Becoming a 6-figure Script Consultant

Becoming a Script Consultant
By Derek Rydall
Founder, ScriptwriterCentral.com

INTRODUCTION
How many times have you watched a movie or TV show and thought you could write it better -- or at least tell the writer (or filmmaker) how they could?
How would you like to have that conversation for real?
How would you like to make a six-figure income doing it?
If you’ll give me a few minutes, I’ll show you how.

The field of professional screenplay consulting officially began back in the early eighties when Linda Seger, considered the “mother of script consulting” developed a method for diagnosing and treating script problems. She started out charging $70 for a complete script evaluation, and within two years was able to turn it into a full-time business. (She now receives thousands for this service.) At the time, it was considered taboo to have a script consultant or ‘script doctor’ on your project. No writer wanted to admit his script was ailing and needed a ‘check-up from the text up.’ Nowadays, this attitude has reversed. In fact, it might even be considered irresponsible not to have a professional give you an objective evaluation of your script. It would be like knowing you have a potentially fatal disease and not seeking a medical opinion.

Linda Seger was one of the pioneers who paved the way. But since those first steps on the frontier, many more have followed. Today, script consulting has become a respected field, attracting talented and passionate people, from diverse backgrounds, who bring a variety of specialties. And it’s only the beginning. The art and craft of story analysis is still in its infancy. While we already have great thinkers who have transformed the way we look at screenwriting (and storytelling in general), the greatest ideas, the ones that will take this art to new heights, have yet to be articulated.

If you’re a writer, producer, executive, or director working in the entertainment industry – or aspire to be one -- becoming a script consultant may not seem like such a leap. Besides the obvious benefit of extra income, it will also enable you to grow your analytical and writing skills, and strengthen your ability to recognize and develop great scripts. But the exciting news is that you don’t have to live or work in Hollywood at all to become a script consultant. Linda Seger lives in Colorado, isn’t a screenwriter, and has consulted on over 2,000 screenplays, written many books, and traveled the world teaching the art and craft of screenwriting. “At this point, my clients now come from six continents,” Seger says. “I’m still waiting for that first script from Antarctica, even though they’re not writing scripts there yet.”

As the field matures, more and more individuals from non-entertainment backgrounds are becoming consultants, bringing with them a whole new array of services to upgrade the quality of writing and the quality-of-life of the writer. Just as doctors can specialize in various body parts or health issues, script consultants (or ‘Script Doctors’) have also created their own specialties. There are consultants who specialize in everything from the ‘mythological,’ ‘psychological,’ and ‘spiritual’ aspects of story and character, to the ‘criminal,’ ‘legal,’ and ‘relationship-focused’ films. If you’re a doctor, lawyer, teacher, police officer, politician, psychologist, minister, comedian, relationship coach, weapons expert, soldier, or just about anything else, and you have a love of movies and an understanding of story, you could create a niche business consulting on films that fit your unique knowledge base.

For example, let’s say you’re a history teacher with a passion for historical accuracy in films. Just add a solid understanding of screenwriting and VOILA! You’re on your way to being a script consultant specializing in historical pieces. Get the picture? And if you’re a retired professional, this offers a whole new way to use your life’s worth of knowledge, and a whole new world of adventure.

So the big question is, can YOU make six figures as a script consultant? Are there enough people out there in need of such services? Every year thousands of new screenplays, treatments, and outlines are written by professional and aspiring writers. (The WGA reports that over 100,000 new screenplays are registered annually – and what about all the ones that aren’t registered?) Thousands more are conceived of by professionals in other fields -- doctors, lawyers, mobsters (we’ll get to my mob story later) with private dreams of making movies and dining with the Hollywood Elite. (A partnership I have with a neurosurgeon has led to some of my most exciting projects. And as an added bonus, if I develop a brain tumor from banging my head against the wall, I can barter my services for his.)

