Coverage is the tool professional readers use to evaluate scripts quickly. Here's what's actually in a coverage report, and what isn't.
A standardized evaluation format
Coverage is a specific document format used throughout the industry to evaluate scripts consistently: typically a logline, a synopsis of the story as written, an evaluative section covering story, structure, character, and dialogue, and a final recommendation. Its value comes from that consistency. A reader can compare coverage across many scripts using the same framework.
What coverage includes
A typical coverage report covers:
- Logline: a one- or two-sentence summary of the story
- Synopsis: a compressed retelling of the plot as it currently exists on the page
- Comments: analysis of strengths and weaknesses across story, structure, character, and dialogue
- Recommendation: a standard verdict, often expressed as pass, consider, or recommend
What coverage doesn't do
Coverage evaluates a script; it doesn't change it. There's no rewriting, editing, or line-level correction involved. The value is precisely that it's an honest, structured read of the script as submitted, not a collaborative revision process. Writers who want changes made need a different service afterward: editing, rewriting, or doctoring, depending on scope.
Why the honesty matters
Coverage is most useful when it doesn't soften its verdict. A report that's encouraging but vague doesn't help a writer figure out what to fix, and a producer relying on coverage to make a decision needs a genuinely clear-eyed read, not a diplomatic one. Good coverage states its assessment plainly and ties it to specific, identifiable moments in the script.
