SCREENPLAY CONSULTING

Feature Screenplays

These services are designed to supply you with enough ideas and criticism to proceed with your rewrite or polish. Building on her experience as a writer and teacher, Linda addresses all aspects of screenwriting, from story and concept to dialogue and scene construction, to give you an honest analysis of your project in its current state, as well as to provide you with suggestions for solutions to the problems present in the work.

Basic Coverage

$300

This is studio type coverage, without a synopsis but with emphasis on the critique. It includes:

a minimum of 3 to 5 pages of critique
notations in script
a 1 hour phone or face-to-face meeting
formatting corrections in the script

Basic coverage identifies the strengths and weaknesses of the script, examined in terms of story, characterization, plotting, theme, scenes, as well, concept and marketability.

A writer can choose this and receive enough feedback to get to work and feel satisfied.

If a screenplay is over 130 pages, the cost increases by $15 for every 10 pages.

PAYMENT FOR BASIC COVERAGE: Full payment must be received in cash or by cashier's check with submission.

Turnaround Time: 2 weeks

Development Notes

$900

Development notes are more detailed. Linda re-reads the script and evaluates its strengths, weaknesses and marketability. She analyses structure, conflict, characters, plot development, momentum, etc., and identifies the important relationships providing the story with its dramatic unity.

She offers recommendations to solve these problems, always keeping in mind the author's intent.

Development Notes include:

The overview
Discussion of the themes, conflict, characters and their relationships
The structure
Plot development
Scene evaluations
Dialogue evaluation
Style and formatting issues
Page notes
Suggestions
2 phone or face-to-face meetings on the work

Turnaround Time: 2 - 3 weeks

Linda suggests writers start with basic coverage, then move according to the demands of the script. For many, the basic package works to get them started on a rewrite.

Screenplays over 130 pages

The cost increases by $25 for every 10 pages.

PAYMENT FOR DEVELOPMENT NOTES: Half of the fee is owed with the submission of the script, the balance due on completion.

Turnaround Time: 2 to 3 weeks

Linda will read rewrites for $225.

Short Screenplays

Linda reads and evaluates short scripts. She applies the same standards to shorts as she does to features, and she brings her experience and understanding of this particular film form based on years of working with writers and directors actually making shorts.

Short Script Analysis

Starting at $55

Shorts are not feature films shrunk to smaller size. They have importan considerations the writer must take into account to be successful. Linda understands these well.

A Short Screenplay Analysis includes:

The overview
A breakdown of the story
Structural evaluation
Analysis of the characters and the conflict
Discussion of the themes
Scene and dialogue evaluations
Notes in the screenplay
Formatting issues
An examination of the written style of the screenplay

Cost:

Under 15 pages: $55
Between 15 and 30 pages: $110
Over 30 pages: Cost increases by $5 for every 5 pages
Over 50 pages: $150
Under 5 pages: Free -- but turnaround time is at my convenience

Payment for short script analysis: Full payment must be received in cash or by cashier's check with submission.

To reserve your spot, contact Linda at CONTACT and get any other information you need.

Festivals Students Have won

Click here to see festivals Linda's students have won.

SCREENPLAY REQUIREMENTS

Whether your script is a feature or a short, it must be typed in the correct format. This means:

The type font is set at Courier 12 (this includes courier new 12 or Final Draft Courier New 12)

Margins

Top - 1"
Bottom - 0.5" - 0.75"
Left Side - 1.25" - 1.5"
Right Side - 1"

No center justified Characters' Names or Dialogue margins.

Please don't cheat these measurements with your screenwriting software. It is obvious to the trained eye and your script will be sent back.