Screenwriting : Coverage by Bob Brill

Bob Brill

Coverage

Always have an issue with Coverage (no matter where it comes from) because even though we're looking at professionals, it's still one person's opinion. Got one back that wanted to change every major focus of the story. I agreed with some of the smaller things and even a couple bigger ones but when it came right down to it, the person decided to write my script into his script. It was no longer the story I was telling or wanted to tell but a story he wanted me to tell. And to cap it off said he wanted to see more funny then rewrote it to more tragic. It was really confusing and even more, just flat out disappointing and discouraging. There are some changes I'll make based on some of the suggestions but not the focus of the entire script. It's a Black Comedy and the fact I can't ask questions after is a downer. Response to coverage in general?

Kerry Douglas Dye

Yup, that. Sometimes they want you to tell a completely different story. Sometimes they're right, sometimes they're wrong. I've learned to ignore criticism at my peril. I've also learned that sometimes I have to ignore criticism and trust my gut. I am aware that these lessons are mutually exclusive. The system is not designed for ease of use, alas.

Shawn Speake

I love coverage because I want to be good at taking notes and good in a room. If I was you, I'd get coverage from 2 other sources and compare notes. That's how you find out what you really have. One coverage doesn't do it.

Lisa Scott

This is why I say get as much FREE feedback, notes, comments, and suggestions from seasoned screenwriters BEFORE you pay for coverage. Coverage doesn't really do anything more than give you a score that nobody cares about, but you. The industry doesn't recognized most paid coverage services because they want to evaluate a project themselves. They don't care about one person's opinion (like you said) unless it's one of theirs.

Gordon Milburn

Was grizzling about the quality of coverage to a seasoned writer, he said a lot is just sausage factories generating money. I don't generally mind it because, if they didn't get it, I didn't write it well enough. Having said that the last feedback, from a competition did himself no favours in the credibility department when he totally misread 3 characters.

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