Janet Lee Chapman

Interview With Janet

I sat down with Janet to ask her about her role as Head of Screenwriting for the Susan Mears Agency.

Janet:  “One of the aspects of my role that I enjoy is adapting a book into a screenplay as it’s often a rewarding collaboration between the author and myself.

Film is a passion of mine – I love the movies!

I oversee the screenplays that come through the agency and prepare a Screenplay Assessment Report for the client. This report is a crucial tool as it can help the client improve their script and prepare it, ready to attract a producer and/or film studio.

From the first draft, a screenplay may go through several changes before arriving at the silver screen.

When I work on a Screenplay Assessment Report, I aim to be objective, focusing on ‘what is not right’ with the script, as well as looking at ‘what is right’ with it.

I begin by asking myself the following questions:

• Will the script sell?
• Is a producer/studio going to want to put millions of dollars into it?
• Is the concept original?
• Does it have strong leads to attract major talent?
• What’s the demographic for the script?
• Is it contemporary?
• Does it match with the film industry’s current preferences?

These questions and more have to be taken into account, including:

• Is the script well-written?
• Can I easily follow the story and character arcs?
• Is the dialogue strong?
• Does the story have a true beginning, middle, and end?
• Is the concept evident throughout the script?

Next, I look at the formatting of the script as this is a very important aspect to get right. It must be easy to read and follow. Dialogue and screen descriptions must be tight. The lead character must have a great arc. Please note that no script is ever perfect. As with many things in life, there’s always room for improvement so having a Screenplay Assessment Report is valuable.

When adapting a book into a screenplay, we must bear in mind that a film is a different medium from a novel. Films are visual, while books are narrated and in the reader’s mind.

With the script, the GOLDEN RULE is to SHOW – NOT TELL – the story.”

………………..