Screenplay Coverage

A How-To Guide



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Eveiy yeai thousanus of new scieenplays anu books aie wiitten. Not suipiisingly, few people have
the time to ieau all the mateiial submitteu to them. Even if the woik is biilliant it may oi may not
be what the financiei, uiiectoi, actoi, oi piouucei is looking foi. Bence most people hiie "ieaueis"
to vet the massive mounus of mateiial. Reaueis will ieview the mateiial (e.g.
bookscieenplayaiticleplaytieatment) anu type up a S-4 page uocument calleu coveiage that
summaiizes the stoiy anu offeis an opinion.

If a ieauei says a scieenplay is lousy, theie is little chance it will go on to the next step. If a ieauei
says a scieenplay is goou, that sciipt has only ciosseu the fiist of what will be many huiules.

Because a scieenplay is only a bluepiint to a film, a ieauei must be able to visualize the movie in
hishei minu. Nost sciipts aien't peifect, anu it's the ieauei's job to iecognize *+,-.,/012

Coveiage has a foimal style anu foimat. It consists of five uistinct paits:
1. 3 4-05-6 - stating the basics such as time, setting, who sent the mateiial, anu what
is its puipose. Each company anu agency will have theii own heauei.
2. 7+81/.- - one line summaiy of the plot.
S. (+99-., :;9906< = a one-line summaiy of youi opinion.
4. :<.+*>/> - summaiy of the majoi plots, chaiacteis anu actions.
S. (+99-.,> - an opinion on whethei oi not this mateiial is woith puisuing.


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The log-line tells the stoiy in one oi two sentences. It sits at the top of the coveiage page anu,
consequently, is the fiist thing one looks at. It's only aftei ieauing the log-line that an executive oi
an agent will ueciue whethei oi not heshe will ieau fuithei. In shoit, the log-line can help sell oi
buiy a scieenplay.
You evaluate the Project and
the Writing separately. You
choose either Pass, Consider or
Recommend in each category.
Form: screenplay, stage
play, book, treatment.

PGS: number of pages
Sub: Means submitted so either Submitted to (the executive at
your company) or Submitted by (the agent and their agency who
sent it).
Elements: Mention anything like a director or
talent being attached, partial financing, etc
This will be on the cover letter submitted with
the screenplay. If you dont know, put N/A
Status: Either a SPEC (which
means you can purchase this
material) or SAMPLE
(meaning the script is already
taken but the writer is looking
for a new gig with you).
Coverage Guide Page 2
Prepared by Karen Loop



Leaining how to wiite goou log-lines is an impoitant skill. Not only is it ciucial foi coveiage, but
also it will help you leain how to pitch youi iueas quickly.

When wiiting a log-line uon't mention the chaiacteis by name oi give specific uetails: paint the plot
in one bioau stioke. 0nly use names if they aie iecognizable such as Batman, }esus, Nuhammau Ali.
Almost any scieenplay, even an epic, can be ieuuceu to one sentence. Foi example: "An egotistic
Southein giil suivives the Civil Wai but finally loses the only man foi whom she caies" woulu be
appiopiiate foi "#$% &'() ()% &'$*+

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This is "the bottom line." In one sentence, oi peihaps just a few choice woius, tell us why you aie
passing oi consiueiing the mateiial at hanu. Keep it shoit & sweet anu make suie the statement is
suppoiteu in youi comments section at the bottom of the page.

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The actual synopsis of a scieenplay shoulu be fiom one to two pages long anu shoulu biiefly ietell
the stoiy. Euitoiializing shoulu be kept to an absolute minimum heie, just tell the stoiy.

Befoie you stait wiiting, think about the authoi's theme, as well as the moou anu style of the piece.
Nake suie you have the entiie stoiyline in youi minu befoie you stait so that you uon't winu up
wiiting too much. Nany times a novice ieauei will spenu thiee quaiteis of hishei synopsis in
setting up the stoiy, only to iealize heshe has to covei the seconu anu thiiu acts in a paiagiaph.

Even if the scieenplay is uull, youi synopsis shoulu be lively anu enteitaining. Caiefully choose an
opening scene foi youi synopsis. This may not always be the one that staits the scieenplay. 0se
aujectives anu auveibs that captuie the excitement anu the tone of the piece. Lively, uynamic
phiasing, vaiieu sentence stiuctuie, anu ievelatoiy aujectives aie the maiks of a goou synopsis, as
opposeu to the plouuing, coloiless, clich-iiuuen style of a pooi one.

ueneial iules:
1. Wiite in the thiiu peison.
2. 0se piesent tense.
S. 0se CAPITAL LETTERS to intiouuce a chaiactei, anu then go to lowei case.
4. Intiouuce a chaiactei when heshe becomes 6-1-F0.,. If a homeless bum sits outsiue of the
7-11 in the opening scene, but uoesn't take action until the thiiu act, intiouuce him in the
thiiu act anu then call attention to the fact that he was pieviously planteu. (e.g. A B0N,
who we noticeu in the opening scene, picks up a knife anu.).
S. Spenu some time uesciibing youi leaus (age, appeaiance, chaiacteiistics).
6. 0nly use one name foi each chaiactei. So Ban, Banny, Ni. Bonauuce all becomes BAN.
7. Avoiu laige blocks of text - use white space.
8. Incluue all majoi action beats & emotional tuining points
9. Spelling & giammai count!

