The Benefit of Coverage and What I Learned

When I initially sat down to develop a concept that I had into a script, I assumed it was something I could punch out in a couple of weeks.  After all, I liked to write, and I had ample experience as a writer of fiction, short stories and historical papers.  With such qualifications, how hard could it be to write a screenplay?  Besides, my story basically sold itself anyhow.  All I needed was to buy the right software, read a couple successful scripts, pick up a book on screenwriting, and in due time I could collect my screenplay awards and accolades.  But, days became weeks and weeks became months. Then I finally felt that I had achieved my masterpiece.  I was so confident with my work that I decided to enter a screenplay contest to break into the industry.  

Oh no, a month later the winners and finalists were announced, I didn’t make the cut. What was that about?  There must have been a mistake because my work was exceptional regardless of whatever some judge might have argued. I only needed to sign up for coverage to prove my case.  A week later, a got my coverage. That was not what I expected either. I was so disappointed with the critical analysis that I paid for a second reader, but that “industry expert” like the previous one was insane. How could they rate my work as a pass (the lowest of the three categories)?  After all, I got high marks on concept.  Why did I not do better?  The answer slowly became obvious as put my bruised ego to the side and paid attention to their analysis.  Although they gave me lots of insight into how I could improve my script, I’ll share one example of how my script was flawed.  

One problem with my work was that I didn’t understand the concept of how a screenwriter, unlike a novelist, has to show and not describe emotion.   This is primarily because films are visual and typically doesn’t have narration.  I’ll give a basic example of what I mean.  In my initial version of my script, my main character in my script “Fat Prison” struggles with her weight. After a nasty eating binge, she often stared out the window as sign of disgust with herself for her lack of discipline.  But, this inter-contemplation does not lend itself easily to the screen.  Therefore, I rewrote the scene to be visual.  In later versions the character shows her displeasure with her eating binge by stepping on a scale and slumping her shoulders as a result of her new weight gain.

Although these tweaks may have minor impact on the story overall, such unwillingness of the screenwriter to adhere to basic industry standards may give the reader the belief that the author is either unprofessional or unwilling to put in the time and effort to make sure his script the best version of itself.  In short, if you can afford it, script coverage is a worthwhile investment.  If you like this article, feel free to share.