Sample Assignment. University of Georgia. Professor Evan Kropp, Ph.D. Script Coverage Reader Report #1 and Reader Report #2 TELE 4110/6110 Due Dates: See Syllabus The Assignment You are an Executive Assistant at Amazon Studios. Writers are submitting scripts for review. Your boss is overwhelmed with work and wants you to provide coverage on some of these submissions. This might be your big break. This is an opportunity to show your boss your skills and get on his good side. You need to make sure your reports are accurate because you don’t want to waste your boss’s time by passing on a bad recommendation. You also want to make sure you don’t overlook any scripts that have good development potential. Rumor has it there is going to be an opening in the Development Department and, if you do well with these reviews, you might have a leg-­‐up against the competition. What you need to do 1. Visit the following website and select a script: http://studios.amazon.com/series 2. You can choose a script from any genre. You must choose a script that does not have any designation attached to it (Amazon Original, Development Slate, Notable Projects). 3. Follow the directions in this assignment. I have posted a Template for the Coverage Report in ELC that you must use. 4. Remember to convert your Word Doc to a PDF before final submission. Required: • You MUST use the template provided. • You MUST provide a link to the script online. • You MUST write in single-­‐space format. • You MUST upload a PDF Doc Grades will be assessed based on your ability to follow the assignment instructions and the quality of your submission based on adherence to the common practices outlined below including formatting, style and content. 1 Sample Assignment. University of Georgia. Professor Evan Kropp, Ph.D. Screenplay Coverage Overview:1 Every year thousands of new screenplays and books are written. Not surprisingly, few people have the time to read all the material submitted to them. Even if the work is brilliant, it may or may not be what the financier, director, actor, or producer is looking for. Hence, most people hire “readers” to vet the massive mounds of material. Readers will review the material (e.g. book/screenplay/article/play/treatment) and type up a 3-­‐4 page document called “coverage” that summarizes the story and offers an opinion. If a reader says a screenplay is lousy, there is little chance it will go on to the next step. If a reader says a screenplay is good, that script has only crossed the first of what will be many hurdles. Because a screenplay is only a blueprint to a film, a reader must be able to visualize the movie in his/her mind. Most scripts aren’t perfect, and it’s the reader’s job to recognize potential. Coverage has a formal style and format. It consists of five distinct parts: 1. A Header. This section states the basic information such as title, author, length and other notes about the script. Each company/agency will have its own header. I have created a sample header for you to use with this project. 2. Logline: a one-­‐two line summary of the plot 3. Comment Summary: a one-­‐two line summary of your opinion 4. Synopsis: a summary of the major plots, characters and actions 5. Comments: an opinion on whether or not the script or writer is worth pursuing Header Most of the information for this section can be obtained from the script itself. This section is a “cheat sheet” that provides all of the pertinent information about the script, who it was submitted to, and whether or not the reviewer recommends the script or writer. Some companies/agencies will include charts in this section to rate script elements our template does not. Logline The logline summarizes the story in one or two sentences. It sits at the top of the coverage page and, consequently, is the first thing people look at. It’s only after reading the logline that an executive or agent will decide whether or not he will read further. The logline can help sell or bury a screenplay. Learning how to write good loglines is an important skill. Not only is it crucial for coverage, but it will help you learn how to pitch your ideas quickly. Adapted for use in TELE4110/6110 from “Screenplay Coverage: A How-­‐To Guide” by Karen Loop (http://students.colum.edu/learning-­‐studio/pdf/Coverage%20How%20To.pdf) 1
2 Sample Assignment. University of Georgia. Professor Evan Kropp, Ph.D. Here are some links to a few resources on writing effective loglines: • How to Write a Logline (Video) • Writing Loglines That Sell • 10 Tips for Writing Loglines • How to Write the Perfect Logline: And Why It’s as Important as Your Screenplay Comment Summary This is the “bottom line.” In one-­‐two sentences state why you are passing or consider the script or writer. Keep it short and sweet. Make sure the statement is supported in your ‘comments’ section. Synopsis The actual synopsis of a screenplay should be from one to two pages long (single spaced) and should briefly re-­‐tell the story. Editorializing should be kept to a minimum in this section, just tell the story. Before you start writing, think about the author’s theme, as well as the mood and style of the piece. Make sure you have the entire storyline in your mind before you start so that you don’t wind up writing too much. Many times a novice reader will spend three quarters of his synopsis in setting up the story, only to realize he has to cover the second and third acts in one paragraph. Even if the screenplay is dull, your synopsis should be lively and entertaining. Carefully choose an opening