SCRIPT READING for film & TV
The Script Factory’s flagship teaching programme is back! Learn how to write professional, constructive script feedback for both Film and TV projects with this practical five-week online workshop.
Course Fee £245. Includes 5 x 2 hour zoom classes, comprehensive training notes and individual feedback on assignments.
NOW BOOKING FOR
Tuesday evenings 7pm - 9pm (GMT)
Tuesday 13th January - Tuesday 10th February
**LAST 2 SPACES**
and
Thursday mornings 10am - 12noon (GMT)
Thursday 26th February - Thursday 26th March
The Script Factory pioneered training for script readers way back in 1999. Our aim was to create an industry standard approach to offering constructive, respectful and informed feedback that would empower a writer to move to the next draft or project with more confidence and a greater understanding of how their work would be assessed within the current production landscape.
Over the years, thousands of film and TV professionals have gained their foundational understanding in script analysis through attending one of our courses. And though script reading is considered an entry-level role, our training focuses on creative development and aims to improve the story analysis and feedback skills of both new and more experienced professionals.
Our new Script Reading Course is offered online via Zoom to a small group who all benefit from practical report writing assignments, group discussions and individual feedback on their work.
Working with a range of live projects, we delve deep into the bones of story design to build a much more sophisticated and nuanced understanding of screenplay structure.
We have expanded our original training to cover TV pilots as well as feature film scripts. However, we do not teach a ‘catch-all’ approach to screen story-telling, but rather approach the two formats separately to ensure our students gain a thorough understanding of the distinct requirements of each.
Of course, not every one who attends the course is aiming to work in a development role; we actively welcome writers who want to get the inside track on how a reader will evaluate their work or want to improve their feedback skills to support other writers in their network. And, if you ambition is to write, this course allows you to fast-track your understanding of what makes a story work on screen without the pressure of creating your own material.
FAQs
What Does The Course Cover?
Attendees will be guided through a structured process of reading analytically and preparing a report. You will learn how to distill the story into a brief synopsis and how to articulate the premise of the project in terms of its core dramatic conflict.
We will teach you criteria against which to assess the potential strengths of a story idea and how to identify which elements of the current draft serve that concept well. You will be trained to evaluate where there may be weaknesses in the script and learn how to clearly articulate why those plot or character choices may not be best supporting the story’s intentions.
We will deepen your understanding of the key principles of story structure (for both film and TV) and consider the nuances that are specific to different genres. We will teach you how to offer useful feedback on all elements of screenplay structure without attempting to rewrite the script or bamboozle the writer with jargon.
We will explore the essential skills behind creating a memorable cast of characters and plotting convincing character arcs. We will give you the tools to assess the quality of the dialogue, the pace and visual storytelling on the page.
We will also consider how to evaluate where a project might fit within the current marketplace.
Writing analytical script reports is an invaluable practical opportunity to the apply theory and grapple with the demands of different genres, character arcs and story types. And each participant will receive extensive individual feedback on their written work. (This feedback will be written to you individually and not shared with the group.)
Our aim is that you leave the programme with more confidence in the development process and, whether you are attending as a writer or a script editor, better equipped to ask the right questions to unlock problems in the project and take it to the next stage.
Course Preparation & Assignments
There will be some preparatory reading and a short assignment to complete before the course starts. Between each session there will be a new script to read and prepare written feedback on building up to a full script report. Attendees should expect to commit approximately 4-6 hours each week to the programme, in addition to the teaching time.
As well as reading some excellent un-produced screenplays, we will also study the scripts from successful films and shows to learn from their design and structure.
Where And When Will The Course Take Place?
The course will take place over Zoom on either Tuesday evenings from 7 - 9pm. Or Thursday mornings from 10am - noon.
What Does The Course Cost?
Attendance on the course costs £245.
Participants will receive a full set of notes to accompany the teaching and receive individual feedback on all written assignments.
The course is limited to just 12 participants to ensure there is plenty of opportunity for group discussions and for everyone to contribute.
What If I Miss A Session?
This course is intended to be attended live as we value your contributions to the group. However, we will record every class to enable students to revisit the training and for those who unavoidably miss a session to catch up. These recordings will be available for the duration of the programme and for 2 weeks after its completion.
Course Tutors
This workshop will be taught by The Script Factory’s Justine Hart and Charlotte Macleod.
Certificate of Completion
All attendees who successfully complete the assignments will receive a certificate of completion.
Read what the participants on our recent courses had to say about their experience of the programme:
“I'm a screenwriter based in Turkey and had heard of Script Factory’s acclaim long before joining. I took this training at the beginning of 2025 as a gift to myself—and it truly turned out to be more than just that. This five-week course not only provided me with practical tools to evaluate scripts in a detailed and effective way, but also offered a respectful and insightful approach to stories in development and the writers behind them. As a writer, that was deeply reassuring. And as someone building a script consultancy business, I believe it laid a solid foundation for my long-term path. In that sense, this was not just a New Year’s gift, but a lifelong one.
The course was thoughtfully structured and flowed seamlessly. The explanations were clear, and the shared notes after each session were detailed yet concise. Receiving honest, encouraging feedback on the reports we wrote felt like a lesson in how to deliver truly constructive criticism. From the very first session, Justine and Charlotte created a safe space where each of us could express our ideas freely and learn with confidence. And I especially appreciated the opportunity to read both produced and unproduced scripts during the training. It helped highlight the key differences between stories still in development and those ready to go out into the world.
I’d wholeheartedly recommend this training to writers, readers, or anyone eager to deepen their skills in story development.”
Ezgi Kızmaz
“The Script Factory's Script Reading course was an absolute game-changer. I learned so much and got access to information, resources and feedback that I genuinely don't think exists anywhere else. The feedback alone is worth the price tag; Justine is thorough, detailed (and kind) in her feedback and you can really feel your script reports improve week after week. The weekly sessions are absolutely jam-packed with content to the point that our group actually ran over every week! You will cover every aspect of a script report in great detail but don't worry about taking notes as Justine and Charlotte provide you with information packs each week going over everything discussed. Those packs are invaluable. I recently wrote a script report for a very well-known production company and made great use of those information packs.
Also as someone who loves writing, this course really helped me to approach my own redrafts with an objectivity that I didn't have before.
I absolutely recommend this course whether you're a complete novice or even have some experience. If you want to learn more about script reporting or improve your own redrafts, this is THE COURSE for you!”
Kalum Wilson
Booking
To book for either our Tuesday evening or Thursday morning class, please select the correct start date button. If you have any other questions please submit the form.