ASK & DISCUSS INDEX

10 years, 8 months ago - Rickardo Beckles-Burrowes

Hey Abid,

I worked with Script Angel. They gave me a couple of pages per an initial report on my screenplay The Sleepless Man:http://www.inkmoves.com/film.php.

Generally, a lot of their comments made sense and were helpful. There wasn't anything mind blowing but it did give me more of a direction in terms of my next round of edits.

They were quick and I didn't find it expensive. After speaking with other people in the industry it does seem that responses will vary depending on who you use and how much time they take on the initial report.

Finally, I would say that it has helped to develop the work and it gave me a clearer sense of how to edit the follow up to this screenplay.

11 years, 11 months ago - shirley day

Hi Rickardo, I use Philip Shelley http://www.script-consultant.co.uk His advice is really good. He has also offered to talk to directors that would working on my work on my behalf when we felt they were taking the wrong turning. Some script editors seem to just be reading from a book, trotting out various stock phrases. He is london based. However, I run a registered charity and am going to get him to run a scriptwriting course in Norwich. It's on writing for TV, so a TV series. It's over the weekend of November 23rd and 24th and costs £50. for the weekend. It may be too far for you to come, but I would check him out anyway. Good luck. Shirley

10 years, 8 months ago - Abid Khan

How did it go Rickardo? I'm in the same situation as you now and interested in who you ended up using?

11 years, 11 months ago - Rickardo Beckles-Burrowes

Thanks for the feedback Marlom!

11 years, 11 months ago - Rickardo Beckles-Burrowes

Good points Dan. The ultimate goal is to have work optioned, though I agree with you regarding to find people who know what is slated for future production versus what is presently in production or even being exhibited.

I do want to tighten up the flow and structure of the work prior to getting to the above stage however!

11 years, 11 months ago - Rickardo Beckles-Burrowes

Hi Stuart,

Thanks for your feedback. I'm looking to have a sense of any additional edits needed prior to presentation of the screenplays to agents and executives. Along with a report on how that script consultant would tighten up the screenplays in order for them to have the best chance of being read and optioned.

With the London thing, I like the idea of building a network locally and supporting our own industry, but am not totally adverse to overseas or the industrial agencies. Though like you, I would like to keep the budget reasonable.

I've connected with Lucy V as she is Devon and am still collecting information, so hopefully come October I'll have more of a sense of which direction to take!

11 years, 11 months ago - Rickardo Beckles-Burrowes

Hi Yen,

Thanks for getting in touch. It would be great to connect via info@inkmoves.com.

That way I can have a sense of your resume. Please shoot a mail over to me and we can continue discussing my initial queries.


Kind regards,

Rickardo Beckles-Burrowes

11 years, 11 months ago - Marlom Tander

Rick - if you know the flow and structure need tightening, then you are at risk of paying someone to tell you what you already know.

As the writer you know your script better than anyone else, and how to fix it. And it's the HOW that is all important.

If you want a sounding board to explore options re fixes and impacts in "what works best on screen", then a fellow writer, or maybe a director you know would be much better than a reading service, certainly at this stage. Possibly even an actor or two, which can be great if your doubts are focussed on language / speech flow.

And as they are your "honest friends" they'll only cost you a pint, or maybe a lunch :-)

Cheers

10 years, 8 months ago - Charles Harris

Thank you, Stuart, for mentioning my colleagues at Euroscript. And excellent advice about being clear about what you want. Many writers don't realise that you can ask for many different kinds of consultation, from bullet point reports to detailed tailor-made consultancy.

Any good script reader/editor should be able to respond to your needs. Though I'm not sure I totally agree with Marlom that if you know what you want you're at risk of paying someone to tell you what you already know.

First, I see many scripts which have hidden issues that the writer is unaware of, and which a consultant with industry experience can pick up.

Second, knowing the problem is very different from knowing how to fix it. Even experienced actors and directors vary in their ability to solve screenwriting problems. A good consultant should have the ability to help unlock ideas and suggest approaches others may not have thought of.

I'd also recommend our monthly Monday evening development workshops in London, where a maximum of 5-6 writers meet and discuss up to 30 pages of work with one of our consultants. Again, you can choose what angle you want, and how often to come. They would help you with your aim in building your network and also by choosing the date of your next workshop you know there'll be people waiting to see your next draft - something almost unique in our industry.

Charles Harris

11 years, 11 months ago - Dan Selakovich

If your goal is to be optioned, you really need someone that knows what the studios are looking for NOW. And I don't mean judging your script against movies that are currently in theaters. Those scripts are anywhere from 2 to 10 years old. But to get someone with their pulse on the studios, it will cost you! Anywhere from $1000 on up. I've optioned a couple of scripts, but that was years ago. I don't think they'd even make it to the option stage at this point in time.

