Like many here, I use coverage sites to get valuable feedback on all of my projects. As I have improved as a writer, so has my coverage, even getting me "recommends" and "considers" on several projects.
It still boggles my mind how one or two readers can love your project, then the third tells you it's a pile of %#@*. I have to assume that the third reader was having a bad day, didn't connect with the story, or something that put them off from the outset.
I had that happen today, and I was shocked at how "bad;y written" the actual coverage report was, including spelling errors, and a very simplistic take on the project. Not only was it not in any way helpful, but there was little substance and no real nuggets on how to improve it. I've got pretty darn thick skin as I've been told something sucks, but to get this kind of, dare I say, brushoff was disappointing.
I know CJ recommends several choices here on Script Revolution, so curious to hear from all of you on any of these you have found worth the $$$.
Onward and upward!
Hi Clark - I use the Screenplay Gurus. They not only give 7 to 9 pages of notes, but they also do script mark-ups with additional suggestions. Total pros and always give eye-opening suggestions. I have used at least 10 different coverage services over the years and they are the best I have encountered. Two scripts of mine that they gave the once-over to were optioned and produced (One with Lionsgate, another with Penumbra Entertainment that will be released in early 2024).
Thanks, Jerry. I ended up using Script Reader Pro and got 7 pages of some of the best and most complete coverage I have ever received. The good news was I also got a recommendation from him on the script. His feedback was much more than expected, the reader took a deep dive into the story and offered well-thought options to help improve the project. His suggestions were 100% on the mark, and I am now rewriting some key scenes. I will turn to these guys for future projects, but I am also adding Screenplay Gurus to my "go-to" list.
Congratulations on the Recommend! Not an easy thing to get!
Agreed. A recommend from Script Reader Pro is a big deal. Did you make sure to utilise your 10% Rockstar Member discount with them?
I once asked somebody for coverage of one of my scripts, rewrote it based on his notes, and sent it back to get a second appraisal. Only to get a completely contradictory response. And I know for a fact that it was the same guy because I still have both of those reviews and they bear his name. In the first, he said my story structure was excellent so I didn't change it during the rewrite. In the second, he claimed that the exact same structure was lousy. If I give him the benefit of the doubt, I'd say the guy's a lousy reviewer but considering the blatant contradictions, it's far more likely that he was a con artist.
Getting a review of your script is, in and of itself, a good thing. The problem is finding people who know what they're talking about and can be trusted to be honest with you.
Great post, Thomas. I'm not too surprised to read about your experience.
Back when I first started writing, someone convinced me to submit my scripts to a competition where the prize was a table read. It was free to enter and came with feedback (different times back then). I entered three scripts and the feedback consisted mainly of copied and pasted statements.
It's an industry rife with cowboys, and even if you please them, it doesn't necessarily mean you'll align with an industry member who can produce your script.