WE’RE a script consultancy staffed only by pro writers.
We’re the only consultancy out there in which you can choose a pro screenwriter to give you notes, mentor you, or rewrite your script. This is how we achieve our one goal year after year: helping aspiring writers sell their scripts.
We connect aspiring writers with pro writers for maximum results.
We understand how hard it is to break in as a writer. That’s why we’re here to take the trial and error out of the process so you can do the same. Here’s how:
Pro experience: Dash Finley is a screenwriter and film journalist based in Los Angeles. Having worked as a development assistant to a number of high-powered executives and creatives, he has written many screenplays, working under filmmakers such as Doug Liman (The Bourne Identity), Stanley Weiser (Wall Street) and Bruno Barreto (Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands). Dash has also been hired for feature work by Norris Chumley (a former producer for Oprah) and Jason Kliot (the producer of Coffee and Cigarettes).
Backstory: For better or for worse, I put my passion for writing before everything. I get far less than the recommended amount of sleep and far (far) more than the recommended amount of caffeine, all in the name of writing for a living.
I want to inspire other writers not to give up on their own ambitions in the face of tough odds. It’s not easy to feel passionate to the very core of your being about a project, only to face persistent ambivalence and rejection from the industry gatekeepers.
That’s why I hope to guide writers to craft a version of their script that is true to their own unique vision, while also factoring in the practical, commercial considerations of the modern-day film business. There’s no reason why an individualistic passion project can’t also be a project that sells—and, ideally, I’d like to show up-and-coming scribes how they can accomplish both.
When I was growing up, my father exposed me at a young age to the classic works of the horror genre. While my buddies were all getting into Star Wars, I was more interested in Tobe Hooper’s The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. This skewed education definitely informs my taste in current TV, and movies, as favorites of recent years have included The Babadook, Castle Rock, The Conjuring, and Hannibal.
That said, I’m also a dutiful student of cinema history, and I pride myself on being able to appreciate films of any genre or time period based on their self-contained merits. The defining elements of a great heightened sci-fi film are not the same as those of a coming-of-age dramedy, and vice versa.
As such, when I provide script coverage, my goal is always to push the script at hand to become the best version of what it’s trying to be, rather than molding it into some imagined version of what it ought to be. In closing, it is my humble wish to see other writers who live and breathe for their work realize those ineffable dreams of theirs, and I will do my very best to help make that a reality.
Main-genre specialties: Thriller, Horror, Drama Sub-genre specialties: Sci-Fi, Western, War, Historical, Family
Most important fact of all: Dash is the proud owner of two guinea pigs, Otis and Randy.
Jenna Mattison.
Available for: Script rewrite services / currently email consults only, no calls or rushes.)
Pro experience: Originally from Bombay, India, Jenna is a TV developer, screenwriter and novelist. On the TV side she’s currently serving as Ep/Writer developing a James Patterson international bestseller into a series. She was brought onto Mike Mignola’s (creator of Hellboy) anthology series as CoEp/Writer. She also developed and wrote the pilot Skam for Team Downey (Robert Downey Jr’s company) along with several other pilots for Lionsgate TV, Hoodlum at ABC Studios etc.
Recently the feature side, she was commissioned in 2021 to write the script for bestselling author Sophié Kinsella’s (Confessions Of A Shopaholic) latest film adaptation, Remember Me? And was hired to adapt a second Kinsella bestseller, I’ve Got Your Number, in 2022. In 2023 she adapted an upcoming YA fantasy novel called The Transcendents and was commissioned in 2024 to adapt the New York Times bestselling memoir, Dying To Be Me. Her feature script Haunted, sold in 2024 to be shot in Thailand later this year. The Sound, an elevated psychological thriller film, which she wrote, directed and produced, was released through MGM’s Orion & Samuel Goldwyn theatrically. Her previous indie films are available though: Sony, Samuel Goldwyn, Netflix, Amazon, Lionsgate, etc. She was honored with the Academy Of Motion Pictures inducting two of her produced feature scripts into their Core Collection Library.
Backstory: One of the best sayings to describe how I approach my work with writers is “If you’ve been lucky enough to reach a level of success in this business, you have an obligation to send the elevator back down.”
When I arrived in Los Angeles I didn’t know a single soul. I had no idea how I was going to achieve my dream of being in the entertainment business but boy did I have big dreams. My journey hasn’t been linear. It’s been a series of missed opportunities followed by amazing strokes of luck followed by sheer force of will. Sometimes all of those things in the same day.
It’s important to me to share my positive experiences and also my mistakes with a new crop of writers because I wish I had that same opportunity when I was new in the business. But services like Script Reader Pro weren’t available then. It was expensive film school or bust. So I learned by trial & error… heavy on the error.
I would like to save the writers I work with from that same heartache. So that they can make their opportunities count. So that when they get a shot at the big break they are prepared and have the confidence that honing your craft brings.
