A good Script Consultant is a highly researched personal choice.

Choosing a good Script Consultant is truly a personal choice. The right choice can make the difference between a good screenplay and a great one with high marketability. It is up to every screenwriter who seeks a Script Consultant to do their due diligence and find the best one that fits their personal needs.

As you have heard me say before, the movie industry is all about money and passion. So with that combination there are those who will use someone's passion against their better judgment. It has happened to me a few times. Not only in my search for script help but also with a Producer's Rep.

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The lessons I've learned cost me a lot of money. So please be careful! I will give you one example. A few years ago, I heard from a friend in the movie industry about a particular company that had some recent publicized success for screenwriters and producers. Now this friend didn't have any personal experience with the company but wanted to let me know what he had heard.

So I checked their website which was very professional. I did my research and due diligence. After several weeks, I contacted them. I wasn't overly pleased by the phone conversation but my passion for the industry and success was taking hold. I did more research. My passion grew.

Finally, I decided to try their service. Hoping to show a greater understanding, knowledge of the film industry, I not only sent my screenplay, but I also provided a complete movie presentation.

The presentation included a complete production breakdown with a proposed budget summary. I also included a DVD showing several locations and a six minute scene which was shot and acted by local industry professionals.

Included in their fee was a phone conversation with the company president to discuss the script. Generally when a script is reviewed, it comes back with one of three ratings; pass, consider or recommend. Now I realize some companies use different terms but they usually have the same meanings.

I called and spoke with the president of the company. The president only had great things to say about my screenplay. The entire company loved the story and my writing. My screenplay had received a "recommend." Needless to say, I was on cloud nine. For the company was more than a Script Consultant, they would also try to package the script and secure financing. Which is another reason why I provided the presentation book.

However, to my dismay, it didn't take long into our conversation that I realized the president didn't even read the script, but instead was only going off notes provided by the reader. The president constantly made the connection to my being a former cop and how that gave me special insight when writing a cop script. The only problem was, the screenplay I sent had nothing to do with cops. OUCH..!!

I won't go any further into the gruesome details especially when they suggested, I send more money so they could get started packaging my scipt. My passion then faded into realizing, I once again should of listened to my gut. They didn't even return my presentation even though I provided a self-addressed stamped envelope.

Now I don't want this to sound like sour grapes. I have no doubts that most people in the movie industry really are looking for that next great screenwriter. That next industry, genre changing screenplay or production. Like you have heard me say many times, just be realistic.

Make sure you know why you want or need a Script Consultant or a Producer's Rep. What's in it for you? What's in it for them? See if they are willing to make money off you not from you. Never forget, not only is it your story or production, but it is also your money..!

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