Once again, we return to our analysis of the “ICM Story Department — Coverage Packet”. The scintillating saga continues with the next section entitled “General Coverage Information”:

TITLE & AUTHOR: Rely on the title page of the script for correct spelling.

If the writer is a client your comments need to focus primarily on the positive aspects of the script. The box scores should not be x’d below good in regard to the story. Please be especially diplomatic when writing coverage on a client’s piece. The emphasis should be on selling the project.

AGENT: Always write first and last names of the agent and be sure the spelling is correct. If it’s hard to read, or you are unsure of the agent’s name, please call us.

PURPOSE OF SUBMISSION: write the name of the client or the purpose given on the request form (i.e., packaging, casting, open directing, etc.).

TALENT: You are reading the script with this particular actor in mind. When writing your comments, talk about the role, not the actor. The word career is prohibited and must not appear anywhere in your comments. An appropriate way to address a bad script for an actor would be to say “this would not be a good vehicle for x” or “the role is not challenging enough for x” or “the role is underdeveloped and therefore should be overlooked by x.” Never say anything about prior career choices or presume to make a career choice for the actor. Please do not mention the name of the specific actor/actress or director until the last line of the coverage (as in the examples used above).

DIRECTOR: The script is to be read with the particular director in mind and paying attention to that client’s forte or genre. Point out the needs of the script for adaptation to the screen, i.e., what kind of director is needed. There is always the chance that the director will not like the script, but another one will. Be objective yet specific so we understand the tone of the project and can compile a list of possible directors.

OPEN DIRECTING: This is a job for a client: the studio is actively looking for a director. The above comments apply here. Be as cinematic as possible.

PACKAGING: We are looking at this script as a potential ICM package, meaning we can bring at least two clients to the project. Therefore, comment on the script as a whole (the roles, the kind of director needed, its commercial potential and its international appeal).

GENRE, SETTING, LOCALE, ETC.: Please refer to our computer list only, and be as specific as possible. If something is not on our list, point it out to us, we may add it. Copies of these lists are included on the pages immediately following.

SUBMITTED BY: Again, make sure spelling is correct. If it’s illegible, please ask.

RANKING GRID: Please be sure to fill out the ranking grid for the last page of the coverage.

SYNOPSIS & COMMENTS:

Synopsis, comments and grids should continue to be as they are, each on a separate page.

LENGTH OF COVERAGE: For General coverage, the synopsis should be approximately 1 page and the comments should run between 1/2 to 3/4 of a page. For Extended coverage, the synopsis should be 1 1/2 – 2 pages and the comments should run 1 – 1 1/2 pages.

What can we learn from this?

* All script coverage is not alike. Some are General coverage, others require Extended coverage. If a script is going out to talent or directors or it’s a potential package, script coverage needs to be tailored to fit each project.

* One important ramification for a screenwriter is that a script reader will often have a set of priorities as a kind of lens through which they will assess your script. If it’s a script going out to potential directors, they may be paying special attention to the visual nature of your writing. If it’s going out to talent, they may focus their comments on specific roles and how well you have done in creating multidimensional characters.

* Of course, you can’t know any of those specifics going into your scripting process. But you can know that at some point, readers — and talent, directors, etc — will be parsing your script with those particulars in mind. The lesson you should take from this point: You can not slough off in writing any aspect of your script. If you’ve got a great story concept, structure, dialogue, but have not done as good a job with your characters, that will come back to bite you in the ass. Or if you’re great with characters, but the Plotline has some weaknesses, same thing.

* As an analogy, it’s like baseball when they talk about a 5-tool player, someone who can (1) hit for average, (2) hit for power, (3) has speed, (4) good defense (i.e., fielding abilities), and (5) good arm. A 5-tool screenwriter is a writer who can (1) generate a great story concept, (2) craft a solid plot structure, (3) develop compelling, multilayered characters, (4) write distinctive, entertaining dialogue, and (5) weave thematic elements throughout the script. So strive to be a 5-tool screenwriter.

* On another matter, if you haven’t heard of packaging, it’s important to understand. To package a project is to get two or more clients signed to do that movie. Why is this important? An agency makes 10% of what their clients make. If they can put 2, 3, 4, or more clients on one project, that means their revenue on that project rises substantially. Agencies routinely try to put as many of their clients onto the same project.

* When you sign with an agency, here’s some advice: It will behoove you to find out which talent your agency represents. Because if you write a script with parts tailored for 2 or more of the agency’s talent clients, it’s possible that the agency will give your script a ‘better’ read and more attention than another script – just because your script is more likely to result in a strong package.

* Of course, the notion of a ‘better’ read brings us to the very first point raised in this section of the ICM doc:

If the writer is a client your comments need to focus primarily on the positive aspects of the script. The box scores should not be x’d below good in regard to the story. Please be especially diplomatic when writing coverage on a client’s piece. The emphasis should be on selling the project.

This bring to mind that moment in the movie Casablanca where Captain Renault (Claude Rains) storms up to Rick (Humphrey Bogart) in Rick’s nightclub and announces, “I’m shocked, shocked to find there’s gambling going on in here.” Here it’s our turn to blurt out, “I’m shocked, shocked to discover there’s favoritism in script coverage!” But at least they’re upfront about it: Give our writer client’s script at least ‘good’ coverage. After all, an agency’s business is about selling.

* And this brings up another big point: Agents and managers can often be more focused on the deal than the story. On the one hand, that makes sense because they only make money when a script sells. On the other hand, it’s wrongheaded because it puts story second. And taking that step generally puts a project on bad footing from the beginning — and now you know one reason why so many movies suck: Too much focus on the deal, not enough focus on story.

* Then there’s the infamous ranking grid. That’s where the script reader reduces your script to key categories — typically Story Concept, Characterizations, Structure, Dialogue — and to these levels of assessment: Excellent, Good, Fair, Poor. And you thought you left that sort of thing behind in high school years ago!

* Why a ranking grid? Circle back to one of our first posts in this series — about how busy people are in the Hwood. Sometimes… perhaps even oftentimes, these busy people can’t be bothered to read the coverage, let alone the script; they just need the bottom line. Hence, the ranking grid.

* Don’t believe me? Someone I know — let’s call him Alfred — was an intern at 20th Century Fox and worked for a movie exec there. One day, the exec stormed out of his office, waving some script coverage at Alfred. “This is too much to read,” he said. “But it’s just the coverage,” Alfred said. To which the exec replied, “Well, cover the coverage!” In other words, sum up the summary. That’s how frenetic these people are.

* And if the ranking grid isn’t bad enough, there’s this last piece of info in script coverage:

Script: Recommend Consider Pass

Writer: Recommend Consider Pass

A script reader rarely if ever chooses “Recommend.” Why? Because what if they recommend a script that their overlords don’t like? That would call into judgment the reader’s tastes, understanding, abilities, etc. Translated: Most script readers are afraid to give a recommend. So even if a script is awesome, they’re more likely to say Consider. A Consider with great comments is an implied Recommend.

* Notice, too, there is the Writer category. And this goes back to something I’ve said before here and here: Even if a spec script doesn’t sell, it can be an asset. How? If the script reader gives you — the Writer — a Consider or, heaven help us, a Recommend, then an agent might meet with you, just based on the quality of your writing. In turn, they can send the script around as a “writing sample” and you can get meetings with producers and studio execs based on that.

Here ends today’s saga. What did you learn from today’s venture into the belly of The Beast?