Well, finished for the first time anyway:) Just submitted it for coverage to screenplayreaders.com, fingers crosses for at least a consider!!!

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!

You sent a first draft in for coverage?  You should never do that.  The reader will spend all his time working on the typos and grammatical errors and such.


Phil

Congrats on finishing your first feature! I distinctly remember doing the same. It's quite an accomplishment and you'll be hard pressed to experience the same feeling completing future feature scripts.

But yeah, I'm with Phil on this one. I wouldn't show my first draft to a damn soul, let alone submit it for coverage. It's invariably terrible, no matter what the script is.

Phil's right, no doubt, but I can tell you Rebecca that I wrote a zombie feature in 3.5 weeks from concept to finish, took about a week to clean up, then sent it to those guys. I got a "consider". But I don't plan on doing things that way in the future. It seems like us new writers are always in a rush, but the longer we're around we learn it pays to be deliberative and disciplined.

Good luck, I've seen your work, I feel good about your chances!

Congrats!!!  Everything I post here are first drafts for the most part. Don't worry about it. Go with what your gut tells you.  :)

Best of luck to ya. Are you gonna share it with us???? I'd love to read it. I have a habit or rushing and throwing up first drafts, too. Just completed my first feature also. However, it's no where near good enough yet. I put it on the shelf and started another...I'll go back to it later.

First feature scripts are like a new baby! It's very exciting and finally, you feel like your hard labor has reached a peak and you're done.

I wish you the best!

Hehe, wow thanks, guys, but I assure you I've spent hours upon hours (let's be honest...) months upon months fixing this thing up:) My 'first' draft is more like one big process of numerous drafts and rewrites and cuts. Granted I'm not so arrogant as to think it's perfect. But I'm happy enough with it to get coverage now.

Here's hoping I don't choke on those words... :p

Let us know how it goes.  Ask the script doctor/reader if you can post his/her comments on the boards.


Phil

Quoted from Pale Yellow Are you gonna share it with us???? I'd love to read it.

Would love to, but I can't - contract :-/ Thanks though!

CRA-A-A-A-A-A-PPPPP!

If you're happy with the notes you receive, let us know.  Others seeking readings might be interested in using your doctor.


Phil

Quoted from leitskev Good luck, I've seen your work, I feel good about your chances!

Aw, thanks heaps:)

Quoted from dogglebe CRA-A-A-A-A-A-PPPPP! If you're happy with the notes you receive, let us know.  Others seeking readings might be interested in using your doctor. Phil

Will do! Although I'm trying to expect the worst, so maybe I won't be disappointed, no matter what;) As long as they aren't brutal for the sake of it and their comments are valid (whether to me or someone else), then I'll cope.

I think.

Ah, crap, what did I do??? :p

Hi Rebecca -

First and foremost, very happy congratulations!!!  Always great to finish a script and have that feeling of completion and a job well done.  :)

That said, don't feel bad if screenplayreaders trashes it.  I've dealt with them, and personally found their service spotty and at times very inaccurate.  Some of their readers are good. Others - aren't.
::)

Why do you need coverage if you have a contract?

Ah, my contract isn't with a producer or anything, but the guy whose story/experience I adapted.

Thanks for the heads up, Wonka. I'll remember that and chalk it up to a learning experience if I have the same problem:)

Echoing Phil here:

Grammatical errors and punctuation are both a nice "heads up"-- but they're not what matter in the offset.

All that stuff can easily be fixed by handing it off to someone else.  

Story, pace and plot progression are much harder to patch up, and handing it off to someone else isn't likely to fix any of that for you.

G'luck with the script.

That must be interesting in itself, the approach you took. Maybe you could post some thoughts about that process sometime. I'd be interested to see. Best of luck!

Congrats Rebekah!

There's few things as rewarding as writing THE END on your first feature script!

Personally, I print out first drafts and mark up the bejesus out of them.
I always find a ton of grammar errors when I print up a hard copy.

I don't like to make it easy on the coverage reader to gripe about that stuff.
I want more story and quality control notes, etc.
Approx. 85% of scripts covered get a PASS, so don't beat yourself up if that happens.

But for now, take comfort in the fact that you've reached a step few amateurs achieve.
So good on you!

Regards,
E.D.

Quoted from rdhay Well, finished for the first time anyway:) Just submitted it for coverage to screenplayreaders.com, fingers crosses for at least a consider!!!

Good luck.. I just used them last week, and I received a PASS.  After I got over my pisstivity... I agreed with everything they said.  At first I agreed with half, but after going over my screenplay and making some changes that I thought about changing before the screenplay coverage... I realize, they were right...  however, they never mentioned my grammar, punctuation, dialogue, etc....

I started off with 98 pages, now I have 111.  I don't plan on changing much more because I can't keep catering to everyone who may or may not like the script.  But if the advice strikes a chord with me... I will re-examine it. I said I will stop when the little voice in my head quits talking to me, then I'll be finished.

