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My POV
by Brian A. Wilson
The Basics
COVERAGE ON COVERAGE: What it is and how to make it work for you
Last week, I wrote about the fundamental concept of coverage. Now, let's look at each component of industry-generated coverage of your screenplay.
TOP SHEET
The top sheet is just that: the first page of coverage. There will be a table presenting the title, author, genre, length, who submitted it, reader's name and date of coverage.
Next comes the log line, a one-sentence summary that tells what your story is about. Two unlikely cops pair up to thwart a Chinese gang stealing priceless art treasures (Rush Hour). A mysterious old cowboy saves not only an injured horse, but the life and hope of the young girl who owns it (The Horse Whisperer).
Have a few friends read your script and tell you the logline of it. Be sure that you've told your story clearly and it's getting across the way you intended. If your screenwriting pals understand it, so will the reader.
The box score rates various aspects of your script as Excellent, Good, Fair or Poor. Check marks in the boxes create an at-a-glance pattern of evaluation of your script. The specific categories vary from one company to the next, but typically include: Concept, Storyline, Structure, Characterization, Dialogue and Setting. If all goes well, it may look like this:
BOX SCORE
EXCELLENT GOOD FAIR POOR
Premise/Concept X
Structure X
Characterization X
Dialogue X
Setting X
Storyline X
A script with scores like this would almost certainly be read and referred on up the chain of command. Incidentally, a box score like this might come along once in every hundred to several hundred scripts.
THE ONE-PAGE SUMMARY
The reader condenses your script into a one-page retelling of the high points of your story, summarizing what you've written as though you yourself were telling it.
THE ONE-PAGE CRITIQUE
This is where the reader expresses his/her opinion of your work. Normally, the reader will restate the premise, then elaborate on the ratings given in each of the box score categories. There will be mention of the plot, but only as necessary to support the evaluations.
At the end, the reader makes the call that matters to us all: Pass, Consider or Recommend. Sometimes, it's just Pass or Recommend.
How much weight the producer puts on the coverage depends on the situation, the producer, the reader and the producer-reader relationship. Certainly readers get overruled all the time. But if a producer trusts the reader, the reader's recommendation does carry some weight; after all, that's what he or she is getting paid for.
Just like that, it's all over. If the coverage is good, your phone will ring. If not, you'll likely call to follow up and get the producer or someone further down the food chain. That person will skim the coverage and use it to say, "It was an interesting premise, but the characters seems thin. Thanks for thinking of us, though." Or words to that effect.
EVALUATE AND MOVE ON
Try to get what feedback you can. You'll never see the coverage--it remains the property of whomever paid to have it written. But compile the verbal comments from many sources and see if there's any merit to them. For example, if you're hearing over and over that your plot was incoherent, you may have a problem. If one person loves the dialogue and the next hates it, well, it's your call. Chances are, you just haven't found the right person who "gets" your work yet. File away the criticism, congratulate yourself for having thick skin, and move on.
Trade coverage with your friends. Pay an industry professional (e.g., Donie Nelson, or if you've got the cabbage, Linda Seger) to read and cover your script. Makes sure your work is coming across the way you want it to.
Then you can submit your work, feeling confident that your box score will be high, your summary and evaluation good and your rejection rate low.
Good luck, keep writing and make it a great script.
NEXT WEEK: Top tips for making your script a real reader-pleaser.
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