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The final, peihaps most impoitant, pait of scieenplay coveiage is the comments page. It is also the
most fun. In this section the ieauei gives hishei opinion of the scieenplay coveieu. It shoulu be
cleai, concise, anu uoesn't equivocate.
Coverage Guide Page 3
Prepared by Karen Loop



As a geneial iule, begin anu enu the comment summaiy with a "bottom line." In the heauei when it
askeu foi youi opinion of the scieenplay anu the wiitei, you have saiu, "Pass," "Consiuei," oi
"Recommenu." This is the section in which you back up youi statements.

(Pass = no one else neeus to ieau it; Consiuei = woith a seconu look; Recommenu = it shoulu go all
the way to the top).

You aie evaluating how well the mateiial woiks as a featuie film anu how well the authoi has
succeeueu at what heshe attempteu to uo. Comments shoulu auuiess the stiengths anu
weaknesses of the mateiial, plot, chaiacteis, uialogue, stiuctuie, tone anu piemise. D+; 06- .+,
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Specific points to consiuei:

ST0RYLINE
Aie the uiamatic stakes high enough foi a featuie film.
Is this an oiiginal iuea. 0i a twist on an olu iuea.
Is theie conflict anu iising tension. 0i is it tiieu anu ueiivative.
Is the stoiyline well uevelopeu w ielateu subplots. Boes it maintain its focus.
Boes the stoiy woik within its genie.
Boes the stiuctuie complement the stoiy.

CBARACTERIZATI0NS
Bo the main chaiacteis change anu complete theii aics.
Aie the chaiacteis lively anu compelling. 0i aie they clich anu uull.
Aie the ielationships between chaiacteis consistent.
Is the stoiy tolu fiom the iight P0v.

BIAL0u0E
Is the uialogue iealistic anu inteiesting. 0i is it munuane.
Bo actions piopel the scenes oi long speeches.
Bo the chaiacteis speak with specific voices.
Aie the visuals inteiesting oi uoes it uepenu too heavily on uialogue.

Attempt to begin youi comments with an oveiall statement about the mateiial anu then move on to
moie specific points.

Theie aie thiee types of comments which aie especially not helpful:
1. #4- 311 E;6*+>-L #4/> is wheie the ieauei uismisses the stoiy in a few stock supeificial
phiases which aie so geneiic they might apply to any piece of mateiial. It tells us nothing.
2. #4- E6-BM;58/.8L Beie the ieauei closes the uooi on a stoiy, uespite aumitteu meiits,
because the ieauei ueciues, without sufficient analysis, that heshe just uoesn't like the piemise.
This biings up a point of utmost impoitance: eveiy stoiy shoulu be given the benefit of the uoubt.
S. #4- N-.O- :/,,/.8L This is wheie the ieauei is afiaiu to commit to the mateiial one way
oi anothei anu winus up giving the same emphasis to stiong points anu weak points. Without
expiessing a fiim opinion eithei way, the ieauei has faileu at hishei job. Be uecisive!

Coverage Guide Page 4
Prepared by Karen Loop



ueneial iules:
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2. Commit to a position anu then back it up.
S. Be specific in youi ieview. Avoiu geneiic phiase. 0se examples!
4. Avoiu supeilatives like "best" oi "woist."
S. Review the mateiial at hanu. Bon't lambaste the wiitei anuoi talent attacheu.
6. Bon't tiy to "fix" the scieenplay.
7. Always stait the comments on a new page. (0ften exes will iip it off anu not show the
authoi).

If you uon't like the sciipt, give conciete ieasons why you aie passing. In all likelihoou, someone
may pass on the mateiial having only ieau youi coveiage. uive them a lot of ammunition. Why is
the mateiial bau.

If you like the mateiial, be complimentaiy but point out some obvious flaws. Again, use examples.


Coveiing scieenplays neeu not be consiueieu a heinous choie. It is one of the few jobs wheiein
people of powei ask foi youi opinion anu actually listen to what you have to say. If you aie looking
foi an Inuustiy job, coveiage samples aie manuatoiy. It fact, well wiitten samples can be moie
poweiful than youi iesume.


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