Why hire a script consultant?
This is a great question to ask. As you write or develop a project it’s often easy to lose sight of your original intentions and after several drafts you no longer know what’s working and what isn’t. I bring a fresh eye to the piece and can give you useful feedback to see if your script is working in the way that you intend.
Why don’t I just ask my best friend to read my script?
Well you should. Whether a piece works or not is in many ways subjective. So it’s good to get feedback from a few close, trusted friends (hopefully fellow writers). But it can be very useful to use a script consultant because I have skills your best friend doesn’t have. I have years of experience evaluating material and working with writers to solve story problems and improve their scripts. Though I’m always positive and encouraging I’m not afraid to tell you what’s not working and what could be strengthened. And my feedback is constructive. I’m never going to tell you that something isn’t as clear as it needs to be without offering you a workable solution. So by all means, ask your friend to read your script. But get professional feedback too.
Yeah, but my friend is free.
Well that’s true. Though if you’re going to ask your friend to sit down and read 110 pages you might want to buy them a latte or a shot of tequila. But it’s also true that you get what you pay for. I’m not going to read your pages in an hour. I’m going to spend probably 10-20 hours really delving into your piece and closer to 30 or more if I’m going to write notes. And once again I’m going to sit with you to work out the story issues. I’m not going to pass on a bunch of notes and leave you scratching your head in frustration. So yeah, my script analysis costs some dollars. But at the end of the day you’ll end up with a much better, more marketable script. And the money you spent on a consultant will have been well worth it.
What’s the difference between a script consultant and a story editor?
Generally a script consultant will read your script and give you specific feedback as to how successfully it’s working. This may involve an in-person meeting, phone conference or written notes. A story editor does all these things but goes a little deeper. They may help you to break the story and offer solutions but also help develop the story conceptually and structurally and may even edit and/or write scenes.
How do I get my script to you?
E-mail is the fastest: [email protected]
What format does my e-mailed script need to be in?
PDF.
When can I expect to have my session?
Once I receive your script it goes on my schedule. I typically book 2-3 weeks out. Sometimes sooner and occasionally longer if I’m traveling or leading a workshop.
How do I pay you?
Payment is through Paypal, Venmo or Zelle unless we discuss another payment option. Also, please note there are no refunds on prepaid packages or consults.
If you have a question I haven’t answered feel free to e-mail me at [email protected].
All artwork by David Lester http://davidlesterart.blogspot.com/
