 |
Script Analysis |
"First rate analysis at a cut-rate price." — Creative Screenwriting
"First rate analysis at a cut-rate price." — Creative Screenwriting
|
|
|
No application forms are necessary. Simply send your screenplay by postal mail to:
Please include a check or money order with your script. If you prefer to pay by credit card, you can do so online. Go to the page that describes the service you wish, and scroll down until you see an "Add To Cart" button. Click on it, and that service will be added to your Shopping Cart on PayPal. There's no need to enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope with your screenplay. The cost of postage for its return, and for sending you the audio CD of your consultation (if ordered), is included in the fee.
We accept submissions by electronic mail for a surcharge of $12 per script to cover printing and binding. There's a button on the page for each service to add the e-submission fee to your Shopping Cart. The file you submit must be in one of three formats: Adobe® Acrobat® (.pdf), Movie Magic® Screenwriter™ (.scw), or Final Draft® (.fdr). Please do not submit your script in Microsoft® Word® (.doc) or Rich Text (.rtf), as the page breaks in those formats tend to shift, and page numbers may be absent. This can be a problem on page notes because the analyst and the writer must be on the same page.
Turnaround time averages from three to four weeks. After we receive your screenplay, it goes into a queue based on the postmark. In special cases, we may be able to place your script at the top of the queue for a rush surcharge.
Samples of our script analyses are available here on our Web site. Read the script evaluation that prompted Creative Screenwriting magazine to rate us "Highly Recommended" and a "Best Buy" in their review of 24 screenplay consultants. You can also view these Development Notes as a PDF file (57 KB). Or, if you prefer, right-click the link and select " Save Target As..." to save the file to your computer. To view or print this document you must have the Acrobat® Reader® installed on your computer. The Acrobat® Reader® can be downloaded, free of charge, from: Samples of Studio-style Coverage and a Selling Synopsis are also available through links on their respective pages.
We're a consulting company that helps writers and producers bring out the full potential in their work, be it a screenplay, a novel or other literary material. We don't actually produce movies, but we have developed scripts to such a polished stage that studios have given a "green light" to their production.
Unless you are notified otherwise, all analyses are done by our founder, Michael Ray Brown. A veteran story analyst and former development executive, Michael has more than 20-years' experience at seven major Hollywood studios. When Michael has a writing assignment or other commitments, we may assign script coverage or selling synopses to one of Michael's associates. These are all veteran story analysts, highly respected professionals within the entertainment industry. In such situations, you will be notified of a possible delay and given the option to have one of Michael's associates analyze your work.
Errors in spelling, grammar, and formatting can hamper your script's chances of selling. Proofreading was once included in our Development Notes service. However, some screenplays required up to two days for our analyst to flag all the errors. Due to the wide variations of time involved, we can no longer offer proofreading free of charge. It is now a separate service. If your script has serious errors, and would benefit from detailed Proofreading, we will suggest this in our notes.
Screenplays adhere to strict formatting rules for typeface, spacing, margins, page breaks, capitalization, and many other elements. Deviate from the norm, and you risk being labeled an amateur. To get a fair reading, it's important that your script look professional. A detailed format critique, once part of our Development Notes, is now included under a separate Proofreading service. If any element in your script departs from standard format, we will flag it, and show you how it should be written. For an additional fee, we will make the corrections directly in your script file. Before submitting your script to us or a producer, you would be wise to consult our format guide.
Our staff has many connections, due to their extensive background in the entertainment industry. Various agents, managers, and producers have contacted us for material, asking us to refer talented writers to them. We have, on rare occasion, put them in touch with clients whose material was truly outstanding. No structure currently exists, though, for us to channel recommended scripts to the production community. Our mission is to help you write a terrific screenplay, one that will generate enough buzz to attract a top agent and/or producer. We believe that a truly great script will find its audience. That being said, many producers won't agree to read your script unless you submit a synopsis first. Our fastest-growing service has become the Selling Synopsis.
Entire books have been written on this topic. You have to draw upon all your contacts, no matter how small. The Hollywood Creative Directory lists producer credits and contact information. Some producers will respond to a query letter or a synopsis. If the story sounds intriguing, they may agree to read your script if you sign a release or submit it through an attorney. However, it will get more attention if it's represented by an agent. Finding an agent who will read your script can be more difficult than finding a producer. Most agents won't read anything that doesn't come recommended by a client, producer, or studio executive. Whether or not you have an agent, posting your screenplay on InkTip is a way to get it seen by industry professionals. In 2008, a total of 19 films were produced from writers and scripts found on InkTip. To that end, the experts at Story Sense can write a riveting log line and a compelling Selling Synopsis that will attract producers. Before you submit your script anywhere, you should register it with the Writers Guild of America. The Guild also publishes a list of agents, noting those who will read material from new writers. Enter your script in as many contests as you can afford. Even an "Honorable Mention" in a prestigious screenwriting competition can set your telephone to ringing. It all starts with writing the most marketable script you can write. Which is where a Story Sense analysis can be valuable.
No release form is necessary when you send your script to Story Sense. Release forms are generally required by literary agencies, managers and producers if your script is unsolicited. This is to warrant that you are the author of the material submitted, that you acknowledge similar works may be in existence, and that you release the production company from any claim of plagiarism or idea theft. Story Sense is a consulting service. We do not represent your material to producers, nor do we produce films, television shows or other media.
The material you submit is always held in the strictest confidence. It is used only for the purpose of analysis. Neither your script nor the analysis is submitted or disclosed to any third party. Occasionally Story Sense may make a copy of your annotated script before returning it to you. This is done to provide the analyst with a reference during an Oral Consultation, if one is requested. Once we finish the consultation, we destroy our copy of the script.
|
|
Copyright © 2008 by Michael Ray Brown. All rights reserved.
|
