Industrial Scripts - FAQs & Knowledge Base

While we empathise with writers' frustration when encountering the subjectivity inherent in script assessment, it's important to note the following:

• Different views/lower reader scores: we've created a separate knowledge base article and accompanying article on our site about this, however, in brief: one person's "Recommend" is another person's "Pass". That is the unavoidable truth of script development, at Netflix, at Warner Bros, at every level and every area of the business. This is one of the most common concerns raised to script development companies and screenwriting contests and whilst we empathise with the writer's frustration, the subjectivity in play is huge. And, unavoidable. At every level of the business. We stand by the scores awarded by our different readers and respect their own individual taste.
• Scores and their impact on the competition: it's stating the obvious that the scores awarded by readers are impactful. No project is every assessed by the same reader (this technology is built automatically into Coverfly, so any contest a writer enters on there will have the same protocol), so receiving different POVs is inevitable and affects all projects equally. It's a totally level playing field.
• Other platforms/contests: we only own and run The TITAN Awards, so cannot comment on a project's performance in other contests, or it's wider CF score. Speaking freely we certainly aspire for The TITAN to be a challenging contest to win or rank in. Putting thousands of people through to the 1/4s or further is certainly not the contest's style. Doing so defeats the object which is for the contest to be respected by major industry agents, managers, executives and producers and, by association, ensure that winning or ranking in the contest carries significance.
• The writer as ultimate judge: "a script note is only as a good as YOU think it is", a Hollywood screenwriter once said. And, unless you've sold the rights already, you are the ultimate judge of whether to action a script note or not. It's entirely your call. Don't agree with it? As the rights holder you're under no obligation to action the changes. This underlying fact can get lost in a sea of advice, and ultimately all a writer can do is follow their gut feeling.