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I’m not sure if script consultant is the appropriate term but I was considering being a script consultant or subject matter expert or….I don’t know what else to call it, but I’m a forensic psychologist and would like to use my knowledge and experience to help screenwriters add more realism to their scripts.
Is there a term for this line of work and any advice on how to get into it?
Not sure what a title would be specifically to help writers though. I think most writers use google and if there's a need for more in depth information they lookup professionals to ask. In my experience, most experts are excited to be asked to "help" with a script and do it for free unless very extensive help is needed and it would be time consuming, then they probably would want something in return.
Not sure what a title would be specifically to help writers though. I think most writers use google and if there's a need for more in depth information they lookup professionals to ask. In my experience, most experts are excited to be asked to "help" with a script and do it for free unless very extensive help is needed and it would be time consuming, then they probably would want something in return.
Thank you for your response and I think you’re very spot on with how it would typically happen. I think Google and a brief chat with someone in the field can be beneficial for most screenwriter needs but I’m thinking I can be of service for more specific or in-depth purposes.
For example, character development of villains that may have some sort of psychosis and/or psychopathy, a realistic understanding of settings such as mental hospitals or prisons, or psychological assessments and testimony for court purposes such as when someone is incompetent to stand trial or not guilty by reason of insanity.
The types of shows and films I’m thinking would benefit would be things like Law and Order, Criminal Minds, 12 Monkeys, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Hannibal, American Psycho, In Treatment, and things of that nature.
I understand the necessity of artistic license but I think it needs to be rooted in solid realistic fundamentals to make it work well on screen. That’s where I can help!
Are you a well-established and highly renowned clinician in your field (I.E name recognition) with strong links to the industry?
If not, I think your chances of sustaining a business model here is very slim. Repped writers who are writing by engagement from a producer or studio/prodco will have the means and connections to seek (probably "free") advice from, quite literally, top minds in any field if they need outside consulting.
Unrepped writers writing on spec do not need another paid service marketed to them - the cottage industry of "experts" who promise advice, coverage, and insider knowledge to non-professional writers is already bloated without adding more to it. And it's not an industry you would want to associate your professional identity with, as a psychologist - it's wholly predatory and full of scammers, which I'm sure you're not.
Are you a well-established and highly renowned clinician in your field (I.E name recognition) with strong links to the industry?
If not, I think your chances of sustaining a business model here is very slim. Repped writers who are writing by engagement from a producer or studio/prodco will have the means and connections to seek (probably "free") advice from, quite literally, top minds in any field if they need outside consulting.
Unrepped writers writing on spec do not need another paid service marketed to them - the cottage industry of "experts" who promise advice, coverage, and insider knowledge to non-professional writers is already bloated without adding more to it. And it's not an industry you would want to associate your professional identity with, as a psychologist - it's wholly predatory and full of scammers, which I'm sure you're not.
You are correct that I’m not a scammer nor do I want to be. The forensic psychology field is a relatively small world and within the realm, yes, I am well established and recognized by my peers. As far as outsider recognition, I’d say certainly not. I don’t know if any have reached that level of fame or celebrity although some have testified in high profile trials which have provided them their 15 minutes of fame. The psychologist in the Depp vs Heard case comes to mind but I don’t believe she has forensic experience.
I do have some connections to the industry through a couple different uncles but both have been retired from it for 10+ years. One was a key grip on top notch films but I don’t think he has many high-up connections with writers and such. The other was a producer and animator for Disney but he has been retired closer to 20 years and has previously chosen not to help other relatives get into the industry because, in his experience, once you start asking for favors, you tend to lose what friends you have in the industry.
I’m not so sure top names in the field would help major studios for free but you put it in quotes so I assume you mean they would be paying by either means? I’m talking about people sending scripts to the experts and saying something like, “Please read pages 15-35 and let us know how we can improve this portrayal of schizophrenia.” Given the top names can charge big bucks for their time, I doubt they’d offer it for free although I’d be willing to do that on a few instances to crack into the industry and prove my worth.
I’m wondering if perhaps reaching out to agents and offering my services to their clients might be a good first step. That way I ensure I’m working with reputable writers who have already shown enough potential to get an agent in the first place. Anybody have experience with agents and know if this is something they might be interested in looking at for their clients?
My point is that there’s little market for that to be a paid service. Similar to what GB said, consultation about specific matters in a script are generally done with personal connections for free (or some other quid pro quo). There are sometimes outside consultants hired for entire movies - IE an astrophysicist might be credited as a consultant on a sci-fi space film - but smaller exchanges of information are not typically done this way. Especially because it gets iffy with “written by” when you ask someone to punch up your scenes and dialogue even when it’s about scientific/medical accuracy.
As someone with a postgrad degree in a similar field, it’s very easy to research independently things like “accurate/sensitive representations of schizophrenia” with the volume of information about mental health and forensics on the internet. Every incorrect or hurtful representation of mental health in film I’ve ever seen could have been solved via Google. It’s very different from a more ethereal and specific field like physics or astronomy, which a lay person couldn’t easily research.
