John August and Howard Allen's Response

John August recently wrote in his blog about Script Consultants and their value. CoyoteMoon Films' own Howard Allen is a script consultant at ScriptDoctor.com, and he had this to say in response:

I am a major fan of John August's work and Craig Mazin has kept busy as writer. Their recent blog about Script Consultants was brutal but too broad in its complaint. I can't speak for all script consultants, but only for ScriptDoctor. Our Contest Judges and Script Consultants have experience in not only writing screenplays but in getting them produced. Myself, I am a screenwriter and co-screenwriter with scripts out in the marketplace and scripts In Development at CoyoteMoon Films.

So, I am a working producer and director and writer, but I do not live in Los Angeles. I was rated No. 1 Cream Of The Crop in a recent national survey of script analysts and consultants, but I have to agree with many of the complaints about consultants in the blog. Too many see the end result of their work as published books and full workshops rather than really helping clients with scripts. Having worked as a professional actor and director before becoming a screenwriter, I think that my analysis and consultation comes from the inside out -- really looking at how a script is working and not working -- for the collaborators who follow the screenwriter.

Most important, the Diagnosis & Medication Analysis I give at ScriptDoctor is aimed at honoring where the writer is in their process and Encouraging the best rewrite of their script. A rewrite done by the writer, not a line-by-line template from ScriptDoctor forced on the screenplay. And that commitment is more important than the dollars. In our Contest Of Contest Winners, all scripts are reviewed by two writers, so entrants get input/advice from more than one person for their money.

John August says this using a sports analogy: "The top coaches have the ability to extract the best efforts from the athletes they train. They recognize weakness and focus attention. It’s conceivable that the same could hold true for screenwriting."

I agree a consultant can focus attention on the strengths and especially the weaknesses in a script. And it can include a couple What If suggestions for improvement. It can also be comprehensive feedback without costing exorbitant dollars.

Interestingly, some of the worst people to consult about your screenplay are very successful screenwriters with narrow vision about what works and what does not in a script.