I’ve done every aspect of film production on a creative level: writing, directing, producing, working with editors and music supervisors and even making distribution deals with major studios so I’m able to arm these writers with an arsenal of information so that they are prepared for whatever this business throws at them. And it can throw a lot at you.
The key to success in this business is knowledge. And I love sharing that knowledge with people who want to succeed. I’ve been very fortunate in this business, but the journey would’ve been infinitely easier and faster if I’d had an experienced guide.
Most important fact of all: Jenna moved to Chicago at the age of seven and currently lives in the hills of Los Angeles where she’s been known to rescue baby squirrels.
Pro experience: Scott comes from a place of experience when it comes to different facets of the system. From navigating the world of screenwriting contests to help launch his career, to navigating the hard choices of representation, the struggles of independent film, and building long-term relationships, Scott has gained priceless experience that he loves to share. He has optioned almost every one of his spec screenplays, has been hired for many projects from independent to studio-level producers, and has hit that coveted position of having a screenplay actually produced.
Scott’s script Incision, is currently in development with a director and a well-known star attached. He also has a second horror spec with director attachments and producing partners in development, as well as a pilot, historical drama feature, and a fantasy adventure feature with producers attached. His first produced feature, Foxter & Max, premiered in September 2019 to high audience reviews and a #2 standing in the territory’s box office for its opening weekend.
Backstory: My biggest passion is helping and mentoring new writers. Coming from a small town in Canada with nothing to do but go to the theater, made me fall in love with the magic of the movies, and especially these days, that wonderful medium of television.
Ever since I can remember, I wanted to be the one who created those worlds out of nothing. But because of where I lived, there were little to no resources, and access to Hollywood was almost impossible. I know what it’s like to have to get to that wall, find a way to climb it, and fight to get over it and stay on the other side.
I read all the books, studied all the screenplays, watched all the courses, attended all the pitch seminars and conferences… but I always found it lacking that personal connection. The one thing I always wished I had access to, was a mentor. Someone who’s been there, a fellow creative, someone with the same type of soul as mine who longed to tell stories in only the way movies and TV can.
There is also something magical about helping another writer get to that epiphany-type of moment where they finally get it. Where it clicks. Where their excitement just can’t be contained. Being a part of that is something very special, and truly important to me.
Some writers are great at writing, but not great teachers. Not everybody can explain the deeper workings of what makes a screenplay effective. But some people can, and from the feedback and relationships that I have grown through mentoring tells me that I can consistently help writers cross that plane.
I love being a champion to writers, especially those who match my passion for this magical beast we call a screenplay. It’s what feeds my soul.
Most important fact of all: Scott’s first foray into screenwriting came in the seventh grade when he crafted a horribly inappropriate Police Academy screenplay for an English class assignment.
Pro experience: Cody Smart is a writer, script doctor and development exec at Sony. She has sold several scripts, done ghostwriting, and written multiple scripts-for-hire, including book-to-script adaptations.
She is also proud to be a UCLA Extension instructor for the prestigious Writers’ Program, where she teaches Script Doctoring, Get Your Script Contest Ready, Advanced Show Bible and Pitch Deck Workshop, and Marketing Your Script. She’s also a regular contributor for Script University, where she’s taught multiple webinars, such as Writing Memorable Characters, and Sell Your TV Pilot.
Backstory: Many years ago, I moved from Santiago, Chile to L.A. to pursue my passion—screenwriting. I studied a lot (I’m a study nerd), and have degrees in Linguistics & Literature, Screenwriting, Development, and Producing, all of which have given me a well-rounded education in multiple aspects of filmmaking, which I apply to my writing.
I always thought I would just write scripts. But while in grad school, I started working at Sony Pictures and discovered a whole new area of screenwriting I knew little about, and that became incredibly interesting to me: development. I realized I have a passion and the skills to truly help writers develop their stories, and elevate them to the best possible level—while remaining true to the essence of the story that the writer wants to tell.
I worked my way up from reader, to story analyst, to script consultant, and then script doctor, and I honestly enjoy helping writers take their work to the next level and be part of the evolution of their stories. It’s that same passion that also drove me to want to teach screenwriting, and share my knowledge and the skills I’ve learned working in the industry with new and aspiring writers.
I also have a knack for structure, both for features and TV, and love helping writers restructure their work in order to make those turning points all about character development, and thus, stronger. Because, at the end of the day, I believe stories are all about watching interesting, unique characters change and evolve during the course of the story. And I approach this by giving writers actionable, tangible suggestions. I believe it’s not just about pointing out what’s not working in a story—it’s all about making suggestions that can be applied to the script in order to elevate it, always while staying true to the writer’s vision.
Main-genre specialties: Dramedy, Comedy, Drama Sub-genre specialties: Coming-of-age, Family, Faith, Romance, and all things TV (especially structure!)
Most important fact of all: Cody spends too much time trying to explain to her adorable daughter why she doesn’t consider orange a color. (If you’re a true fan of Legally Blonde, you’ll get it!)
