting scripts or screenplays. They are edited and re-written, and often the re-writes are then re-written. The bureaucracy can be eye-opening.

Some say screenwriting for Hollywood suffers from this assembly-line environment. Many a good script never sees the light of day, and often no reason is given. It could have been an overloaded week for script readers, or the script simply got lost. With such a time crunch, script readers can tend to gravitate toward themes they are familiar with. Fresh ideas do not always catch their attention. Frustrating, yes, but at least you are aware as you delve into selling your script. It would be sad if all scriptwriters stuck to the familiar, or genre subjects, which hinders creativity. If you have a good story and a creative way of telling it, don’t shy away. Stick with your gut, because you have to live with the final product.

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