Screenplay Coverage for YOU... Actual studio or agency coverage of your screenplay is not intended for the screenwriter. If your work is rejected, you will never see the notes; you’ll never know why your script was turned away. Worse, your screenplay may not get another chance once it has received poor coverage.

A coverage-evaluation and story notes from an experienced story editor - a.k.a. script reader or story analyst - is the best way to prepare for a professional screenplay submission. You get frank, objective notes and a sense of how your screenplay is reading before the submission counts.

After years of working in the Hollywood studio system and reading thousands of screenplays, I founded RP Story Consulting as a way for screenwriters working outside that system to get affordable coverage, notes and formatting expertise at the same high level as professional writers. I am a working screenwriter myself; I've been through the meat grinder of assignments with revision notes coming from all sides. Expect a deft touch with constructive criticism.

Please contact me if you have any questions and/or read some of the FAQs below to learn more about how it all works.

★ 15 years experience as a professional story analyst and story editor working in Hollywood.

★ Screen-credited writer and story editor.

★ Working screenwriter with literary representation and professional assignments completed.

★ Has evaluated over 2000 screenplays for studios, producers, writers and film distributors, including Polygram Films, New Regency, DEF Pictures & Pacifica International with scripts for Lionsgate, Warner, Focus, Miramax and others.

★ Has worked directly with successful, reputable producers like Gerd Koechlin, Christine Iso, Michael Edelstein, Karen Danaher-Dorr, Chuck Fries, George Belshaw and others.

★ University screenwriting professor.

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BEFORE SUBMITTING WORK BE SURE TO READ THE SUBMISSION RELEASE

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What is a Coverage?

Hollywood executives and agents are often too busy with other aspects of their schedule to read and evaluate each and every script that's submitted to them. So they hand the job of filtering the good from the bad to a reader with orders that only the best scripts get passed up the ladder. MORE...

What does a Coverage Report look like?

Coverages reports come in all manner of formats. Really they're just a simple report divided into certain categories and sections of information. The order and importance of those varying elements are up to the production entity needing the report. MORE...

What does a Story Editor do?

The title of story editor has many definitions depending on the venue in which it's used. In the world of episodic television, a story editor functions as a manager, compiling notes and revisions from writers working on an active script or from a team of writers working on several scripts. In the world of feature film development, a story editor might manage script submissions and a team of readers, sending work out for coverage and notes. Or they may work with a screenwriter, delivering notes from various creatives and managing the revision process. As a creative position, a story editor might act as a sort of ghost writer, suggesting or even executing changes to a screenplay at the behest of the writer, director, producer or other creatives involved. The changes are usually by degrees intended to enhance the original execution of the writer's work in the screenplay. MORE...

What is "unsolicited material" and why shouldn't I send it?

Unsolicited material is a term often heard when a writer sends work and it's rejected outright with the warning, "We don't accept unsolicited material." The term simply means material that hasn't been cleared for submission. It's all about professional etiquette. If you want to send your script around, you have to query and receive permission to send it. In many cases, any entity that accepts creative material will request that you sign a release, a.k.a. a standard release.

What is a release / standard release and why should I sign it?

A standard release serves several functions, but mainly its to protect the entity that receives your work against claims that they stole your idea. Agents, directors, actors, producers - anyone that receives screenplays - usually receive a lot of them. There's a good chance that they see the same idea more than once from different writers. If they decide to develop a script from one writer that resembles the idea another writer or writers, they need to be protected. MORE...

Screenwriting Workshop at Baltimore's Creative Alliance - March 24th thru April 7th
Thursday / January / 12 / 2012

Rob will be teaching a series of three screenwriting workshops t the Creative Alliance at the Patterson beginning Saturday afternoons, March 24th and continuing for the next two consecutive Saturdays, on March 31st and April 7th. All workshops held in the CAmm classroom from 1-4 pm.

For more details, visiting the link here.

Screenwriting Workshop at Baltimore's Creative Alliance - November 12th
Wednesday / October / 12 / 2011

Rob will be teaching a screenwriting workshop on screenplay formatting at the Creative Alliance at the Patterson on Saturday, November 12th from 1-4 pm.

For more details, visiting the link here.

Joining Faculty at Howard Community College
Monday / August / 15 / 2011

This Fall, 2011, Rob has been invited to teach Writing For Screen Narrative in the Television, Radio and Film departments at Howard Community College in Columbia, Maryland.

Return to University of Maryland Faculty
Monday / April / 4 / 2011

This Fall, 2011, Rob has been invited to return to the Baltimore metro area and the University of Maryland, Baltimore County campus to teach Writing for the Media Arts, a short film, narrative screenwriting class.

Story Editor on Two Asian-based Films
Monday / April / 4 / 2011

Rob is currently working with notable New Zealand-born director Tristan Strange and on two feature film scripts to be shot in 2011. "The Chronicles of Java 1: Fire & Ice" is a fantasy-adventure, "Hell Be Here" is a horror story set on a remote Indonesian island. Based in Asia and Australia, Tristan Strange is most known for his television commercials for high-end companies such as Honda, Coca-Cola and Sony. More information on the projects later.

Read more about Tristan Strange here.

Thanks to My Fall 2010 Students At UMBC
Tuesday / January / 18 / 2011
I had a wonderful experience teaching a semester of scriptwriting to a class of mostly senior undergrads at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. So, to... Bennett, Brian B, Brian K, Casey, Danette, Eve, Josh, Keith, Lauren, Martin, Max, Meghan, Paul P-Dub William, Rachel, Ryan, Stephen, Thomas and Timothy - thanks for being my first - and a very special first. You taught me at least as much as - hopefully - I taught you.

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