Like everyone in Hollywood, contest judges are looking for engaging stories, vividly drawn characters, scintillating dialogue and page-turning suspense. Very often, judges will form initial impressions of your script based on how well you’ve described it before they even look at its first page, so it’s important to take the time to polish not only your script, but your logline and synopsis as well. Make them as clear, as sharp and enticing as possible and you’ll see better results. We also can’t stress enough the importance of working with screenwriting pros (not readers) when it comes to “professional” feedback. That’s why we’ve assembled actual working writers and showrunners to help you achieve your screenwriting goals.
Your ability to answer the question “What’s it about?” in a way that is concise, compelling and evocative will factor significantly into your future as a professional screenwriter. Why settle on a mediocre response, when you can work with an accredited, working screenwriter – Chris Erric Maddox ("A Million Little Things," "Dynasty," "Monarch") – one-on-one via Zoom, to help you craft a killer logline for your project!?
Before you start writing your screenplay, you need to lay a solid foundation. Frank Baldwin ("Your Honor," "Cold Pursuit," "Big George Foreman") will assess your screenplay outline for story, hero and world then work with you, one-on- one, via Zoom to ensure you are on the right track to writing a professional- level script.
The first ten pages of your screenplay are crucial. They set the stage, introduce your characters, and determine whether your reader reads on or tosses your script in the reject pile. With over 25 years experience, Pam Falk ("The Wedding Planner") will provide a detailed analysis of your opening pages for solid story structure, charismatic characters, and help you transform your work (via Zoom) into a can’t- put-down page-turner that will move your screenplay up the ladder instead of off. Includes one-hour Zoom session.
An old truth of screenwriting holds that a problem in the third act is usually a problem in the first. Frank Baldwin ("Your Honor," "Cold Pursuit," "Big George Foreman") will read the first act of your screenplay (30 pages), and then go through it with you, scene by scene, in a 60-minute Zoom session. How well are you hooking the audience? How compelling is the world of the story? Are we living and dying with the moves of your hero? Frank will tell you what’s working and suggest fixes for what isn’t.
Before entering a competition or submitting to a Hollywood buyer or rep, you need to make sure you’re not giving them a reason to say “Pass.” Our expert script analysis* lends solid support to your rewrite by focusing on such necessities as a strong, marketable premise, a solid story structure, original and fully rounded characters, crisp dialogue and proper pacing. Quite simply, the best service of its type anywhere. Just ask our satisfied customers! *Includes 30-minute Zoom.