Draft Complete! Feedback Time?
This blog is going to make a lot of people angry, because I'm going to prove their secondary income model is 100% obsolete. Fuck “coverage pages!”
Your Feedback is Bad and You Should Feel Bad!
That’s a reference to Futurama, in case you thought I was funny and original, or just incredibly rude. I am all those things, but not today. 😂
I have a huge issue with written coverage. It’s a load of shit. (I guess I’m going into this blog swinging). How could it not be? Look at every promise regarding coverage, every price breakdown, and tell me the problem you see.
They’re promising pages. They’re promising to you that they’ll meet a quota.
This means they don’t give a shit whether you NEED that many notes. They have a page count to hit, and that’s what they’ll do.
To quote Zoolander, I feel like I’m taking crazy pills! How is that helpful?!?
Scenario One: You Wrote a Masterpiece
If your script works, the reader in charge of filling a page count will find something to write about. That’s what you’re paying them for.
Tom Vaughan says it all the time. If you go looking for notes, you’ll get them. This doesn’t mean your script has problems or needs changes. (It likely does, but that’s a different topic).
What do you think the odds are of this person returning your money and saying, “Actually, this is great.”
Also, most of these services offer to sum up your screenplay. For what purpose?!? You KNOW what your script is about! I know the purpose: to fill the fucking page count!
Scenario Two: You Wrote a Turd
If your script is terrible, and this coverage creator truly wants to teach you where you went wrong and how to fix it, they have the page count to do it in.
But they can’t know you understand what they’re trying to teach. They can’t walk you through why the script doesn’t work, and get you nodding along as they do it. If the script doesn’t work at all, you need a seriously good teacher to break down the basics and showcase where you fell flat.
Think you can learn screenwriting in three pages? Or maybe you sprang for five, or fifteen, or whatever! Either way, if you are at the very early stages of your journey, you might be left with way more questions than when you started. Those pages won’t be helpful. If they are, they won’t be near as helpful as what others can provide.
Proof in the Pudding
“Now Lawrence,” I can hear you saying, “What coverage provider did you dirty to bring this topic on?”
None of them. In fact, I defended the Austin Film Festival a few years ago when everyone was livid at their free reader comments. I argued that nobody actually entered that festival for the free comments; they entered to be seen, and for the prestige.
I think this is still true, even if their free reader comments are AI generated. Do I like that a robot spit out comments about my script, assuming this is true? No. Not one bit. Actually, funny enough, these were the best comments I’ve ever gotten from this festival. They loved it (even though it didn’t advance beyond Second Rounder) according to my reader comments. That robot adores me!
But nobody entered Austin for the free reader comments. Maybe they bought coverage though… Here’s hoping that wasn’t AI. That leads me to my next nail in the coverage coffin:
AI is the ultimate shortcut. You can’t stop someone from getting AI to do the job. You can’t know if they read it. You can’t know if they took the AI response and simply rewrote it, or got another AI to humanize the response.
The sheer threat that someone will give you AI’s answer instead of their own should be more than enough to make you put away your wallet.
But this section is called Proof in the Pudding. So let’s look at what I did when I worked for one of the major coverage providers (one that partnered with Coverfly.)
That’s right. I did this job, before AI. I am the proof.
I was instructed to follow a specific format, with nice big headings to take up page space. Describe the concept, the marketing potential, write a logline, talk about the characters, the setting, the plot, all the usual suspects. I specifically asked, “What if I don’t have enough notes to fill the page count?”
“Fill the page count.”
Very helpful.
Is this what you want, dear writers? Is this what will help you achieve professionalism, help your script obtain undeniable status, help your future readers feel feelings when they go through future reads?
If so, (and I’ve met writers adamant about this), you’re at a roadblock you won’t be able to pass until you remove the wool covering your eyes.
Let’s Talk About This
Here’s the solution: consultations. A block of time where you actually speak to the person about your script.
This is CRUCIAL.
