Coverage is a quick-glance report written by professional story analysts (also known as “readers”) and used by producers, directors, agents, managers, executives, and pretty much everyone else in the entertainment industry. The purpose of a coverage report is to provide busy decision-makers with a general overview of a submission (screenplay, book, manuscript, play, pilot, blog, and everything in-between) so they can make an informed decision whether or not to pursue the material.

Most coverage reports include an overview, a small graph covering the basics (character, dialogue, theme, storyline, etc.), a synopsis of the story, comments section, and the overall rating.

How is a screenplay rated in a coverage report?

There are three basic ratings any literary material can receive from story analysts: Pass, Consider, & Recommend. The most common rating dished from a story analyst is a “pass.” There’s a good reason for this: most of the material submitted in Hollywood isn’t good enough to spend millions of dollars developing, producing, and distributing around the world. The “recommend” rating pretty much never happens. When reading for a powerful Hollywood player, story analysts have a tremendous amount of pressure on their shoulders to not mess up and recommend material unfit for their boss. If they recommend a screenplay to their boss and their boss thinks it’s horrible, they’ll most likely be fired. What it comes down to is this: it’s safer to pass on material than it is to recommend it. Story analysts reserve the “recommend” rating for that one project they’ll read in their lifetime that they feel every studio and producer in Hollywood will scramble to get their hands on. It’s serious business. The final rating is what you’re looking for; it’s called a “consider” and it’s the rating promising screenplays receive from story analysts. Players in Hollywood will usually organize their submissions into two piles, “passes” and “considers;” they’ll read the considers over the weekend and trash the “passes.”

Where does coverage come from?

They’re called story analysts. They’re usually educated professionals with years of experience reading material of all forms, including screenplays, treatments, television pilots, manuscripts, novels, short stories, and everything else with the slightest potential. They specialize in identifying potential on the page, spotting great story, and relaying their analysis, covering everything from character, dialogue, theme, storyline, production value, subtext, overall writing, and everything else involved with writing, in just a few pages. They’re hired based on their experience and ability to look at all genres and types of projects with their personal opinions and biases aside.

Why is script coverage needed?

Everyone knows time is money … but in Hollywood, time means millions. It usually takes one to three hours to read a screenplay; because producers, studio execs, and agents don’t have that kind of time to read during the week, they hire what’s called a story analyst to “cover” screenplay submissions. Coverage allows an executive to get the overall picture of the screenplay and make a decision.

What types of decisions are made based on script coverage?

Considering everyone in Hollywood uses coverage, including executives in the story department, agents, producers, directors, actors, and more, you can imagine what kind of decisions are being made. From a writer’s perspective, agents will be deciding whether or not to represent you, producers will be deciding whether or not to pursue the project into development, directors will be deciding whether or not they’d like to be attached to the project, and so on. Overall, the coverage relays the gist of the project, which varies depending on each individual decision maker.

So what are Hollywood players looking for in script coverage?

They’re looking for what ever interests them. As mentioned, actors look for strong story and strong character-work, agents look for strong writing ability and potential for growth, producers look for marketability, production value, character, and great story, directors look for visual opportunity, great story, character-work, theme, and everything in-between, studio execs look for marketability, and so on. These are just a few examples, but what it really comes down to is that everyone looks for something different.

How do I submit my screenplay to Hollywood?

Welcome to catch-22 number one. You can’t submit your work to major production companies, producers, talent, or studios unless an agent, manager, or entertainment attorney represents you, and you usually can’t get one of those unless you’re already represented. Best bet, network your seat off, submit your work to the major screenplay competitions, and contact the list of agents and managers currently accepting unsolicited materials found on the WGA websites (wgaw.org |wgae.org).

How can I earn a “consider” rating from a story analyst?

Write a good story. Keep your reader in mind. Readers look for solid writing (that means being as concise as possible at all times), entertaining stories (that means telling a story that everyone will be interested in), and fresh points of view (that means bringing something new to the table, such as a point of view, style, and theme).

Not sure if your story is something a lot of people will care about? Read about this list of Screenwriting Tips – 5 Reasons Why Not to Write What You Know.

How can a screenwriter benefit from hiring a story analyst?

If you value second opinions and wish to gain the insight of a professional with experience providing coverage for Hollywood players, then coverage is something you should consider. Not only does a story analyst cover all the fundamentals, including character, dialogue, storyline, theme, and much, much more, but you’re also hearing what a working story analyst thinks of your work. In other words, you can see what they would tell a producer or agent about your work. In addition, story analysts providing coverage service directly to writers usually offer a writer-friendly version designed to assist the writer in moving toward the right direction.

I’m considering hiring a coverage provider, what should I look for?

Experience.

Be careful not to fall for those promising to forward your work to their entire network of Hollywood insiders — chances are, they probably aren’t as connected as they’d like you to believe.

Make sure the script coverage provider is honest, reputable, and up to par with today’s standards — you can usually tell by their website. Make sure your coverage provider is passionate about storytelling and screenwriting. Are they blogging or contributing helpful articles to the community? Do they provide a newsletter? If so, how would you rate their writing?

Overall, use your best judgment. Read what their clients said about them, read their screenwriting articles online, and most importantly, contact them for more information. Ask them how long they’ve been reading, if they have a current resume available, and get to know them as a fellow audience member. Are they passionate about movies or not? If they’re rates are too high for your budget, ask if they’re willing to work with you in securing a discounted rate or if they have any specials at the moment.

Most importantly, what do they have to offer that other sources of coverage don’t? Many consultants will specialize in mythology, theatre, psychology, or even offer unique product all-together.

If you feel you’ll grow as a writer, learn, and benefit from hiring a specific company or story analyst, who seems professional, constructive, and active, consider them your first choice.

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