Who is SCRIPTGUY?

Leo O'Sullivan
www.scriptguy.com
Leo@scriptguy.com

Ever since I was a kid, I've lived for the movies. I've been lucky enough to turn that infatuation into a career I love. For the past two decades, I've worked as a story analyst, development executive and private script consultant for companies like The Sundance Institute, Forward Pass and FilmColony and A-list writers, directors and actors like Al Pacino, Andrew Niccol and Michael Mann. I'm also a working writer who has had several scripts optioned (one with Al Pacino to star), so I know what it feels like to be on the other side of the fence. When I read a script, I don't see a product. I see someone's dream, which they slaved over for months and maybe years.

As a script consultant, I've always had a very simple philosophy: My job is not to dictate the story I decide you should have written. My job is to find the essential story you were already attempting to tell. Plato believed the chair you're sitting on is only one version of the ideal chair that exists in one's mind. He would have made a hell of a script doctor! You began with an ideal version of your script in mind, but that may not be what ended up on the page. That's where I come in. That ideal script, the one your screenplay already contains somewhere within its pages, is our ultimate goal. I'm not here to change your screenplay. I'm here to help you find it.

Testimonials:

"Leo is the best in the business. He has provided truly creative insights into my work. More than just the ability to take a script apart, he actually has ideas for putting it back together. Knowing Leo, he probably even has a suggestion for improving this quote."
— Andrew Niccol
Writer/Director
The Truman Show, Gattaca, Lord of War

"Leo is an exceptional script consultant whose inspired story notes invariably improve the screenplays you give him."
— Mike Marcus
Former COO of MGM Pictures, Producer
Get Shorty, Good Morning Vietnam

"Leo's notes, in style and substance, are without question the most insightful, constructive, and thought-provoking I have received on any of my projects. He has worked with me on two projects including the most recent film, which I wrote and will be directing. I can safely say that I will never write a script and/or direct a project without first having Leo read and provide notes -- he is the ultimate collaborative story consultant."
— Jeremy Stein
Writer/Director
The Photographer
Jack & Addie

Why SCRIPTGUY?

I am the only person who will analyze your screenplay. Many script consultant companies offer notes churned out by vague, unidentified groups of producers, agents and creative executives, most of whom are business people first and story experts last. The formulaic story notes they provide won't answer the specific narrative problems of your screenplay.

I come at your script from a different perspective. I'm a writer and I see your screenplay through a writer's eyes. Secondly, I've worked for small but high-profile companies where the quality of the scripts was more important than the quantity. Instead of reading hundreds of scripts per month, I provided detailed, in-depth story notes for a far smaller number of greenlit, A-list screenplays. More importantly, that was my only job at these companies; reading and improving scripts as opposed to selling them. Don't misunderstand me. Films don't get made unless extremely talented people package and sell them. But you have to have something worth selling first. You have to have a great script. That's where I can help.

SCRIPTGUY Services:

Coverage

Industry standard "coverage" minus the synopsis but with much longer commentary. Includes a details page, offering a brief summary of my comments, a logline of your story and a "grade" for each of the script's key elements, including its overall potential. This is followed by three to five pages of comments where I carefully analyze your premise, storyline, characters and dialogue and then provide clear suggestions for how to improve the script. 4 to 6 pages.
Price - $175

Story Notes

An in-depth, comprehensive analysis of your entire screenplay, offering narrative strategies and solutions to help you realize your ideal script. No synopsis or details page for padding either. Just solid notes. 8 to 10 pages guaranteed but often more: I know I'm done when I stop writing.
Price - $450

Rewrite Story Notes

If I've provided story notes on an earlier draft, I offer discounted notes for your rewrite. The rewrite notes thoroughly analyze all of the changes and provide fresh ideas for further improvement of the script. 6 to 8 pages.
Price - $275

Synopsis

For an added fee, I can also include the classic "synopsis" page found in traditional script coverage. This is a one to two page summary of your story to illustrate which narrative elements readily come across to the reader, and which do not.
Price - $50

The Plan

On average, I will email back your story notes 2 to 3 weeks after I've received your script. If I am really swamped it might take slightly longer, but I will notify you in advance. Coverage is often returned much sooner. If I give your script a recommend, I'll pass it on to industry contacts free of charge, if you like. No guarantees, but free networking never hurts. *I don't offer one-on-one consultations in person or over the phone because, frankly, I'm not nearly as objective when I hear a fellow writer's hopeful voice. I'm far more honest on the page, which is what you really need.

For further details regarding payment through PayPal and getting your script to me, visit www.scriptguy.com

Leo O'Sullivan
www.scriptguy.com
Leo@scriptguy.com