LINKS:
Profile in Script Magazine 2011
Interview on Script Links 2011
TESTIMONIALS:
ScriptDoctor.com prepared an excellent coverage analyses for my screenplay, and at an affordable price.. They clearly know their stuff. They provided enough general and specific feedback to allow me to advance the script further than I could have done by myself.
~ Jeff Tenney
The Raven’s Prey
Hey Howard,
Ha – I did indeed advance to the finals of Scriptapalooza this year with THE TALOQUAN NETWORK (I missed the contest deadline last year!). I believe they announce the winners in a few days.
Another thing I’m particularly excited about is that I received an invitation to the CineStory Retreat this year. I’m not sure how familiar you are with the contest, but they invite 22 of the top writing submissions each year to a 4-day retreat for one-on-one meetings with agents, managers, producers, etc. The idea is to get some professional mentorship to shape the short/mid-term goals of the writers’ careers. We each submit a portfolio of screenplays, drafts, treatments, concepts. pretty much everything I have in my arsenal. It’s coming up in about a month, so I’ll be excited to let you know how that goes. I would be thrilled to come out of the experience with the shot at obtaining some representation.
And just so you know. I’m STILL grinding away at my next spec, HIDE AND GO CHIC. It’s pretty much a straight “fish out of water” comedy. The goal is to have that done and ready for coverage by the end of September (I’m doing the dialogue pass now), so I’ll be interested in getting your take on it as well.
I appreciate the support Howard! I’d love to hear what you guys are up to.
~ Robert Hestand
Brian Pulido, Director of “The Graves” and comic book creator of “Lady Death” and “Evil Ernie”:
I wanted to give you some feedback on your feedback on my horror script, Cursed . As you may recall, I was looking to revise and complete the script for a round of horror/genre themed screenplay festivals. At the same time you were diagnosing the script, I had five other screenwriters/story editor types reading it. I received all their feedback before I received yours. It was all good thoughtful stuff. When I received your feedback, you essentially suggested a page one re-write. You saw things that the others didn’t. You saw that there wasn’t a “logic” or a “reality” to how the supernatural force operated. You wanted to see more character development. It went on from there. Your diagnosis was broad and to the point, specific and surgically precise. It revealed big, underlying story problems no one else saw. Once I read your diagnosis and digested it, I couldn’t argue with it. The problems became clear as day. I’ve written comic books professionally for twelve years now. I have 240 comics to my credit, have had some of my books chart as high as the #2 book of the month—hell, I even sold a screenplay to RCA/Columbia back in 1990. But wrangling this particular form—the screenplay—has been a challenge. Cursed is my first attempt since 1990. Thank you very much for your insights. I’d recommend your service to anyone who wants some straight, honest feedback. It is a valuable service. I look forward to working with you again in the future.
~ Brian Pulido
Robert Hestand, Writer — “The N Word”
Hi Howard,
I’d been meaning to get back to you about your services regarding my screenplay, THE N WORD, but my schedule got away from me. I just wanted to say that I was extremely thankful for the quality of your service, as well as the quick turnaround, and I won’t hesitant to recommend you (and your company) to friends and colleagues.
I appreciated the fact that you encourage writers to “own” their rewrite, rather than telling the writer what is “right or wrong” with the story. Personally, it allowed me to approach my next pass with a sense of discovery rather than a sense of correction.
Another major consideration I took from your review was a clarification of the sense of comedic tone (specifically, that I should set up the tone of the story more appropriately). I also found helpful the multitude of notes in the margins of the script itself, especially as it pertained to streamlining my formatting. And it goes without saying that the audio recording gave the review a sense of personalization that rarely comes with standard coverage. The overall experience was, in a word, awesome.
My primary goal with this spec is to showcase my talent by (hopefully) placing in several contests and securing representation. I’m in it for the long haul, and I look forward to utilizing your services again (perhaps as early as March 3rd) as a guidepost to keep improving my craft along the way.
