“Get your work edited by someone you love… and don’t count the rewrites or it will drive you mad” – Richard Curtis
After many years in script development and supporting new writers in developing their careers, I offer a limited number of personal script consultancy places each year.
You CREATE, I help you develop – stories for all markets
You WRITE, I feedback – with new ideas for your rewrite
You EDIT, I deliver – the best ongoing consultancy
Dream it, Write it, Sell it.
Every project needs a great idea, a clarity of concept, and a powerful story that flows from it. My script consultancy is your way to move forward to great visual writing. I will look at your idea, your script, and give you what you need to make the film or TV story come alive as film on paper. Script has to be written like poetry, economic and exact, with the perfect choice of words to show the thoughts and emotions in characters’ actions.
And I know that a great idea needs not just a good script, not just excellent script, but unique script.
Successful industry scripts are rewritten many times towards perfection. Script development with expert feedback helps to perfect your idea, and make your story the most powerful. Rewriting is the art that gets you there.
This is a professional approach to script development, with creative analysis and constructive suggestions, with ongoing meetings to help you achieve exactly the best project – concept, plot, and script, written to a professional level, letting your story shine through in all the scenes.
“Art is the imposing of a pattern on experience, and our aesthetic enjoyment is the recognition of the pattern.” — Alfred North Whitehead
Be Right on Your Rewrite.
So what is at the heart of a great script? A great story unfolds from a powerful idea. I care about and am fascinated by people. Scenes deliver suspense and surprise to make a real page-turner. My consultancy focuses on revealing the unique points of your story, and gives you a detailed analysis of genre, narrative structure, character, dialogue, plot and scene patterning. This is delivered through a series of one-to-one consultancies on your script, where you can ask any question you want about your concept, your story, your script and about our feedback. I want you to see and decide how to rewrite your script. That is why I only deliver a personal consultancy. So everything comes together through your rewrites to give you a script which you can sell.
“Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.”
— Antoine de Saint-Exupery
HOW TO APPLY FOR CONSULTANCY
- Include a covering page with your postal address, a short CV, telephone number and email, and specify if the project is for film or television.
- Include a short pitch.
- Include a 1 to 2 page outline.
Allow three weeks for a response. No charge is made for application and no advice is given on submissions. Please email your application texts as above to: applications@paulgallagher.eu
If accepted you will be offered first stage consultancy and asked to send either a full script [rough draft or polished, up to 140 pages max] or a treatment [at whatever stage of development, up to 16 pages max] or a TV series proposal, with sample script optional, together with payment of a consultancy fee.
Fee: £350 / $500 / €450
First Stage Consultancy
Within two weeks, you receive a creative script report with positive ideas for rewrites and project development, plus notes added directly to your script, plus an appointment for a one hour one-to-one consultancy, in a meeting or by phone call or skype when you can ask any questions about your script and report.
Your report will be a minimum of four pages and include:
- A short synopsis
- Character notes including relationships and journeys
- Notes on plot and narrative structure
- Notes on title, concept and selling pitch
- Detailed scene notes – on the script
- Dialogue notes – on the script
- Ideas on how best to move the project / script forward
As a professional writer at times I may not be available to take on new writers immediately for consultancy projects.
Further stages of consultancy are available on an ongoing basis by agreement of both parties only.
All consultancies via Euroscript events or recommendations guarantee that Euroscript receive a fixed commission percentage on all fees.
WRITERS’ QUOTES on CONSULTANCY
“Without Paul’s insights and encouragement I would never have made a single film or got past the first draft. He’s a fantastic script editor and story teller and his comments have helped me hugely on every one of my projects.” – Ross Clarke, Feature Film Director, ‘Dermaphoria’ (2015), ‘Skid Row’ (2007).
‘I have worked with Paul over a number of years and can honestly say I have rarely come across anyone with such a vast knowledge of writing, whether poetry, script or novel. It has been an absolute pleasure working with Paul the past several years.’ – Ken Williams, Feature Film Writer, ‘Life & Lyrics’ (2007), ‘Memoria’ (2014).
‘A life changing experience’ – Walter Anichhofer, award winning Austrian writer.
“Paul’s advice has shaped all my screenwriting work. His insight has enabled me to understand the nuances of visual storytelling and characterisation, and as a direct result of his support I have been commissioned to write screenplays for industry professionals.” – Gabriella Apicella, Writer and Founder of Underwire Festival
“Paul helped me see that because I wanted Eric as main character, Oliver’s group needed to be up and running at the start of the movie.” – Jonathan Asser, Writer Starred Up
‘Brilliant, inspiring’ – Catriona McGowan, writer Secret Society.
“Paul’s advice on my screenwriting is constantly intelligent, relevant and non-judgemental, but never holds back. Paul always helps me to reflect on the minute detail and its rippling consequences on the bigger picture, and as a result my characters have become richer, my stories more gripping and ultimately I make better films!” – Enrique Rovira, Director
‘Constructive and clarifying’ – Reenagh McCall RTE awarded writer.
‘Astoundingly revealing, I leave inspired’ – Brian Stirner, Writer-Director A Kind of Hush.
‘A wonderful experience, money well spent’ – Lloyd Gardner, Producer Artikal films.
‘A retreat to advance in’ – Stewart Howson, award winning LWT playwright
‘Great insight’ – Pedro Baptista, Director.