What is coverage?
Script coverage is a 1-4 page "book report" on a script, detailed perfectly by the several responses above.
But as to WHY script coverage is done? That’s a whole other ripe tomato:
Why screenwriters get script coverage, generally:
To get feedback, and to improve their scripts.
Why agents/managers get script coverage, generally:
To find out if a script is any good, worth reading themselves, or worth packaging for their clients.
Why producers / studios get script coverage, generally:
To find out if a script is any good, worth reading themselves, how much it’ll generally cost to make (based on their own interpretation of the coverage), and/or whether or not they should purchase the script to keep it off the market due to its similarities to a property they’re planning to release.
Coverage is a term used to describe the three-dimensional area to which a base station, or group of base stations, provide a signal. You can see the signal on your mobile handset in the form of bars on the screen. There are different levels of coverage, indicating the strength of a signal in a particular location. If there are no other base stations in an area, the further away you move from a base station, the lower the signal level you will see on your phone. Another element of coverage is quality. This includes things like call congestion.
Coverage is simply a reader’s report. Every script submitted to a feature film studio or agency or production company gets “covered.” Readers are the companies’ first and best line of defense. The reader’s report usually provides a one or two page synopsis of the screenplay, a breakdown of the characters, a page or two of commentary/evaluation, and lastly, a bar graph evaluating your screenplay from Excellent to Poor in the following categories: • Main Characters • Minor Characters • Story • Premise • Visual Elements • Artistically • Commercial Prospects • Title Finally, your screenplay is rated either “Recommend,” “Consider,” or “Pass,” for both the script itself and for the writer. So in theory, if the script isn’t spectacular but the writing is, you may still garner some interest. The agent, manager, or creative executive then scans these reports and determines which scripts are worth his or her time to read. Sometimes, even if you receive terrible coverage, if there’s an element of
Coverage consists of a one-page “grade sheet” evaluating your script on its key components. An additional three to four pages detail the strengths and weaknesses of the script and explain why the reader recommends that the buyer pass or purchase the script. Often the first page of notes is a synopsis of the storyline. In this case, we will use that page for notes about the script since you, the writer, are already familiar with the story. (A synopsis service is available). Buyers (agents, producers, networks and studios) use this coverage to determine whether or not to pursue the material in question. Very often the buyer never sees the script unless the reader says “recommend.
(Copyright 2003) by Kathryn McCullough Click here to view a PDF of sample coverage [This is an edited version of an article that first appeared on www.writing-world.com] Because movie executives receive hundreds of scripts each week, it is not possible for them to read every submission. Instead they rely on a pool of story analysts who write up coverage reports to indicate whether the script is worth being read at the next level. Many agencies and screenwriting contests also rely on readers. An understanding of what coverage is and how it is used can be immensely helpful for writers. The first page of any coverage report contains general submission information, as well as key story elements such as time period, setting and genre. However, one of the first things an executive looks at on the cover page is the logline, which is a one-sentence summary of the script. Executives are not just looking for originality here. They are looking for dramatic conflict and an active protagonist. For