Add to this number the thousands of aspiring producers (with ideas they’re sure will be blockbusters), and the truckloads of novels sitting in desk drawers (whose authors have dreams of seeing them adapted to celluloid) and you start to realize just how big a market there is. (Over 200,000 new books are published in the U.S. and U.K. alone each year, and it’s estimated that well over a million are written with hopes of seeing the inside of a Barnes & Noble. That’s a lot of potential adaptations!) If that doesn’t convince you of the immense opportunity out there, you can also throw in the thousands of scripts that circulate through talent agencies and production companies that need ‘Readers Coverage,’ and are frequently outsourced to script consultants.

While some of these scribes will seek feedback from their agent (hopefully one who’s not charging them), their friend (if they don’t mind risking their friendship), or their grandma (if they want a pat on the head and a warm cookie with milk), many more will need to hire a script consultant to give their ailing material a complete physical. And even the ones who get granny’s seal of approval will oftentimes need a ‘second opinion’ to save their baby from suffering a stillbirth. What’s more, some of these consulting jobs can turn into writing assignments, where you are hired to polish, rewrite, or completely develop a script – at a substantially higher price.

Finally, if you think it’s too late to ‘get into the market,’ because there are already too many script consultants out there, think again. The fact is, many of the above referenced individuals – especially those in other professions – don’t even know these services exist yet.

And with over a million potential clients, there’s enough to go around!

At The Script Consultant Institute (www.scriptwritercentral.com), We’ll show you how to tap into these markets and let these prospective clients know you’ve hung your shingle out. Utilizing over a hundred years of combined experience from the top script consultants in the business (including Yours Truly), you’ll be led through a step-by-step process where you’ll learn how to:

• Hone your reading, writing, and analytical skills
• Do ‘Story Analysis,’ ‘Book Analysis,’ and ‘Coverage’
• Become a Script Doctor
• Market your clients’ material for sale – and even be attached as a partner.
• Create the perfect advertising and target the right venues
• Master client communication and feedback skills
• Negotiate the deals, create the contracts, and collect payment
• Clarify your mission & compose a plan of action
• Maintain balance and passion

And much more!

HOW I GOT STARTED
About a decade ago, I was a steadily working actor. But, despite making a nice living, I was tired of waiting by the phone, beholden to someone else for my job opportunities – and decided to start creating my own.

Enter the world of screenwriting.

At first I thought I would write the perfect script for me to star in (every actor’s dream). But I soon realized I actually loved writing, and wanted to be more than just a wannabe. I took some screenwriting classes, read some books, and wrote several scripts. But something was missing. I just wasn’t getting the kind of hands-on guidance that I really needed to succeed. I needed a mentor…

Enter the script consultant.

His name was Allan Katz. He came from an acting background (as I had), and was now working full-time as a writer-script doctor-stage director (he was directing my soon-to-be wife in an award-winning play when we met). We really hit it off, and I decided to hire him to evaluate all the scripts I’d written so far.

I was a novice, of course, so those scripts were destined to be quartered and used as scratch pads and flip-books by my son. But getting together over coffee, hashing out my work page-by-page, line-by-line, and having revelations about my stories and my craft, was great fun. Equally important was having a mentor, a creative collaboration with someone who knew more about writing than I did. I looked forward to our meetings almost more than I did the writing itself. Writers tend to be a lonely bunch. Most of us need to come out of our caves and dwell amongst the living on a regular basis, or we start growing hair in strange places and craving raw animal flesh.

I grew tremendously as a writer during this ‘apprenticeship.’ And one day, Mr. Katz looked at me and said he could no longer work for me – because I knew as much as he did. (That’s integrity, huh? Surely, he could’ve squeezed a few more bucks out of me). And soon after this ‘graduation’, he started asking me to read his scripts and give him feedback. Needless to say, I was flattered – and nervous. But I did it.

He liked what I had to say.

And so began my journey as a script consultant…

OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS – AND I LOOK THROUGH THE PEEPHOLE
I began offering to read other people’s scripts and, as word spread of my ‘insightful’ and enthusiastic feedback, the phone started ringing. It was a great learning (and ego-boosting) experience, allowing me to hone my analytical and writing skills. Then, one day, while I was giving my usual brilliant, witty, and ‘humble’ feedback on a script -- and the writer was slipping me two other scripts to read for free -- it suddenly dawned on me:

“Hey, maybe I could actually get paid for this.”

Thus began my ‘professional’ career as a script consultant.

