Best Script Coverage to Generate Queries?

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  • Best Script Coverage to Generate Queries?

    Hey. I was wondering what script coverage services are most respected by agents/managers/productions companies? Basically, if I was lucky enough to get a consider or recommend and put it in my equery, a consider from what coverage services would generate the most responses?

    -Thanks
    Struggling with your script? Get Honest Script Notes from a Produced Screenwriter who knows how hard it is to break into the business.

    Email [email protected] for more details.

  • #2
    Re: Best Script Coverage to Generate Queries?

    Agency Coverage.
    2011 Screenwriting Goal: 15 pages a day.

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    • #3
      Re: Best Script Coverage to Generate Queries?

      +1

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      • #4
        Re: Best Script Coverage to Generate Queries?

        So really, the answer is coverage you don't pay for. If you're paying someone for notes (and really, you should only ever pay someone for notes, because paying for coverage is like paying someone to tell you if your car is broken without telling you what's broken and how to fix it), they're for you to improve your script. No one believes coverage from somewhere else.

        Things that'll stand out in an equery: a great logline, maybe a reputable contest win, and a personal introduction from someone the other person knows.

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        • #5
          Re: Best Script Coverage to Generate Queries?

          I shouldn't have used the word coverage. I meant to include script analysis/ note services as well. For once, I actually have a great concept/logline, but before I start querying i was looking for a good script service to use. A possible consider from a respected script service plus good notes to make the script better could help generate a lot more responses.
          Struggling with your script? Get Honest Script Notes from a Produced Screenwriter who knows how hard it is to break into the business.

          Email [email protected] for more details.

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          • #6
            Re: Best Script Coverage to Generate Queries?

            Originally posted by humand View Post
            I shouldn't have used the word coverage. I meant to include script analysis/ note services as well. For once, I actually have a great concept/logline, but before I start querying i was looking for a good script service to use. A possible consider from a respected script service plus good notes to make the script better could help generate a lot more responses.
            Uhhhh... if you get good notes from somewhere, why wouldn't you just address them and send out a better script?

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            • #7
              Re: Best Script Coverage to Generate Queries?

              Never hire a notes service hoping they'll recommend your work. Hire them because you want their notes.
              Chicks Who Script podcast

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              • #8
                Re: Best Script Coverage to Generate Queries?

                I'm going to repeat myself, just more clearly:

                Notes which you pay for yourself are for your own consumption and help you to develop the script. Companies don't care if this service or that reader liked your script -- they'll get it covered by their own person. "Bob at ScriptShark gave my script a recommend!" won't help.

                See my post above for what will help.

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                • #9
                  Re: Best Script Coverage to Generate Queries?

                  Originally posted by jcgary View Post
                  I'm going to repeat myself, just more clearly:

                  Notes which you pay for yourself are for your own consumption and help you to develop the script. Companies don't care if this service or that reader liked your script -- they'll get it covered by their own person. "Bob at ScriptShark gave my script a recommend!" won't help.

                  See my post above for what will help.
                  So assuming both queries where exactly same, a query which included a recommend from Script Shark would generate the same amount of responses from one that didn't?
                  Struggling with your script? Get Honest Script Notes from a Produced Screenwriter who knows how hard it is to break into the business.

                  Email [email protected] for more details.

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                  • #10
                    Re: Best Script Coverage to Generate Queries?

                    Yes.

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                    • #11
                      Re: Best Script Coverage to Generate Queries?

                      Originally posted by humand View Post
                      So assuming both queries where exactly same, a query which included a recommend from Script Shark would generate the same amount of responses from one that didn't?
                      I'm curious why you think the "industry" places some kind of value on a paid service that included coverage?

                      I think your logic is misplaced because you're assuming that all things being equal, having a recommend from Scriptshark is a plus.

                      In reality, that's most likely not the case.
                      The best way out is always through. - Robert Frost

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                      • #12
                        Re: Best Script Coverage to Generate Queries?

                        Originally posted by zenplato View Post
                        I'm curious why you think the "industry" places some kind of value on a paid service that included coverage?

                        I think your logic is misplaced because you're assuming that all things being equal, having a recommend from Scriptshark is a plus.

                        In reality, that's most likely not the case.
                        I'm assuming most scripts suck. So most queries people send out are for bad scripts. A recommend from a good script service might validate that the script is good and worth checking out. But I could be wrong.

                        I'm curious what agents think of script services. I know when I placed well in a contest and put it in my query I was getting more read responses than usually. I thought getting a recommend from a good script service would help in a similar way, in addition to getting quality notes to make the script better.
                        Struggling with your script? Get Honest Script Notes from a Produced Screenwriter who knows how hard it is to break into the business.

                        Email [email protected] for more details.

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                        • #13
                          Re: Best Script Coverage to Generate Queries?

                          Originally posted by humand View Post
                          Hey. I was wondering what script coverage services are most respected by agents/managers/productions companies? Basically, if I was lucky enough to get a consider or recommend and put it in my equery, a consider from what coverage services would generate the most responses?
                          The short answer is "none of them."

                          The most-trusted coverage is the coverage written by someone who the exec knows, personally, and has a sense of their taste (and vice-versa.)

                          Even if you were talking about CAA's coverage (probably the "biggest name" coverage out there) doesn't really have a lot of meaning outside CAA, because good coverage from CAA's coverage dept doesn't mean CAA is pushing your script.

                          The producers and execs I know like to know their coverage people, because tastes vary so widely. I know one producer who has her coverage done by specific other people on her staff, because she knows their individual tastes.

                          Stuff like scriptshark or scriptpimp - I do know someone who got rep out of one of those companies, but it was almost a decade ago - gets people rep because of the personal relationship between the guy running the company and various agents. The problem with that, of course, is that those personal relationships don't last. When you get a call from your former assistant and he says "You've got to read this thing I just read" you read it.

                          When it's somebody you worked with five years ago, it means a lot less. When it's a business relationship where the guy's got a vested interest in the script, it means even less.

                          When it's coming from you, "Hey, I got great coverage at such-and-such paid coverage company," it means nothing. Less than nothing, actually - I can't help but wonder if it hurts you: "Hi! I'm someone who is so unconnected that I have to pay people to help me get my script in the right hands."

                          The value of paid coverage is primarily to get an unbiased look at exactly how a typical hollywood reader will look at your script. To that end, I see no reason why, if you want coverage, you should ever pay more than you pay for Scott the Reader's $60 script notes. Scott is an honest-to-goodness Hollywood reader who's charging you exactly what he's charging studios. (Full disclosure: Scott and I know each other socially.) You may or may not think that's worth it, but if you're paying for coverage for any other reason, you're throwing money away.

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                          • #14
                            Re: Best Script Coverage to Generate Queries?

                            On the other hand, there's this thread about someone who mentioned his ScriptShark recommend in his query. He explicitly states:

                            This was by far my most successful query campaign of all time.
                            I haven't had a chance to do any kind of serious comparisons between queries that mention good coverage versus other queries, so my personal experience is mixed. And, as a good scientist, Gary Milin's example doesn't give us a nice side-by-side comparison of querying the same places with the same logline with and without the ScriptShark recommend mention -- so it's not a perfect test.

                            However, it is better than armchair philosophizing.

                            How many people saying that mentioning good coverage has zero impact (or negative impact) have actually done any tests?
                            Steven Palmer Peterson

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                            • #15
                              Re: Best Script Coverage to Generate Queries?

                              It's not armchair philosophizing when people from the industry tell you it doesn't mean sh1t.

                              You don't need a test because it's not objective.

                              Next question?
                              The best way out is always through. - Robert Frost

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