Pro experience: While best known as the writer behind the tentpole dark future gladiator film, Atlas Uprising, now in development at Emagine Content, Tennyson has also ghostwritten many prestige dramas and was on the development team for the animated family release, Igor.
As of the writing of this bio, his most recent sale was of a scalding industry satire called Making the GAMP to director Michael Wohl. Out of the more than thirty screenplays he’s written, he’s sold or optioned ten.
Backstory: Growing up in the New England stage community, I studied writing, directing, dramaturgy and design before giving up the theaters of Western Massachusetts for the challenges of Los Angeles.
Over the intervening years, I’ve witnessed the financial and ethical abuses of Hollywood up close and personal, and I’ve had the honor of working side by side with personal heroes like David Lynch, Laura Dern, and a disproportionate number of Star Trek cast members.
While many of my pet projects are united by an interest in science-fiction, fantasy, and other forms of worldbuilding, challenging and empowering actors to grow as performers is my real passion as a screenwriter.
Giving a director and a cast the tools and support to do their very best work is a screenplay’s only measure of excellence.
My uncompromising eye for structure and specificity is what inspires producers, actors, and directors to keep relying on me. No matter what genre you might be working in, you can count on me for that as well.
In 2013, I was struck in the head with a sword during a stunt sequence on a colleague’s web series. Fighting my way back from traumatic brain injury, a host of quite literally crippling symptoms, and the anonymity of disability has only renewed my faith in the fundamentals of our craft and the necessity of a strong showbusiness community.
Most of our decisions are made by habit, and building strong habits can make our path to success nigh unassailable.
Main-genre specialties: Drama, Comedy, Action/Adventure Sub-genre specialties: Sci-Fi, Dramedy, Family, Sports, Martial Arts
Most important fact of all: I may have stolen a cryogenic chamber once.
Pro experience: Peter’s perhaps best known for co-writing Hellboy, with Guillermo Del Toro. In 26 years, he’s been employed by 20th Century Fox, Paramount, Universal, Sony/Columbia, Miramax, and many more, writing on such projects as Alien vs.Predator, Judge Dredd and War Of The Worlds.
Backstory: When I was a kid I didn’t want to make movies, because in those pre-internet days I didn’t even know that was a possibility. I grew up a wide-eyed British Marvel comics-reader on a blue-collar Northern housing estate, any given Harryhausen movie on TV—my month’s highlight. I was obsessed with Doctor Who, Star Trek, and the British Gerry Anderson shows.
When Star Wars came along, it rocked my world. Its attendant flood of behind-the-scenes literature made me realize people made this stuff for a living, and I started to devour everything I could about every facet of filmmaking. My parents had neither money or connections but, as a teen, I still had the best film school there was: old movies on the BBC.
I left home, armed with stubbornness and determination. Began as a runner at a commercials company in London, segueing to becoming an assistant cameraman. In the evenings, with a manual typewriter, a photocopy of Kasdan’s Raiders Of The Lost Ark screenplay, and William Goldman’s Adventures In The Screen Trade for reference and inspiration, I started writing screenplays for myself.
After six years, on a “What If?” whim, I submitted my resulting pile of dead tree to some talent agencies. Within weeks, William Morris and ICM both offered to represent me. A year later, I made my first screenplay sale overnight to 20th Century Fox. That was the last time I assisted as a cameraman.
I disdain the idea you ought to spreadsheet a movie into being solely by the numbers: creativity and common sense can triumph over stale script guru snake-oil. You don’t have to be a USC alumni to be a success in the movie business. If you’ve talent and determination, having someone who’s already fought in the Hollywood trenches to help whip your opus into shape is worth its weight in gold. So. Let’s get started, shall we…?
Main-genre specialties: Drama, Action/Adventure, Sci-Fi Sub-genre specialties: All
Most important fact of all: Peter has an aversion to glowing rocks, and likes pink very much, Lois.
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We have a contact page where you’ll find the answers to most questions on screenwriting, the business and our services, but you can also email us there too.
We hope to work with you soon!
Check out what others are saying about our services online.
Hi, my name’s Al Bloom (on the left, not the baby) and I’m the founder and CEO of Script Reader Pro.
I set the company up way back in 2010 having been continually disappointed with the quality of notes I was receiving on my own scripts.
All too often, their notes were vague, cliche-ridden and not much help at all. Also, I never know who’d read the script, what their genre specialism was, or if they’d actually sold one themselves.
I wanted to create a company which gave writers the answers to all these questions and, most importantly, first class feedback every single time. And the rest, as they say, is history.
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Dash Finley.
Jenna Mattison. 
Scott Parisien.
Tennyson E. Stead.
Peter Briggs [currently unavailable]. 
Hi, my name’s Al Bloom (on the left, not the baby) and I’m the founder and CEO of Script Reader Pro.