THE PITCH
Does the current draft of your screenplay just not deliver the spark and excitement you felt when you started writing it? Lost in your story and can’t find a way out? Do you know you have to rewrite your script, but have no idea where or how to start?
Get expert guidance and practical story advice from a produced writer with more than twenty years of professional scriptwriting experience. I can provide the clarity and direction you need to find your way to a final draft that works.
THE SERVICE
Here’s what I will do for you:
I will read your script twice. The first read will be purely as a reader to get a feel for your entire story as written. On the second read, I will make detailed handwritten notes page by page about what works, what needs work, and provide suggestions and tips to create a better next draft. I normally schedule a week for this process.
I will then meet with you for a forty-five to ninety minute consultation via Skype or phone and give you my notes verbally.
I find the back-and-forth of an actual conversation far more productive for my clients than just sending written notes. Going through a script page by page in conference allows an interactive process where you and I can pinpoint issues to specific places and scenes in your script, you can ask questions, and I can clarify any points that are confusing. This process can feel daunting and even be exhausting, but it is also extremely fruitful for finding new insights and clarity on a stalled script. We’ll focus on:
- Structure
- Characterization and character arcs
- Dialogue
- Story execution
- Thematic effectiveness
- Visual storytelling
- Specific suggestions for developing your script and getting your story on track
TESTIMONIALS
“Michael Dobkins is, simply put, the best story person I’ve ever worked with. His facility with structure and character seems almost effortless at times and his ability to quickly break down a script’s strengths and weaknesses is no less impressive and occasionally downright intimidating!”—Frank Santopadre, writer, The View (ABC), Comedy Central Roasts, The Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize for Humor, TV Land Awards. Also-host and co-producer, Gilbert Gottfried’s Amazing Colossal Podcast!
“The best script consultant I’ve worked with. Astute advice delivered with unfailing respect and good humor. Turned a script of mine that was flat-lining into one the next industry reader covered as ‘more than likely to earn a stamp of approval and work its way up the production food chain.” —Richard Willett, optioned screenwriter and award-winning playwright currently working on his third paid Hollywood writing assignment and twice listed in the Nicholl Fellowships Top 50 (out of more than 7,000 scripts).
THE COST
My normal fee for a comprehensive consultation on a screenplay is $450 for individual screenwriters. I specialize in screenplays, but I also provide story consulting for stage plays, screen treatments, and prose manuscripts. Please contact me with specific details, and I will offer a reasonable fee based on the work involved.
| Screenplay Consultation | Full Package Deal | $450 |
| Story and Editorial Consultation | Hourly Rate (We’ll negotiate the estimate of the time involved based on the individual project) | $ 50 |
| Production Company Development Consultation | These are negotiated on a project-by-project basis. | TBD |
| Actual Screenplay or Treatment | These are negotiated on a project-by-project basis. | TBD |
| Book Manuscript Consultation | Full Package Deal (primarily the same process as a the screenplay package applied to prose) | $800 |
Interested? E-mail me at story@Dobkins.net to request more information. Please use “STORY CONSULTING” as your e-mail subject.
Serious inquiries related to writing or editorial business only please. Any political, religious, or commercial solicitations, harassment and abuse, or any other type of spam will be ignored, blocked, and possibly reported.