Frequently Asked Questions (and Their Answers!)
My job will be to objectively study your latest draft in terms of its narrative effectiveness. That is, its plot through-line, character objectives, and story logic. I’ll analyze the effectiveness of character development and of the structuring of each important plot element.
What you’ll get back depends on what you want. One option is basic coverage — sometimes described as the “book report” version of your script — in which I basically tell you about my experience of reading the script, what made sense to me and what didn’t, characters that I connected with or failed to connect with, and so on.
Another option is the full evaluation aka the complete consultation. This is a much more in-depth examination of your script, sometimes resulting in a literal line-by-line analysis. The complete consultation includes suggestions about how problems may be corrected and reinforcement of the script’s greatest strengths. In addition to this written evaluation, the complete consultation includes one-on-one meetings in which details of the analysis can be discussed in real time.
Please note that this is not a revision of your script or an attempt to remake it according to my own tastes. Unless you want me to rework your script in some way, in which case I would be your script doctor in addition to script consultant.
2. What can you do for me as a script doctor?
As a script doctor, my job will be to first carry out the full evaluation described above, and when we have agreed on the aspects of the script that should be revised, to make those revisions. The result will, in most cases, be an entirely new script draft which reflects your strongest original ideas, characters, and essential scenes — and has your name on it because it is still, in its essence, your script.
3. Why should I hire you as a consultant or a script doctor?
I have been successfully offering analysis of people’s scripts for more than twenty years. I have done every kind of work with my clients from offering simple coverage of a short-film script to extensive rewrites of full-length features projects. I have counseled the creators of webseries and guided them through the process of creating their “series bible” and writing the series pilot.
My consultancy and doctoring over the last twenty years has been almost exclusively with individuals aspiring to produce a specific work of their own, or for small production companies that are committed to a specific work and want to ensure the script is the strongest it can be. So if you are one of those individuals, or represent a small production company, my experience, training, and insights will suit your needs perfectly. If you are connected to a large production company embarking on a multi-million-dollar film, I will recommend script consultants who are more experienced with big-studio projects.
4. How much will this cost?
Consultant fees naturally vary depending on the scale of the project and on the resources of the client, but here are the bases from which to negotiate. The standards are based on the WGA Schedule of Minimums.
- Simple coverage of a short film script begins at $200
- Simple coverage of a feature film script begins at $500
- Full consultation on short film script begins at $1000
- Full consultation on a feature film script begins at $2000
- Revision of short film script begins at $2500 per draft
- Revision of feature film script begins at $5000 per draft
5. What should I do first?
Proofread! Make sure this is your very best work. There’s no point in your paying me to point out errors or inconsistencies that you could have found yourself.
Then register that script draft with the Writers Guild of America (https://www.wgawregistry.org) for your own protection. As an ethical and moral person, I will never steal ideas from you; I just want you to make sure you have as much protection of your intellectual property as you can before the script leaves your hands. It takes longer to obtain a copyright (https://copyright-application-online.com) but I strongly recommend that as well: if somebody violates your registration with the WGA, they’ll be in trouble with the WGA … if somebody violates your copyright, they’re in trouble with the US federal government.
6. What do I do after that?
Sign a contract with me, send me your work, and then wait for my coverage or evaluation. And, of course, for my friendly invoice.
Then read the coverage with the understanding that this is a correspondence between professionals and is intended to be a tool for guiding the progress of the work toward its greatest artistic success and best chances for distribution. Criticism of the work is not criticism of the author. The goal here is to help channel the passion you have for the concept that was born in your personal mind and heart and bring that forth to the world as a document which will capture the imagination and enthusiasm of everyone who reads it.
7. What if I have more questions?
You send them to me at Lee@shacklefordfreelance.com!
