How to Write a Screenplay Review

1). Create a review template that will be used for all of the screenplays you evaluate. This will ensure consistency of style and provide you with a checklist to refer to as you read through each new script. To start, open a new document in Microsoft Office Word 2007 and set 1" margins on all sides. Click (Ctrl+E) to center the cursor. Under the "Developer" tab, click "Legacy Tools" in the "controls" box. (If you're not using Word 2007, please refer to Tips below.) Click on "ab" which is a text form field. This will create a gray rectangular box where you can type information pertinent to each script. The first box you have created will be for the title of the script. Do a hard return, type the word "By," followed by one space, and repeat the step above to create a second text form field. This will be for the screenwriter's name. Do another hard return, create a third text form field, followed by one space and the word "Pages."
2). Insert two hard returns and press (Ctrl+L) to align your next entry at the left margin. Type the word "genre" in all caps followed by a colon and hit the tab key three times. Insert a text form field. Do a hard return and type the word "circa" in all caps followed by a colon, three tab strikes and a text form field. Do a hard return and type the word "setting" in all caps followed by a colon, three tab strikes and a text form field. Do a hard return and type the word "budget" in all caps followed by a colon, three tab strikes and a text form field. Do two hard returns and type the word "pass" in all caps followed by two spaces. Go into the legacy tools again but this time click on the icon that has a check box. Tab two spaces over on the same line and type the word "consider" in all caps followed by two spaces. Insert the check box icon. Tab two spaces over on the same line and type the word "recommend" in all caps followed by two spaces and a check box icon.
3). Insert two hard returns. Just as you did with the steps for genre, circa, setting and budget, list the following factors on separate lines followed by text form fields: "originality", "premise", "structure", "characters", "dialogue" and "formatting." These words should be typed in all caps. Insert two hard returns and, at the left margin, type the phrase: This script is evaluated on a scale of "1" equals "poor" and "10" equals "excellent."
4). Insert two hard returns and type the word "logline" in all caps followed by a colon. Insert two returns and type the word "summary" in all caps followed by a colon. Insert two returns and type the word "comments" in all caps followed by a colon. Save this document as a word template on your computer. Each time you do a screenplay review, you'll be opening this template and immediately saving it under the title of the project itself.
5). Enter the name of the screenplay in all caps in the first text form field. Enter the name of the screenwriter in the next form field. Make note of the total number of pages in the script and enter this in the third text box field. Start reading the script. Some consultants prefer to read everything straight through the first time and then go back and base their notes on the second read. Others prefer to make notes and page references as they go. It all depends on how much time you have and how many other scripts are awaiting your attention.
6). Identify the genre of the screenplay and enter it in the text box field. This should be your assessment of where it would go on the shelf at the video store if it were made into a movie. Although screenwriters often try to incorporate multiple genres under one umbrella, you need to choose the one that best fits the content. Identify the circa and setting. If the writer hasn't made this clear, be sure to point out the importance of this in your review. Identify the prospective budget for this film as low, medium, or high. Typically, historical films that require complex sets, lots of characters, numerous costume changes and/or scenes of mass destruction are going to be at the high end; contemporary films that only have a few players and a few sets are going to be low budget.
7). Assign the work a pass, consider or recommend. A script that you pass on is one that doesn't work in its present form and/or is too similar to previously produced works. A script that gets a ranking of consider is one that you believe merits a second opinion, usually a look by the next level of review. If you designate it as a recommend, this means that you enthusiastically endorse the content and believe it would make a good movie.
8). Bookmark websites such as the Internet Movie Database and The Movie Spoiler. These are useful tools when it comes to 1) advising a writer that her script borrows significant elements from films that have already been produced or 2) recommending that she needs to study more films in her chosen genre in order to nail all of the nuances and structural characteristics.
9). Summarize the premise of the script in one brief sentence and enter this in the log line space. In the summary section, compose one to three paragraphs explaining the plot. This will provide someone who hasn't read the full script (an agent or producer) with an overview of what it's about. At the very minimum, your summary should identify the protagonist, antagonist, core conflict, how the conflict is resolved and who this film might appeal to (family, teen boys, chick flick).
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Assess whether the characters are plausible and well drawn or are stereotypes that have already been seen too many times before. Stress the importance of crafting roles that today's actors would want to play (and that could potentially garner them industry recognition). Since half of a movie going audience is likely to be female, pay attention to how the writers (particularly males) define their female players.
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Provide specific examples of strengths and weaknesses as you start to fill out the comments section of the form. Evaluate 1) whether the writer hits the ground running and provides an exciting hook or takes a long time to figure out what's going on; 2) whether there are sufficient obstacles that stand in the way of the hero and his goals; 3) whether the writer has escalated those obstacles at every turn, forcing him to take bigger risks. Read the dialogue out loud to determine if it sounds like a natural conversation or is too stilted to come out of the mouths of live actors. Provide concrete samples along with recommendations on how these things could be improved. Pay attention to vocal variety in the script. Many writers, for instance, give all of their characters exactly the same "voice" regardless of their age, gender, education or social status or become inconsistent in their use of dialects.
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Pay particular attention to whether the writer has adhered to the strict rules of screenplay formatting. Emphasize that the one page equals one minute of screen time rule is predicated on everyone using a Courier 12-point font, 1" margins, and the proper placement of elements such as master scenes, action and dialogue blocks. Make note of the page length of the film. If the writer has followed the formatting rules correctly but has a script that is less than 85 pages, it doesn't qualify as a feature film. In contrast, if it's over 120 pages (two hours), it's likely that he has rambled in his storyline or paid too much attention to the plights of supporting characters. Explain that whomever he has decided is the lead of the story needs to have as much visibility as possible. Point out the instances in which the writer has wandered "off message" and introduced scenes and conversations that have nothing to do with the complication or resolution of the core plot.
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Conclude your analysis with something positive to say about the writer's passion for or knowledge of the subject matter, his characters or the setting he has chosen. A writer is more likely to come back to you with a revision if he believes you have taken a sincere interest in his work, offered constructive advice on what he could be doing better and encouraged him to study the craft of screenwriting.