~ Robert Hestand
Hi Howard,
Thank you. This is great feedback and much appreciated as it is the first professional read that I’ve received. Your encouraging words give me a boost of confidence, and the weak areas you’ve identified come as no great surprise since they were either things that I have been struggling with or items that I was hoping no one would notice–guess you really can’t let anything slide, huh? Again, the coverage is very helpful. I discovered your service through a friend on Stage 32, an industry networking site.
~ Lesley Kontowicz
Even More Great Testimonials!
Thanks for the diagnosis and medication! I like your style. Your suggestions are very helpful.
This is my first attempt at writing a screenplay and I’m still learning a lot of stuff. I really like and appreciate your positive comments along with the normal criticism. I’ve used two other script services on this so far and, after getting their evaluations, I felt kind of beat down. They tended to focus mostly on the bad stuff and very little, if at all, on the good stuff. I do understand that the purpose is to be critical. But I feel that, at least with me, it’s important to inject some encouragement. So I thank you.
Thanks again!
~ Tommy Stoval
My sincere apologies for not getting to this sooner. Things have been a bit crazy since I received your notes, and I haven’t had time to send an adequate response to you or the expo. Today, I will do both.
I can’t thank you enough for the “Diagnosis and Medication” of my screenplay. Amnesiac has been stuck in rewrite hell for the past year or so, and for the first time, I feel I have the resources to make a final and lasting REVISION without rewriting the entire script. In the past, I’ve had coverage and comments from several reputable sources – even an Oscar Nominated writer – and each time, it has been the same broad, vague suggestions with no real evidence to support each claim.
You not only gave me specific examples of what needed work, you gave realistic, pragmatic suggestions for how to push through each pitfall. I especially enjoyed the audio recording. It was unexpected and surprisingly helpful.
To put it simply, this is hands-down the best feedback I’ve gotten on a script. I had all but given up on Amnesiac, and you helped to open up the floodgates and put me back on track. I will surely recommend your service and likely use it again myself.
All the best,
~ Brian Loschiavo
They take a refreshing look at your script, making sure that you understand what is working and what needs to be fixed. But what really separates the ScriptDoc, is the detail and time they give to your script. Every area of your script will be discussed. Professionally approached with professional experience. It’s absolutely worth every penny. Thanks again.
~ Ben Long
Howard,
I found out about you through Creative Screenwriting Magazine. I thought the evaluation was great. I always get mixed feedback on the scene heading format. I’m really not sure what to do at this point. I liked your thoughts. I think it’s hard to give feedback. I know that everyone is going to have something different to say, and that it would never stop. It’s up to the writer to decide when it’s great. It seemed like you believed in the same thing.
~ Tony Ortiz
My name is Jim Mercurio. I am a filmmaker and writer for Creative Screenwriting magazine. I was one of the script analysts in the Highly Recommended category with you in the last review by Creative Screenwriting. I also run the Screenwriting Expo Screenplay Competition for Erik Bauer. I was writing to you to see if you might consider donating a Script Analysis to one of the winners or finalists of our contest. Obviously, we see it as a gracious gift to us and the writer. Our contest has generated goodwill with thousands of writers.
Here’s a little update…One of my Scripts is in Maverick Films Top 100 in their screenplay contest. Although it is not exactly the same one I sent to you analysis, I pretty much followed your advice to create a top notch narrative! Thanks for your help, if you ever need me to plug you or relate that info anywhere publicly, let me know,
~ Anthony Perticaro
Hi Howard –
Your diagnosis arrived on Saturday. It was exactly what we were looking for! We were hoping you would point out areas that needed improvement – we knew we had hit a wall – and you did exactly that. We’d much rather hear constructive criticism than receive flowers and rainbows.
Right now, we’re working on the bigger strokes based on your suggestions. I’ve also ordered the movie you recommended (I couldn’t find the written script).
Your diagnosis did not get us down; it energized us!
I planned on writing you feedback. Please feel free to use any of this.
Thank you again,
~ Jennifer