Film is a very sensory experience and if writers are going to consult with or pay anyone about the lived experience of mental health, it should be sufferers of the illness.
I’m not trying to discourage you (although I feel like I couldn’t if I tried), but the script-adjacent consulting field is so saturated already and we shouldn’t be expecting writers to pay anyone to populate their fiction. In your example of contacting agents for referral, who would be paying your fee in that case? The agency certainly wouldn’t and the writer (who might be writing for free on spec) couldn’t afford it.
Maybe concentrate on using your expertise to write your own script or fiction that’s reListic, humane, and accurate? I think that would be great.
I was watching some of the Depp/Heard case on YouTube the other day, specifically the Forensic Psychologist, Dr Shannon Curry who based on public opinion (YouTubers) equipped herself well. Bit dubious diagnosing someone after one day imho, but her appearance certainly put her on the map and made for good 'theatre'.
If your interest extends to writing something of your own or acting as consultant in your specialist area you can also post in the collaborative section here:
I don�t understand why you think physics and astronomy can�t be researched online and why psychology is so much easier to understand by Googling something. I don�t think Google is a viable alternative to an expert with several years in the field who has sat across and provided therapy to hundreds of schizophrenic patients and knows the variability in symptom presentation. Google can give a vague understanding and maybe for most screenwriters, that would suffice. As I pointed out earlier, I�m looking at a more niche clientele and, as you pointed out, it wouldn�t be for a limited market and I don�t intend to quit my day job.
I didn�t say someone would rewrite dialogue or settings or anything of the sort. I want to advise and guide the nuances of the field. I would provide greater insight than what Google offers. I have dabbled in screenwriting but I lack the time to really hone the craft and make a viable run of it.
It�s not uncommon for military consultants to be on set for films nor is it uncommon for other experts to offer insight while on set. Perhaps that�s the avenue I should pursue rather than targeting screenwriters. But I don�t know these things unless I ask.
I do appreciate your feedback and criticism and I think you make some valid points. I don�t think you fully understand my concept and perhaps I�m not being entirely clear on my message. Either way, it seems safe to assume I probably shouldn�t add your name to a list of potential clients, eh?
I was watching some of the Depp/Heard case on YouTube the other day, specifically the Forensic Psychologist, Dr Shannon Curry who based on public opinion (YouTubers) equipped herself well. Bit dubious diagnosing someone after one day imho, but her appearance certainly put her on the map and made for good 'theatre'.
If your interest extends to writing something of your own or acting as consultant in your specialist area you can also post in the collaborative section here:
Thank you for the response and these resources! Maybe a blog or podcast would be a good way to go and might lead to people reaching out to me if they have specific questions. I didn’t realize there was a collaboration section here and I’ll definitely be checking that out! That should even help me better understand what types of questions people may ask.
don�t understand why you think physics and astronomy can�t be researched online and why psychology is so much easier to understand by Googling something
I'm not saying anyone could understand psychology by researching it, but rather one could gather a robust enough understanding of an illness to depict that specific illness for, say, a screenplay. However, you likely cannot gather the same level of understanding of, say, wormholes, to depict a realistic theoretically realistic one in film (eg 2014's Interstellar was required to consult with an astrophysicist for their depiction of one). My point is that if your proposed business can be closely approximated by a free search engine, I'm not sure there's a market there for you.
I'm genuinely not trying to be rude to you or dismissive, but I am always concerned for how many people I see desperate seeking profit from the pre-professional screenwriter population. There's something uniquely vulnerable about people trying to "break in" and unscrupulous persons take advantage of it. So there needs to be an extremely high barrier of entry for people wanting offer "services" to writers, and I don't know that you've cleared it.
I'm not saying anyone could understand psychology by researching it, but rather one could gather a robust enough understanding of an illness to depict that specific illness for, say, a screenplay. However, you likely cannot gather the same level of understanding of, say, wormholes, to depict a realistic theoretically realistic one in film (eg 2014's Interstellar was required to consult with an astrophysicist for their depiction of one). My point is that if your proposed business can be closely approximated by a free search engine, I'm not sure there's a market there for you.
I'm genuinely not trying to be rude to you or dismissive, but I am always concerned for how many people I see desperate seeking profit from the pre-professional screenwriter population. There's something uniquely vulnerable about people trying to "break in" and unscrupulous persons take advantage of it. So there needs to be an extremely high barrier of entry for people wanting offer "services" to writers, and I don't know that you've cleared it.
To be honest, I’d rather work with professionals than pre-professionals but I have to start somewhere to demonstrate my worth. I don’t mind having a high barrier to entry and I’m sorry you don’t know me and still come to the conclusion that I don’t clear your personal barrier. Luckily, I suspect you aren’t exactly a gatekeeper to the industry so I’ll persevere.
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How to be a script consultant 
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