How to Become a Story Analyst

Working as a Reader in the Film Industry Can Help Writers Break In

Oct 5, 2009

The rewards of being a story analyst include reading screenplays for a living, learning more about the business, and having an influence on whether a film is made or not.

A story analyst reads screenplays and manuscripts for producers, studios, talent agencies, or individuals in the film industry. In L.A. and New York, there are currently thousands of "readers," who save executives time by reading dozens of scripts per week and writing up reports. These reports give a log line and a synopsis, followed by comments on the strengths and weaknesses of the material.

What a Story Analyst Does

Readers must first understand the elements of a good screenplay and be in touch with the commercial and critical film markets. They must write well, and have analytical abilities, in order to point out the strengths and weaknesses. The reports need to be well organized, with a main idea supported by several points. These points usually address the elements of plot, character, dialogue, tone, and commercial viability.

Freelance readers will start with a heading that includes the pertinent information about a script, such as title, author, genre, and number of pages. This is followed by a log line, which is a 1-3 sentence summary. This is followed by a 1-2 page story synopsis and 2-3 pages of comments.

Studio readers will often write up 15 page reports, using a log line and a score box, which rates the script in all the standard elements (plot, character, dialogue, etc.) This is followed by a detailed synopsis which tells the story as it unfolds, in present tense. Next are several pages of comments, which build an argument regarding the strengths and weaknesses of the script and use persuasive writing, with examples and supporting evidence to emphasize the points. The last section is the notes, which are intended to help the writer rewrite the script. These very specific comments may point out weak or ineffective dialogue, holes in the story, and places that need further development.

Readers either work freelance for agencies and production companies, or full time for studios. Most story analysts are independent contractors. Some readers write up short one or two page reports, and this type of work will pay only $40-$60 per script. Other readers act as consultants, and write more detailed reports, similar to the studio coverage. These readers can charge between $125 and $300 per screenplay. A full time story analyst can make between $50,000 and $75,000 working for a studio.

How to Become a Story Analyst

Aspiring readers must understand the business, and use connections to get hired. In order to break in, a novice reader will first need to put together a few samples. This means getting a hold of a few screenplays and writing up reports on them for free. These can then be used as “calling cards.” It is important to write concisely and to edit the samples for clarity, flow, and comprehensive coverage of the screenplay’s story elements. Then the aspiring freelance reader is ready to contact production companies and agencies.

A great resource with more information on how to contact producers and agents is The Hollywood Creative Directory. There are classes offered on becoming a story analyst by UCLA Extension.

Being paid to read for a living can be quite enjoyable, and it can also be a good way to break into the business of screenwriting and producing films.

The copyright of the article How to Become a Story Analyst in Writing for Stage/Screen is owned by Candace Kearns Read. Permission to republish How to Become a Story Analyst in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.