:/

Pass it is:( That sucks, but I'm keeping that 85% in the forefront of my kind;) I admit that the whiney little girl in me is pretty annoyed that they banged it out in a day and misread a bunch of stuff (I'll own up to the misinterpretations though as me not doing my job properly) when they had up to 3 days to do it. Overall I agree with most of the comments, although I was a bit surprised that the things I thought were issues weren't even mentioned. And there wasn't one thing said about grammar or that kinda thing, so I'm happy there.

*sigh*

Oh well, I might send it to a couple of you for reads if you're interested?

Thx guys!!

Sorry for being late, but congrats.  I was about to advise you that you should have posted up here so we could read and review, then rewrite, then send it to them. That's what I'm planning to do once I'm done. But don't give up. There's always rewrites.

Gabe

Quoted from rdhay :/ Pass it is:( That sucks, but I'm keeping that 85% in the forefront of my kind;) I admit that the whiney little girl in me is pretty annoyed that they banged it out in a day and misread a bunch of stuff (I'll own up to the misinterpretations though as me not doing my job properly) when they had up to 3 days to do it. Overall I agree with most of the comments, although I was a bit surprised that the things I thought were issues weren't even mentioned. And there wasn't one thing said about grammar or that kinda thing, so I'm happy there. *sigh* Oh well, I might send it to a couple of you for reads if you're interested? Thx guys!!

Hey, don't let that one reader get you down... at least you didn't have to sweat it out for 4 days like I did.  Just give it a few days and let it sink in, and read your coverage letter again.  You probably want be as upset, and you will more than likely agree with the reader a lot more....

Rebecca

What I am going to say is counter to what you will hear from most people. It is regarding the fact that certain things were misread in your script. Of course, it's possible the writing was not clear enough. But it's worth keeping in mind that most readers, whether amateur or pro, whether doing you a favor or being paid such as with a coverage service, are going to skim through your script. So even if you write it perfectly, mistakes will be made. What really stinks is when a missed piece of information is something that throws off the whole script. The result can be the reader completely misinterpreting your story!

What's to be done? I'll tell you: underlining, capitalization, and yes, the dreaded asides.

Using a lot of these will piss off the reader and make you look like an amateur. Using these tools selectively and effectively will make you look like a pro. Don't believe me? Start reading pro scripts. They're in there.

Again...if you decide to go this route, two things: first, be very, very sparing using this stuff. And second, be prepared to get grief on it here.

Think, for example, of when you try to put subtext into your dialogue. It's a good thing. But risky when your script is being skimmed. A well placed aside might make the meaning more clear.

Go back to your script and look at the things the coverage reader confused. Could an aside have helped? Maybe some brief underlining? If so, wouldn't it have been worth it?

And, yes, I will read your script if you would like. I have one I posted Sat that you can check out when you have time!(it's not posted yet)

Hey Rebecca -

Sorry to hear - but as I mentioned before, my personal experience with screenplay readers was that they were *not* accurate, for the most part.  I'm not dismissing the possibility that the writing could have been clearer (hey, whose script is perfect, pro or not?)  But with my last script, the reader at Screenplayreaders got numerous details wrong (not just missed, but wrong.)  They also failed to comment even slightly on the plot and theme itself, A or B story.  In other words, an abysmal job.  Which I guess is to be expected, considering that they only charge $60, and you have to figure that the company itself gets a significant cut.  So what do I have to say about them?  Well - don't waste your money. And don't take a pass from them all that seriously.

My recommendation?  Post the script here...let us tear it apart pro bono.  You won't agree with all of us - and some of the reviews will certainly be contradictory.  But pick the wheat from the chaff carefully, and your script will come out all the better...  :)

Quoted from leitskev Rebecca it's worth keeping in mind that most readers, whether amateur or pro, whether doing you a favor or being paid such as with a coverage service, are going to skim through your script.

I never skim through a script. My OCD won't let me miss a single word when I read something whether it's a book, script or the bible in old Swedish. I read it cover to cover, including all the small print on who published it...and no, I'm not religious.  :)

Sorry you got a Pass Rebekah. Probably 95% do. Use the comments to write a great new draft.

I have always thought that posting scripts here are great for finding out what needs fixing with a story because everyone will point out different things...for free too.  Chin up girl!

Snap a page they marked down and post it here.   I'd like to see.

Pia, you may not miss a thing, I believe you. But that is the exception, not the rule. Many of these people being paid to read are taking on several features a day. They miss stuff. In the script I sent for coverage, and I got a consider so I am not complaining, they got a few things strangely wrong. One thing was they thought a brother and sister in the script were incestuous. I have no idea where they got that, and no one else that read did.

