January’s Buzz:

WHAT IS COVERAGE?
(Copyright 2003)

by
Kathryn McCullough

Click here to view a PDF of sample coverage

[This is an edited version of an article that first appeared on www.writing-world.com]

Because movie executives receive hundreds of scripts each week, it is not possible for them to read every submission. Instead they rely on a pool of story analysts who write up coverage reports to indicate whether the script is worth being read at the next level. Many agencies and screenwriting contests also rely on readers. An understanding of what coverage is and how it is used can be immensely helpful for writers.

The first page of any coverage report contains general submission information, as well as key story elements such as time period, setting and genre. However, one of the first things an executive looks at on the cover page is the logline, which is a one-sentence summary of the script. Executives are not just looking for originality here. They are looking for dramatic conflict and an active protagonist. For instance, the logline of TOOTSIE would be: “An unemployed actor poses as a woman in order to land a role on a soap opera, and he gains insight into the female psyche as a result.” In one sentence, we know who the character is, what his arc will be, and what the main story thread is.

By the end of your first draft, you should be able to similarly sum up your plot. If you are having trouble doing so, it is probably because you have not yet figured out the central tension of your story. Before you move on to the next draft of your script, ask yourself: Who is the main character? What does he or she want? What are the obstacles to this goal? The clearer you can be in answering these questions, the stronger not only your logline will be, but your screenplay as well.

Under the logline is a grid rating the different elements of a script. The major components are: premise, characterization, plotline and dialogue. They are rated as poor, fair, good or excellent. It is not the premise that carries the most weight here. While it is important that your logline be precise and coherent, it does not have to be what is known as “high concept.” A mediocre script with an inventive premise is much less likely to be recommended by a reader than a fair premise that has been expertly executed.

Finally, the first page includes a recommendation line, where the reader gives a script a “recommend,” “consider” or “pass.” A script with some merit may still receive a “pass,” because readers are expected to consider or recommend only those scripts that truly excel and are appropriate for the company. This is why many coverage reports include a separate recommendation line for the writing. Therefore, even if your script receives a pass, the reader may recommend you as a writer, which can lead to a meeting and possibly to writing assignments.

After the cover page is a synopsis of the screenplay, usually one to two pages long. Readers do their best to get across the tone and flavor of the script within this shortened form. However, it helps if the screenplay has a tight plot that develops logically, subplots that are woven in smoothly, and characters who change and grow credibly throughout the script.

It can be useful for you to attempt a synopsis yourself. If there are awkward transitions, you might be missing some key dramatic beats in your plot. If you can drop major events or subplots without changing the overall story, your structure probably needs strengthening. Writing the synopsis makes it easier to pinpoint these types of problems because you are boiling your story down to its essence.

The final page of a coverage report consists of comments. Here a reader analyzes what works and what doesn’t work in the screenplay. As with the rating grid on the first page of the report, the elements a reader is likely to focus on in the comments are the characterization and the plot. Characters who are compelling, original and active tend to be praised. These are characters whom an audience will root for and care about, but just as importantly, they are roles that will draw actors. Plots that are inventive, suspenseful and entertaining will intrigue audiences, and will also appeal to top directors. (Some coverage reports also include a comments line on the cover page summarizing the script’s strengths and weaknesses.)

Before you send your screenplay anywhere, first judge it as if you were the reader. Write up a coverage report for it. Be ruthless and honest with yourself. If there are any parts of your script that you feel fall short, work on those until you believe they could be rated as “excellent.” This will make it much more likely that your screenplay will receive the “recommend” all writers crave.

Click here to view a PDF of sample coverage