If you’re talking to a professional who’s mastered the craft, they’re going to ascertain what you know, what you’re trying to do, why you’re trying to do it, and then figure out how best to help you.
A professional cares about your intention, and if they don’t know that from the script, they’ll ask. When’s the last time you bought pages and someone reached out to ask questions before delivering the goods? Never, that’s when.
This is why I’m such a major advocate for Audrey Knox. This is why I really grew and flourished in the Narrative Drive program with Jonathon E Stewart. While I haven’t gotten a consultation yet from Tom, it’s a major reason why I don’t hesitate to tell others to check him out.
I pay a lot more. I get a lot more.
Because we have a discussion about the work, exactly like an exec will do when giving you notes if the script were in production, only instead from an expert in the craft.
If they tell me something, I can ask questions. If I thought I’d accomplished the note, they can clarify why my solution didn’t land.
The same advice applies to the big “pay to play” services that offer consultations. Go for calls, not pages. The only thing is… well it really depends on what you need. I’ve had execs love my work and be unable to provide notes, yet I’ve had professional writers highlight the issues with ease like they were clear as day. So with any consultation, if you’re looking to make connections and get your face out there, these are expensive ways to do it. It’s a gamble; they might like the work, but not be the right person for the job. If you’re looking to improve your script… for that, you need someone who sells scripts.
Pages are Cheap!
If I read your script, I’ll probably write out notes for you in an email and send it back to you. The difference is I’m not offering a quota. I’m just writing and organizing my thoughts, then trying to explain how I arrived there.
It’s less useful than a conversation… but if I’m giving you notes and you wanted to discuss them, I’d likely try and attend that call. Also I’m likely reading for free, so I get to do what I want.
The biggest issue I think many writers face when looking for feedback is cost.
This hurts me, too. I have very little disposable income, and most of it goes to my writing career. Here’s the thing though: throwing good money away isn’t helpful. It’s worth it to have one amazing consultation with a professional versus the 8 coverage reports you can get instead.
Still not convinced? Let’s tackle one more pain point in this category.
Rankings are Ethereal
If there’s no rubric for perfection, then any system that grades your work is sheet subjectivity. What I like about consultations or pitches is that you know it’s entirely up to one judge’s sensibilities. If you do amazing, it should come down to preference and taste. Subjectivity.
But any service that ranks a script, say, out of ten, better be able to describe what a ten actually is. If they can’t, then it’s nothing but an illusion. You’re just hoping you connect with the correct reader. This is compounded if you don’t get to know who your readers are.
It’s a good thing there’s not a system this bonkers that people rely on for a sense of excellence. 🫣
This service would come back to the Austin problem: if you’re entering for feedback and not prestige, you’ve made a terrible mistake.
Now That Everyone Hates Me…
If you’re a screenwriter offering pages for coverage, well, sorry. But you don’t have to offer pages. You can offer consultations.
I don’t know about anyone else, but reading a script takes me a minimum of an hour. Closer to two, more likely. Then I have to organize my thoughts and write notes. Let’s say that takes an hour, though it probably takes two more.
If I charge you $75, I’m making less than $20 / hour.
Sure, I blog for free, and I write on spec, but my knowledge is worth a lot more than the cost of a Subway footlong and two cookies. I promise. Plus I really love to teach, to figure out how to break down complicated concepts into something simple. It’s a skillset I’ve always had a natural affiliation with. That’s also worth something.
I know there’s some extremely talented people doing coverage for super cheap. I’m not sure why. I suspect the studios pay next to nothing for it, so it feels like that’s what the service is worth. Point is, I’m not disparaging the truly talented people offering cheap coverage. I’m just saying this is a goldmine for charlatans to make a quick buck as well, disguising pages as value.
Best avoided.
What do you think? Should I launch a consultation service? Who is your favorite professional to do a consultation with? Why?
Do you like pages of notes? If so, why? Did I change your mind? Do you think I’m full of shit? Did I miss the point somewhere?
Get at me in the comments, and keep on writing, you amazing people!
I wish I could like this multiple times.