And as more opportunities came my way, I started to think: “You know, if I actually took this seriously, I might be able to keep myself in clean socks all year!” So I decided to take the leap and make it an ‘official business.’ I registered by DBA (Doing Business As) under the name “The Script Doctor,” took out ads, printed up business cards and brochures, rented an office, and officially hung out my shingle. Word-of-mouth spread, and soon I had a full-time gig telling other people how to write better.

Things were rolling along.

Then something unexpected happened…

A client was so ‘impressed’ with my feedback on his script that he didn’t think he could pull off the rewrite -- and asked me to do it. At first I wasn’t sure if that was ethical, or if it really served the client (since he was a writer himself). But he insisted and asked how much I would charge. I took a deep breath, authoritatively allowing the question to hang in the silence like I’d done this many times before -- as my mind frantically groped for a clue of what the heck to say. Then I gathered myself, leaned forward confidently, and laid out the ‘deal points’ in such savvy fashion that Mike Ovitz would’ve been impressed.

Actually, I asked him how much he could afford -- he threw out a number that was somewhere north of a high-priced typist -- and I shook his hand like an eager kid getting his first job working for daddy.

But hey, I had my first ‘script doctoring’ deal.

When the project was completed, he liked it so much that he hired me again. This time, however, I was the wiser. I had him pay me part of my high-priced typist fee BEFORE I did the work.

Ha-ha! I was becoming a regular mover-and-shaker.

It’s true that ‘like attracts like,’ because soon other clients began showing up who wanted me to not only analyze their material, but rewrite or polish it as well. They were writers, executives, producers, directors, grandmas (I know, don’t hate me), and professionals from other fields. I found myself consulting on every aspect of story -- from choosing the right idea, to outlines, treatments, pitches, synopses, book adaptations, and more!
And within two years I was earning six figures consulting for clients around the world!

But being a script consultant has brought me many rewards beyond merely the monetary. Helping people realize their story’s potential, watching them pop into a whole new level of understanding and artistry, and celebrating their successes (including selling, producing, and starring in their award-winning films) brings with it a special satisfaction that remains long after the deal is done.

And the friendships and colleagues I have met along the way are, as the credit card commercial says, “Priceless.”

A FINAL INTRODUCTORY THOUGHT
You might think you’re not qualified. And you might be right…for the moment. That’s what The Script Consultant Institute is for -- to get you qualified. All the tools you need to become a success are there.

Just add sweat.

But let me remind you again that some of the top script consultants aren’t screenwriters, don’t live in LA, and initially came from completely different professions. And many who are screenwriters haven’t sold a screenplay in a long time (if ever) or made much money writing – but are making a nice living helping others do it. I don’t say this with any disrespect. In fact, many script consultants can write and do sell their work. The point is, you don’t need to be an A-list writer living in the Hollywood Hills to be a successful script consultant.

Do you love movies? Do you have the drive to be part of the magic? Do you believe you can, with the proper training, offer something of value to others with a similar passion – perhaps specializing in scripts that deal with your professional background? And are you willing to roll up your sleeves, push away the excuses, and do what it takes to succeed?

Then you, my friend, might just have what it takes.

The question is, will you take what you have – and get to work?

For more info and courses on how to become a successful script consultant, please check out The Script Consultant Institute at www.scriptwritercentral.com

“As a screenwriter, Derek Rydall has sold, optioned, or been hired on assignment for over 20 film and TV projects. He has developed projects for the producer of Ghost, RKO, U/A, Miramax, Saturn (Nick Cage), and many indie producers, as well as worked as a staff writer for Fox, Disney, and Deepak Chopra. As a story consultant/script doctor, Derek has helped writers, producers, actors, and directors turn books into screenplays, secure millions in financing, make six-figure script deals, get hired to exec produce, direct, star in their movies, obtain major distribution, and win awards. And as an author, Derek's book, I Could've Written a Better Movie than That!: How to Make Six Figures as a Script Consultant-- Even if You're Not a Screenwriter, is due out October by Michael Wiese Publishing. For more info, you can check out his site, www.scriptwritercentral.com, email derek@scriptwritercentral.com or call (661) 296-4991.”