In any given year, there are roughly 35,000 screenplays
registered with the Writers Guild of America. Only around 1,000 are purchased;
and of those, just 400 for Hollywood-size money. And only about 250
are then turned into movies.
Those numbers paint a grim picture—until you realize that
the vast majority of screenplays are fundamentally
flawed. Some industry experts have estimated the percentage of scripts so off-base
as to be easily rejected at 90 percent.
That means the real competition for the 1,000 sales a year is
among 3,500 screenplays that follow the rules—i.e., have a strong high
concept, are smartly structured, focus on a compelling character
with a memorable arc, have a clear target audience, and are well-written
overall.
And beyond that, the winners will be those scripts that have
a fresh, sharp approach that makes them stand out from the crowd. This extra
quality cuts the real competition to under 2,000—at which point the chances
of a sale are around 1 in 2.
If you're a skilled writer, good listener, and hard worker,
I can help you make sure your movie rises to this top 5 percent
of the screenplay market.
No matter how stellar your writing skills, there
will be periods during your script's development when you'll find
it tough to clearly identify its flaws on your own. It's during these
times when you'll benefit from a fresh pair of eyes to provide you with
an experienced, objective, and honest outside perspective.
My name is Hy Bender, and I've analyzed and
helped fix hundreds of screenplays. I've done this for writers ranging
from total beginners to screenwriters who've had Hollywood features produced.
Regardless of your level of experience, I'll take your work very seriously
and tell you how to make it better.
My credentials as an expert story analyst
include:
Providing analysis
and advice on hundreds of screenplays for writers, directors, producers, and
film production companies.
Founding and running
NYScreenwriters.org,
one of the most respected screenwriting workshops in the country.
Writing The Sandman Companion, a nationally
bestselling story analysis book focusing on the early work of Neil Gaiman
(screenwriter of the $70 million Robert Zemeckis feature film Beowulf,
and story writer of the feature films Stardust and Coraline).
Writing theatre reviews
for The New York Times; and articles
about film, TV, and other media for such diverse national publications
as American Film, Advertising
Age, PC Magazine, Yahoo! Internet Life, Spy,
and Mad Magazine.
Writing hundreds
of comedy, theatre, and TV show reviews for my Web site HyReviews.com.
Writing five books
in the popular Dummies series, which demonstrate my ability to explain even dry, complex concepts in
an accessible and entertaining manner that anyone can understand. I employ
these same skills to describe problems with a script and offer solutions.
Four of Hy's 14 published books
I'm happy to help writers at any experience
level. However,
please know that I'll treat you like a professional—that
is, I'll be bluntly honest, and cut to the chase by focusing on your script's
problems. If you have a thin skin, or wish someone to emphasize what you
did right, I'm simply not the analyst for you.
But if you want honest feedback about flaws
in your screenplay that may have slipped by you and thoughtful suggestions
for fixing them, I'd love to be of service. My goal is to help eliminate
your script's weaknesses and enhance its strengths so that you can increase
your chances of success.
Here's what some of my clients have said
about my services:
Hy's work is insightful, on point, and most
important—helpful. If you're looking for an honest
take on your story, analyzing every aspect from theme to tone to character
to plot, I can't recommend anyone more. A 30-minute conversation with
Hy cleared up issues I couldn't crack in three weeks of rewrites. I will
never send out another script without first getting a lookover
from Hy.
—Andrew Lobel, who's currently developing multiple
feature film projects for a major studio, an A-list horror director, and
a production house, and recently signed with William Morris.
Among your most critical resources as a screenwriter
are people you trust to read your script and then give you honest and
insightful feedback. That's what's so great about Hy; he's extremely honest
and very knowledgeable about screenplays. Hy really knows what he's talking
about, and he's one of the few people I listen to regarding my work. Hy
is a great resource.
—Brendan Beseth, whose writing credits include
the 2000 feature film Lucky Town
starring Kirsten Dunst and James Caan.
Hy
helped me develop my first screenplay from its initial draft to its final
(and very different) version, many rewrites later. It was a lot of work;
but I was thrilled to then land a manager on the strength of that single
movie script. I've since written a second screenplay, and am now developing
a third—and
still regularly turn to Hy for his feedback.
—Mariah Wilson, whose second screenplay was
recently optioned
by the production company that made Finding Neverland and the upcoming Miss Pettigrew
Lives for a Day.
The worst thing a screenwriter can do is
send a script into the marketplace before the pages are ready. Hy's analysis
of my screenplay didn't pull any punches. His comments were sometimes
humbling, but were also extremely understandable and easy to apply. After
integrating Hy's notes, my screenplay is 100% stronger, particularly in
theme and execution of my premise. I feel my script will now stand up
to even the most discerning studio reader.
—Allan Fair, who's contributed to HBO's Entourage; has had sitcom pilots under consideration
at CBS, ABC and NBC; has won Scriptapalooza
and TV Writer scriptwriting contests;
and is prominently featured on the ScreenStyle DVD How to Pitch
Your Movie Idea.
Hy, when I sent my sitcom pilot to be critiqued
I was thinking you'd find a few more jokes to squeeze out of it. Boy,
were my expectations exceeded! Sure
my script has more jokes, but your forcing me to think more about the
characters and theme makes the script funnier on a holistic level. Even
the premise is funnier! I
can't thank you enough.
—Allan Fair (see above)
Note:
Before you send your script to anyone,
I highly recommend registering it with the Writers Guild of America East
(www.wgae.org) or the Writers Guild of America West
(www.wga.org). The $22 registration takes only a few
minutes and is well worth the peace of mind.
My fee can vary with the
work you need done. Most typically, though, I'll analyze a standard-length
feature screenplay (i.e., around 110 pages) for $400. That covers:
Carefully reading
your screenplay and making notes as I go along.
Writing and emailing
you 8-12 pages of thoughtful and to-the-point analysis that will probably
make you see your work in ways you never considered.
Spending up to 2
hours with you over the phone so you can ask any questions about both
your screenplay and the analysis. (If you live in the US or Canada, I'll
call you so you don't incur long distance charges.)
In addition, I offer script doctoring and
ghostwriting services, with fees dependent on the details of the project.
So if you want to improve your script but don't feel comfortable tackling
the work yourself, please feel very welcome to get in touch.
If you're interested in hiring me, please
simply email your screenplay, your phone number, and a few words about
where you found out about this service to hy@hyreviews.com.
(Please send the script as an attachment in Final Draft, Acrobat/PDF,
Microsoft Word, or plain text file format.) I'll give your first 30 pages
a quick initial read and then email you to say whether I can help.
If we agree to proceed, I'll ask you to send
your payment via PayPal.com (which accepts VISA, MasterCard, Discover,
and American Express). I'll then write an analysis of your screenplay
and arrange to discuss it with you over the phone.
If you'd like to benefit from an expert and
impartial view of your script's problems, and also receive on-target suggestions
for fixes, I'd love to hear from you. Similarly, if you have any questions,
please don't hesitate to ask them. My email address is hy@hyreviews.com.
To read
my analysis of NYC comedy shows and theatre productions,