I will be honest: I miss stuff, even when I'm doing it as a favor and really trying. Maybe the phone rings, or a dog barks. Whatever the reason, I can miss a small phrase, especially something sandwiched in the middle of dialogue. If it is underlined, I am more likely to absorb it. It's not even that a skip over it, I don't think, but more that the words are read but do not register.

I miss a lot of stuff, but not from not reading the words.  :)

Thanks, guys:) The main comments seemed to be things that are relatively easy fixes and, yes, things that I hadn't thought of, at least not consciously. They seemed to think that the structure was okay, but 'less than perfect'.

Anyway, I'll send it through to you guys for a read (whenever you have a chance amid the holiday chaos), especially you, Pia - let your OCD go crazy;)

Send it to me Bec, if u like. I'm not far off finishing my new comedy feature. I'd be interested to see how the coverage thing works.

Can u send the comments as well?

steve-abbey@hotmail.com

Oh and out of curiosity, what's the script about?

And don't answer:   about 90 pages... ;D

Quoted from stevie Oh and out of curiosity, what's the script about? And don't answer:   about 90 pages... ;D

Hehe, nah, nah...100 pages on the dot:p

Hey, Pia & *Janet* (can't believe I got that wrong!!), can you shoot me a pm with your email addresses pls?

Thx;)

Not sure if you'd want to have newbie on the site read it or if you'd rather keep it to just a few people, but my e-mail is cinemachado@gmail.com if you'd like me to take a look. I'll read it for free and you don't even have to read mine. Hehe

- Felipe

Congrats on getting a feature done Rdhay!

Send it my way if you want. Will get to it asap as I'm just starting on a feature myself.

Harley

A big congratulations to you, Rebecca!!!!

I've been busy as of late and haven't been on the boards a lot. Really good news to hear. You help to keep us on track and inspired.  :) :) :)

Sandra

Quoted from rdhay Hey, Pia & *Janet* (can't believe I got that wrong!!), can you shoot me a pm with your email addresses pls? Thx;)

Hey - n/p  Janice...Janet - pretty close.  (Just think Janet Jackson, Dammit Janet...anything along those lines.)  :)))  

BTW - sent over my notes.  Feel free to post or keep to yourself, either way...

Cheers...!

I think Dammit Janet quite a bit.


Phil

Thanks heaps, guys! I think I'll make some changes with the comments I'm getting for now:) After the new year, I'll be reading and reviewing to return the favor, though!

Quoted from Sandra Elstree. I've been busy as of late and haven't been on the boards a lot. Really good news to hear. You help to keep us on track and inspired.  :) :) :)

:B Aw, shucks:)

Nah, it's the other way around, hon. I'm still just a newbie feeling my way around:p

Huge thanks to those who are sending me comments - they're super helpful and I really appreciate it!!

I'm gonna wrap it up tonight, I believe -- but what troubled me most about their coverage was they kept speaking in terms of ACT structure and not pace and development.  The 3 act structure isn't really a gold rule standard anymore and it's almost as if, after reading the coverage, they held you to a 30 - 40 - 20 or a 30 - 60 - 20 standard.  Just doesn't seem logical to do so, since most of the industry has moved away from it.

Anyways, I'll get back to ya with a PDF version of "opinions" soon.

I've read Rebecca's script and afterwards read the coverage notes. First of all, Rebecca is a very talented writer who really did a lot of things amazingly well for a new writer working on a first feature. Usually first time features are full of on the nose dialogue or long action descriptions. None of that here.

I'm not going to say more about the script here, I have given her my notes. But I do want to say this was an example where coverage notes were absolutely worth their weight in gold. I really have to hand it to that coverage reader. The notes really identified the strengths and weaknesses of this script, and in a way that will actually really help the writer with not only this script but the next one.

Quoted from leitskev I'm not going to say more about the script here, I have given her my notes. But I do want to say this was an example where coverage notes were absolutely worth their weight in gold. I really have to hand it to that coverage reader. The notes really identified the strengths and weaknesses of this script, and in a way that will actually really help the writer with not only this script but the next one.

Rebekah,

Would you be interested in sharing your coverage notes on the thread?
I'd like to see them and how you felt about them.
First impressions with new script can go a long way to shaping future drafts.

No matter what it says, try to stay thrilled you've gotten this far.
I've known so many that won't throw their work to the coverage wolves.
So good on you for taking that step.

Regards,
E.D.

Are you feeling lucky, punk?   ;D ;D

I'd like to take a look at both the script and the coverage notes.

Happy Holidays!

Hey guys! Thanks so much for all the feedback - it's so helpful!! I'm boarding my freakishly long flight in about 12 hours, and the rewrite will begin! In the meantime, I'll send it over to a couple other guys to get their thoughts and maybe by the end of all this, I'll have something of a little gem (well, maybe costume jewelry or something...).

Cheers and happy holidays!!!
Rebekah