Before a screenplay makes it to the big screen, it goes through many rounds of reviews and revisions to perfect the story. Learning how to review a screenplay effectively is a valuable skill for writers and filmmakers alike.
Providing thoughtful feedback helps screenwriters understand how their script is landing and determines if it’s ready for pitch meetings with studios, directors, and potential investors.
Even producers, actors, or directors who read scripts to find their next projects need to evaluate the core components thoroughly. This allows them to determine if the script has the crucial commercial and creative elements that transition well when filming actual movie or TV show content based on the screenplay.
In this comprehensive guide, we will provide a step-by-step process that teaches you how to review a screenplay like an industry expert.
The Step-By-Step Guide to Reviewing Screenplays Like an Industry Insider
Keywords: screenplay review process, reviewing a film script, how to critique a screenplay
Before Diving In: Criteria for an Effective Script Review
When reviewing someone’s creative work, it’s important to be constructive with your feedback whether you have praise, criticism, or both. Approach your screenplay review using the following core criteria:
- Assess the script using key categories like structure, characters, dialogue, themes, tone and visual translation.
- Be specific and balanced with praise for things that engage you positively as well as areas of improvement.
- Consider cinematic storytelling elements since scripts are written to be adapted to an eventual video-based format.
- Evaluate the screenwriter’s ability to connect story threads from beginning to end in a satisfying arc.
- Look at marketability by comparing similar commercially or critically successful films in the same genre.
Step 1: Read the Screenplay Through Once Without Interruption
The first read-through is about getting caught up in the overall story without stopping to nitpick or over-analyze. Consider these key questions:
- Does the concept draw you in based on the storyline or premise?
- Do you find yourself engaged right from the opening scene?
- Does the script have originality or a unique twist that makes it feel fresh compared to other films?
- Are there any glaring issues around the screenplay format that make it difficult to read from page one?
This big-picture view allows you to assess enjoyment, intrigue, and areas for improvement before diving into the specifics. Take notes on your initial impressions to reference later.
Step 2: Examine the Core Story Structure
The script’s architecture from start to finish forms the foundation when writing a screenplay review. Evaluating structure involves analyzing:
- The flow of key plot points and narrative arcs
- If scenes logically build tension and stakes while moving the story forward
- How the storyline ties up loose ends to reach a satisfying resolution by the final act
Consider creating a sequence outline that maps the key narrative plot points, including:
- Inciting incident
- Key turning points for protagonists
- Crises or setbacks that create rising action
- Climax scenes
- Resolution scenes to wrap up story threads
This outline quickly allows you to assess if the screenwriter formatted acts and story beats in the most effective sequence that will logically translate when filming actual scenes later.
Step 3: Assess Character Development and Dialogue
In-depth lead characters and consistent, believable dialogue are crucial for keeping audiences invested film to the end credits.
When reviewing the characters in a script, examine:
- If the protagonists demonstrate complexity through backstories, motivations, personality quirks, or behaviors that translate as multidimensional on-screen roles?
- Do secondary supporting characters move the story along by showcasing diverse traits based on their function in the story?
- Most importantly, do all key characters show growth or change in beliefs from beginning to end? If not, are characters clearly static with justifications for remaining unchanged?
Next, move on to assessing dialogue using this checklist:
- Does each character sound distinct when speaking based on their biographies?
- Does the conversation flow naturally without sounding positioned or forced?
- Is dialogue used sparingly to push action without lengthy monologues or tangents?
- Does dialogue effectively reinforce emotions or themes without blatantly stating the obvious?
Step 4: Review Visual Storytelling Elements
Since scripts get adapted into a visual medium, a screenplay review requires analyzing how well scenes translate for actresses, filming crew, and eventually the audience watching the final movie.
Consider these visual components:
- Are scene descriptions written vividly so you can clearly envision actions, settings, or props as if watching on-screen?
- Does the screenwriter showcase storytelling creativity through things like interesting camera angles, lighting, and scene transitions?
- Do descriptions include essential details to help the costume team visualize character appearances or inform set designers on key objects that influence the storyline?
- Are there sections with overly dense descriptions that instead belong in a novel or that realistically pose shooting challenges?
Flagging poorly translated visuals or scenes that Communicate critical backstories not organically woven helps the writers strengthen these areas next draft.
Step 5: Analyze Market Potential
Part of assessing an investment-worthy idea means evaluating the script’s likeliness to sell and attract audiences once produced.
Gauge marketability using the following:
- Research the script’s genre category such as comedy, action, drama, etc. Does the concept, characters, and story structure align with conventions that appeal to target demographics?
- Study recent comparable movies that enjoyed commercial success and positive critic reviews. Does the script have similar elements primed for comparable potential?
- If written explicitly as a spec script, is the concept intriguing yet economically realistic for production houses to fund within typical indie film budgets?
While great writing stands alone, reviewers provide immense value in identifying niche selling factors that writers can accentuate pitching the screenplay to producers.
Conclusion & Next Steps
We’ve now explored the essential categories that industry screenplay reviewers analyze including enjoyable yet logical story arcs, dimensional lead characters, seamless dialogue, visually translatable scenes, and indications of market potential.
Conclude your written screenplay review by:
- Summarizing overall strengths versus opportunities using specific examples referenced from your notes
- Offering constructive recommendations on areas to improve ranked by priority level
- Suggesting any next steps such as pitching to specific networks or competitions
By implementing this comprehensive script analysis process, you can provide holistic feedback spanning creative storytelling all the way through market viability factors. Following these guidelines positions promising screenwriters to perfect their trade and hopefully see their stories come to life from script to screen.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you write a review for a screenplay?
For a screenplay you assess the core components: structure of story arc, characterization, believability and distinctiveness of dialogue, visuals, tone, market potential. Review constructive praise against areas needing improvement in each of those categories, and provide specific examples.
How do you evaluate a screenplay?
Evaluate a screenplay against its ability to create a satisfying story, portray in-depth characters realistically, establish the right tone, translate scenes visually to screen, and determine commercial appeal for studios, producers and target audiences.
How do you give feedback to a screenplay?
Give feedback to a screenplay that is balanced between strengths you found compelling and areas needing improvement. Be specific with examples around narrative arc, characters, dialogue, visuals, or market potential. Stick to industry review standards and be constructive.
How do you critique a screenplay?
To critique a screenplay requires commenting on the story flow, character dimensionality, dialogue writing, cinematic visual translation, genre market demand, and story uniqueness balanced with constructive improvement recommendations in each area.
What is the #1 rule when writing a screenplay?
The number one rule of writing a screenplay is to create an engaging story in a cinematic format through entertaining characters, vivid scene descriptions, and seamless dialogue that translates well visually.
How do you write a review example?
To write an effective review example, highlight a literary or film element you appreciated, point to 1-2 improvements needed, then give a specific recommendation based on praise and critique to help the writer strengthen that work.
What is a script review?
A script review is a passage where a critic analyzes and evaluates the writing and stylistic components of a screenplay ranging from dialogue to structure to characters. It highlights strengths against areas to potentially improve on.
How much do they pay for a good screenplay?
For a well-written independent screenplay, a new writer can possibly sell their script in the range of $35,000-$70,000, while an established screenwriter can command six or seven figures for studios with a strong track record and story premise.
What are the 5 basic elements of a screenplay?
The 5 essential elements of a screenplay format are: scenes headers showing locations and times, three-act structure, action descriptions not direction, character names in capitals, and dialogue with proper punctuation and line breaks.