If you're just looking to strengthen the structure, dialogue, etc., then there are many consultants that can help with that. Just make sure that it's the best it can be before paying for that read. I think it would be a good idea, at this point, to hire a couple of reasonably priced consultants to get a solid overview of opinion. Then go with an expensive Hollywood connected consultant if an option is still your goal after hearing what less expensive consultants have to say. You might decide that you're not ready yet.

10 years, 8 months ago - Industrial Scripts

Thanks too Stuart, for mentioning us.

By way of an introduction Industrial Scripts is a script development partner of Shooting People, and one of the largest story development companies out there, backed by Paramount and the Curtis Brown Talent Agency.

You can view our range of 20 script development services here: http://screenplayscripts.com/product-category/script-reports/

Choosing a script reading service can be a challenging process and it is undeniably a nebulous area, where it's tough to prove who delivers a superior service. There's also, unfortunately, a growing number of people muddying the waters by advertising script reading services without concrete industry experience or skills. People who've never even held high-level script reading jobs (ie for Working Title, or one of the Hollywood studios) let alone a major, full-time development role in an organisation. So it is a minefield for new writers!

That's why, several years ago, we decided to take a radical move in this smoke 'n' mirrors sub-sector, and open ourselves up to very public criticism by signing up to independent reviews websites - the type verified by Google as delivering genuine, authentic customer reviews.

There are now over 450 verified customer reviews of us online. You can check them out here - http://screenplayscripts.com/industrial-scripts-reviews/

We'd agree with Charles in that even if you suspect there's an issue with your narrative at a certain point, really unless a professional who reads scripts all day, every day, confirms it then that's all it is - a suspicion. Equally that runs the other way - a twist or reveal or big moment that you're thrilled with may not be as effective as you think, and a quality consultant will identify that.

Ultimately the best thing a good consultant can do for you is advise whether your script is ready to go out or not. There's such a huge volume of material out there now, that agents and execs are absolutely swamped and you really will only get limited bites at the cherry. If your script doesn't impress from the get go, failure is usually silent - your subsequent emails and calls just won't be returned. Submitting work prematurely can have really negative effects on a career.

Our "Dry Run Report" service is written as if your script had been submitted to BBC Films or the BFI and offers a blunt, honest window into a process writers are typically excluded from. It informs people whether their script is ready to go out, or not. It's not for the faint-hearted, but is for the pragmatic, and you can book it here: http://screenplayscripts.com/product/film-dry-run-report/

As part of our sponsorship of Shooting People all current shooters members can get 10% off all 20 of our script development services and courses using coupon code: shootingpeople1415x

Good luck with your projects, and you know where we are if you need us...

The Industrial Scripts Team
http://screenplayscripts.com/product-category/script-reports/

10 years, 7 months ago - Rickardo Beckles-Burrowes

Thanks for following up as I am in the midst of looking for new script consultancy support as I my new re-branded website: http://inkmoves.com/home/?cat=7 is live.

I'll check out the links you've added in your comment.

Kind regards,

Rickardo Beckles-Burrowes

11 years, 11 months ago - Stuart Wright

Think about what you want from the script review... are you wanting to know if the story works, if the character arc plays out right or does it just read ok. Ask the script consultant what they feel they specialise in: plot, character, story et al...

Why restrict yourself to London? With Skype and email the person can be anywhere in the world? Or do you want to employ someone to develop your script with you, that you can sit down with for extended periods of time?

Yen above is the good value end at £60 (which to be honest is roundabout what I'd want to pay). Then there's Industrial Scripts or Euroscript who have a few readers on their books - they're around £200. You can also pay circa £300+ for the likes of US based, highly rated and in demand Pilar Alexandra (she was a story consultant at Pixar amongst other things and you'll wait circa 8 months for an appointment with her).

Who you like to work with is a bit trial and error because no script consultant is going to give you the same feedback and how you respond to their feedback is not predicated on what they tell you - ie you can disagree and disregard it.

If you find one you like working with that helps develop your scripts then you'll go back for more that's usually the case.

I worked with Lucy V Hay a couple of times and got useful and meaningful feedback that took my script forward - http://www.bang2write.com/about-me. Good luck

11 years, 11 months ago - Yen Rickeard

Consultants and agents are different species. some script agents assume that the film will have a big budget, and is aimed at mass market. When I analyse a script I give an outline, ie what happens, an overview, ie what it is really about, character analysis, what their role is, how well that is conveyed, and how it could be improved, and comments on dialogue. These are all aimed at making the story come through to greatest advantage.
Then I pick out the things that will make it difficult or expensive to produce. Often there are simple changes which will make it easier and/or cheaper to film.
I charge a measly £60 per feature length script, but confess that the comments on a poor script will be shorter and sharper than those on a really good story.
Whooops, sorry for the plug,
Yen Rickeard
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