What are Readers, Development Directors, Story Analysts, and Story Editors? 

by Script Pimp Staff
December, 2009

This was in a previous newsletter long ago, but by special demand. . . .

Script readers are people who are paid (or, in the case of interns, unpaid) to read and evaluate incoming projects for a given production company, manager, or agency.  After reading the script, the reader will then write “coverage” for the project, which consists of a logline, a 1-2 page synopsis, and 1-2 pages of comments evaluating everything from concept, to plot, to structure, to character, to dialogue.

Story analyst is the preferred name for script readers, but their jobs may be as complex as having to come up with character breakdowns for casting purposes, to determining plot inconsistencies and reworking the script as a whole.  

Development directors are generally the bottom of the line at a given production company. Their job is to find projects their company will want to make, or writers their company will want to work with.  Having done that, they will be promoted to the important job of VP of Development and/or possibly even be attached as a producer on the projects they find.

Story editors work like script readers/story analysts, but their focus is on working with the writer to iron out the rough spots on scripts. They may also be the person below the Director of Development who may or may not also find projects for their company. As this is an entry level position, story editors generally work for quite a while with their superiors learning the craft of screenwriting and understanding what it takes to get a project ready for production. Along those lines, it may be quite a while before they finally find a project that is worthy of consideration by those above them.