scene from your synopsis. This may not always be the one that starts the script. Use adjectives and adverbs that capture the excitement and the tone of the piece. Lively, dynamic phrasing, carried sentence structure, and revelatory adjectives are the marks of a good synopsis, as opposed to the plodding, colorless, cliché-­‐ridden style of a poor one. General rules: 1. Write in the third person 2. Use present tense 3. Use CAPITAL LETTERS to introduce a character, and then switch to lower case 4. Introduce a character when he/she becomes relevant. If a homeless bum sits outside of the store in the opening scene, but doesn’t take action until the third act, introduce him in the third act and then call attention to the fact that he was previously planted. (e.g. A BUM, who was noticed in the opening scene, picks up a knife and…) 5. Spend some time describing your lead characters (age, appearance, characteristics) 6. Only use one name for each character. So Walt, Walter, Mr. White, Heisenberg all become WALT 7. Avoid large blocks of text – use white space 3 Sample Assignment. University of Georgia. Professor Evan Kropp, Ph.D. 8. Include all major action beats and emotional turning points/plot points 9. Spelling and grammar count! Comments: The final and perhaps most important part of screenplay coverage is the comments page. It is also the most fun. In this section, the reader gives his/her opinion of the script. This section should be written in a clear, concise and professional manner. As a general rule, begin and end the comment summary with a “bottom line.” In the header section you were asked for your opinion of the script (pass = nobody else needs to read it, consider = it’s worth a second look, recommend = it should go all the way to the top). In this section, you will backup your conclusion. You will provide your evaluation for how well the script works (as a film, TV show, webisode, etc…) and how well the writer has succeeded at what he has attempted to do. Comments should address the strengths and weaknesses of the material, plot, characters, dialogue, structure, tone, premise, etc… For specific points to consider, refer to the list of questions provided in your Final Script Assignment Document. Remember, you are not telling the writer how to rewrite the material, just pointing out the strengths and weaknesses. Attempt to begin your comments with an overall statement about the material and then move on to more specific points. There are three types of comments which are especially NOT helpful: 1. The All Purpose: This is where the reader dismissed the story in a few stock superficial phrases which as so generic they might apply to any piece of material. It says nothing useful. 2. The Pre-­‐Judging: Here the reader closes the door on a story, despite admitted merits, because the reader decides, without sufficient analysis, that he/she just doesn’t like the premise. This brings up a point of utmost importance: every story should be given the benefit of the doubt. 3. The Fence Sitting: This is where the reader is afraid to commit to the material one way or another and winds up giving the same emphasis to strong points and weak points. Without expressing a firm opinion either way, the reader has failed at his/her job. Be decisive. General rules: 1. Never write the comments in the first person (e.g. I think, I feel)! 2. Commit to a position and then back it up 3. Be specific in your review. Avoid generic phrases. Use examples 4. Avoid superlatives like “best” or “worst” 5. Review the material at hand. Don’t lambaste the writer and/or talent attached 6. Don’t try to “fix” the script 7. Always start the comments on a new page. (Often execs will rip it off and not show the writer) 4 Sample Assignment. University of Georgia. Professor Evan Kropp, Ph.D. If you don’t like the script, give concrete reasons why you are passing. In all likelihood, someone may pass on the material having only read your coverage. Give them a lot of ammunition. Why is the material bad? If you like the material, be complimentary but point out some obvious flaws. Again, use examples. Covering scripts does not need to be considered a heinous chore. It is one of the few jobs where people of power are asking for your opinion and actually listen to what you have to say. If you are looking for an industry job, coverage samples are mandatory. In fact, well-­‐written samples can be more powerful than your resume. 5 Sample Assignment. University of Georgia. Professor Evan Kropp, Ph.D. Sample Coverage Template (This template will be provided to you as a MS Word Doc) Amazon Studios – Executive Assistant Reader Report RECOMMENDATION PROJECT: PASS CONSIDER WRITER: PASS CONSIDER RECOMMEND RECOMMEND TITLE: AUTHOR: FORM/PGS: DRAFT DATE: DRAFT TITLE: SUB TO: SUB BY: ELEMENTS: Title Author(s) Screenplay/# Date on script e.g: “Pilot Script 1” Amazon Studios Creators name Dir/Talent/Financing (any important info to pass on) GENRE: CIRCA: LOCALE: DATE: ANALYST: LINK TO AMAZON PAGE: Use Amazon classifications When Where Today’s Date Your Name Paste Link here LOGLINE: One line that sums up the theme or plot (don’t assume the one submitted w/ the script is acceptable) COMMENT SUMMARY: A quick line or two about your recommendations to pass or recommend the writer or script. SYNOPSIS: 1 – 1 ½ pages, single-­‐spaced COMMENTS: Start this section on a new page. Approx. ¾ of a page long, single-­‐spaced. Your comments about the script that lead to your recommendation. Think about the topics we are covering in class and apply those here. 6