As a reader you will generally be required to write reports with one of two very different objectives in mind:
Either
to evaluate the project for a development executive, producer or a commission that provides funding for script development
Or
to offer a constructive and helpful critique of the project for the writer and possibly also the team that is developing the script
In the former case, what is required will vary from company to company but it will generally be short and to the point: a synopsis, some comments on the strengths and weaknesses of the project, a recommendation for further action (pass, second read, etc). This type of report is often referred to as ‘coverage’ and allows the company executive to make an informed decision quickly about whether to pursue the project.
If, however, you are writing a report for the writer with the intention of helping them to develop their project, then you will need to write in more detail and in a way that is less critical and more analytical. This is the type of report that this book is geared towards. The reason for this is a wholehearted desire to promote the creation of script reports that offer considered and quality analysis. And once you have mastered the art of writing a report directly for the writer, any form of script analysis, regardless of its purpose, will be within your reach.
The way we encourage you to think about the script will provide you with a framework within which to structure your subjective responses, and to turn what is initially ‘just a feeling’ into a proper analysis of what is or isn’t working. Inevitably, this will make you a more discerning reader, more confident about your own judgement, and therefore more useful to potential employers. We aim to banish the banter that characterises pub talk about films; everyone thinks they are an expert on scripts because they have seen so many films. You, on the other hand, will enjoy learning that it is an artistic and technical process that you can analyse with an expert voice.
If you are hoping to progress to work in development (or if that is where you are now and you are looking to hone your skills) this analytical approach will also lay the foundations for a constructive way of working more closely with a writer to develop their script. On the whole, script reports don’t offer too many suggestions on how to improve a script; this is always a delicate area, best left for situations where you have direct contact with the writer so that suggestions can be delivered as part of a dialogue. For the purposes of the script report, a good analysis will give sufficient food for thought and enough guidance to help a writer reach certain useful conclusions on their own.
Script reading demands skills and knowledge: the skills bit is what we aim to dispense with this book; the knowledge is something you need to acquire through your own efforts. It is imperative that you familiarise yourself with the UK and international film industries and have a broad knowledge of cinema in general, past and present. It is crucial to love both reading and writing – you will be doing plenty of both. It helps to have a strong interest in the written word and to seek excellence in your own writing. Connection to all current cultural events is a real plus, as many films are drawn from contemporary culture: theatre, books, music and real–life events.
An empathy for a writer’s intentions is one of the key skills you will bring to your work. Script reading is not in itself a proper career as it is badly paid and often sporadic work. But scripts are the blueprint of every film and the broader your understanding of how they work, the more useful you will be in any aspect of film production.
Here are some tips to help you get the job done effectively and efficiently:
Read the script at one uninterrupted sitting. This will help you to ‘run the movie in your head’.
However tempting, make sure that you don’t just read the dialogue. Read at a pace that enables you to form a visual image of the action in your mind. This means don’t ignore scene headings, and read the scene directions. If you don’t know where the characters are, it’s hard to imagine the action.
Write your report soon after reading the script – clearly, the longer you leave it, the less sharp your observations will become.
Don’t try to write your report as you go but do keep notes, with page numbers, while you are reading. This will help you to quote specific examples to support the observations you make in your report. Don’t forget to note successful and enjoyable parts of the script too. A writer is more likely to take on board your criticism if praise is also offered where it is due.
Disregard inconsequential details – typos, misspellings, grammatical errors and incorrect format – unless these make the story unintelligible or unless the script is terribly bad in more important ways. In these cases mention the technical errors in your report to add weight to the overall comment.
Unfortunately there isn’t a standard report adopted by the entire film industry, though the categories we use in our reports are fairly universal. After all, the building blocks of each script don’t tend to vary. The key thing is to recognise the need to communicate concisely, with confidence and with concern for the writer’s objectives.
Maintain an objective tone – stick to the third person (i.e. avoid ‘I’ and don’t address the writer as ‘you’). You may refer to the writer as ‘the writer’, but it is best to try to stick to referring to things that happen in the script.
Write in the present tense – the script you are reporting on is a work in progress and the present tense keeps the process alive. This is very important. Do not use the past tense in the synopsis either unless you are reporting information from the past, revealed through flashback or dialogue.
Be specific – generalisations are not helpful to the writer and they weaken your credibility. Support all points that you make with one or two examples from the script.
Refine your communication skills – this means thinking carefully through what you want to say and writing down your concise, conclusive comments. Do not use the page to argue out your ideas for yourself – this isn’t an essay, but it is nevertheless the presentation of your considered viewpoint.
This book provides questions to prompt your thinking in each area of the report, but be careful to ensure that your report doesn’t read as a list of answers.
Develop your own writing skills – a good report should also be a good read, elegantly written and without spelling mistakes and grammatical errors. Make sure you spell place names and characters correctly or your credibility will be diminished.
Reference to other films can help to clarify a point but not if they are obscure – the object of the exercise is to help the writer, not to show off your own film–buffery! Do bear in mind, though, that if you read a script that is remarkably similar to a film you have seen, however obscure the film, please do mention it. This is vital information for a filmmaker that you can pass on.
It is not your job to offer concrete or specific changes to be made to the next draft; only the writer can decide what actually must be done to improve their story. However, in exceptional circumstances it can be appropriate to offer broad suggestions; this should only ever be done in a way that encourages the writer by demonstrating enthusiasm for their story.
Remember that witticism and sarcasm, though sometimes hard to resist, are inappropriate!