When it comes to certain AI service programs like Final Draft or ScriptReader.ai? I have my reservations, as some reviews show that they just give generic results. Im new to this whole thing, but I can understand the need to have someone read your work. The best option I got is my mom reading it and then telling me how good it is before she puts it on the fridge. Granted, it makes me feel good, but I may need other options lol.
Screenwriting : Opinion on AI Services by Jonny Morningstar
Other topics in Screenwriting:
Check out Trending Discussions
Register / Log In
1 person likes this
Jonny Morningstar , have you thought about entering a Stage 32 contest? You can get excellent reader coverage as an option when you enter. I see you write fantasy & comedy…there’s a SciFi/ Fantasy contest coming up and the early deadline is approaching (cheaper submission rate). email contestsstage32.com if you need help with the submission.
2 people like this
I may have to check on that. Thank you
2 people like this
AI coverage is very surface level and leans towards making something average (given how it learns). I’d agree with the comments here about competitions and script coverage services here, especially since you can pick the industry executive you want to hear back from.
You always need input. Everybody does. Always.
1 person likes this
Final Draft is a screenwriting program that formats your script only. I have used it for about 16 years it is one of the best.
2 people like this
Feedback is an opinion at best.
If you want to hone your craft, you need to study it, usually via books or whatever works best for you. You then develop your voice and find conviction in your work.
1 person likes this
I think AI can be useful as a first-pass tool, but I wouldn't rely on it for creative judgment. It's a bit like using financial software, it can highlight patterns, but the important decisions still require human experience and context.
1 person likes this
Jonny, I build AI systems for a living, so here is the honest version. A language model does not read your script, it predicts the most average note a reader would give, because average is what it was trained to reproduce. That is why the coverage feels generic. It is not broken, it is doing exactly what it was built to do, which is regress toward the middle. The useful move is to treat it as a checker for the mechanical things, formatting, obvious repetition, a scene that runs long, and to keep every judgment about voice and risk with a human who has taste. Your mom on the fridge is closer to real signal than you think, because she is reacting, not averaging. What are you hoping the feedback tells you, craft mechanics or whether the story actually lands?
i have received a few AI generated analyses of the screenplay which is uploaded as part of my profile. Useless. Useful feedback is when somebody tells you what you must change in your script. So when I read scripts written by others I may comment something like this : "Your dialogue doesn't work because you should have at most 3 short lines before the next person speaks." "My gut feeling is that the transition to Act 2 doesn' occur until page 44, which is far to late."
To this predicament I would like to bring up the age-old adage (well, as old AI can be, i guess) that AI is ultimately just a tool; the tool is only as good as the one wielding it. Prompting and understanding how the model processes is one step towards having AI analyze better. That being said, however, generative artificial intelligence will consecutively fail at producing anything authentic -- have it be even an opinion. Best to take feedback from trusted peers (if you're insecure about parts of the project, which of course all of us can be from time to time) or professionals. Hope my take helped shed some light on the matter!