Reviewer Guidelines

Good reviewers will offer a suggestion or two for improvement. A good reviewer is someone who offers an honest opinion, and when required uses constructive criticism. By being a good reviewer you might just learn something new about writing a good screenplay, and this may in turn help you make your own screenplay better.

Dialogue - Was the language used (dialogue) believable? Did the dialogue seem forced or awkward? Remember, not all dialogue should be grammatically correct all the time. DO NOT give low marks simply because the type of language used offended you. If it was believable and fit the character and situation, then your grade should be based on that. If you feel strongly that language was an issue, but did not warrant low marks ("Poor"), then discuss that in your "Dialogue Critique" section of the review.

Characterization - Was the main character (protagonist) developed fully in your opinion? Did he/she have a clear need or desire, either outwardly or inwardly? Was there a clear goal for the character or characters? If you feel the development of the main character was strong then account for that in your grading. Also, keep secondary characters in mind, and whether they were developed enough to support main character and the story as a whole.

Story - Did the writer effectively tell the story? Even if you do not agree or like the story, did the writer accomplish what they set out to do? Try to keep personal bias out of your grading here. If the writer accomplished something in the story even though you didn't "get it", give them credit for accomplishing the story. (If you did not "get it" account for that with your Premise grading where you will judge the clarity of the story.)

Premise - Is this story a viable Hollywood property or a good indie story? If the story was not clear in its motivations and did not follow any kind of working storyline, then account for that in your grading. (And make sure you offer some feedback on this in your "Premise Critique.") HOWEVER, consider the material appropriately. Not everyone seeks out to write a "high concept" story.

Additional Comments - This is where you write your overall reaction to the script, your comments and/or suggestions, and support your review in greater detail if necessary.

Formatting - If the screenplay was improperly formatted please note that, but do not give an "Unacceptable" rating unless the script was completely formatted incorrectly.

A minimum of 300 words is required for all reviews. The total number of words is from all of the various Critique sections of the review.

Above all, keep this in mind when writing a review: What kind of a review would you want to get for your script? Would you want something that is just "this was a good script, keep up the good work", or would you want to get some genuine feedback and analysis of your work?