The method
How a screenplay is scored
Fifteen craft categories. 15 points each. 225 points in total. This page is the whole method written out — what each category is actually looking for, where the bands sit, and the rules the read has to follow before a single number is written down.
Why fifteen categories instead of one grade
A single grade tells a writer how they did. It never tells them what to open the file and change. Splitting the read into fifteen scored categories means a draft can be strong in concept and thin in scene work at the same time — and the report says exactly which is which, with the pages to prove it.
Nothing is weighted. All fifteen categories carry the same 15 points, so a beautiful premise cannot carry a broken middle, and disciplined structure cannot hide a voice that has not arrived yet.
Category 1 · 0.0–15.0
Concept & Premise
The strength, clarity, and potential of the central story idea.
Category 2 · 0.0–15.0
Protagonist Development
The strength and effectiveness of your main character.
Category 3 · 0.0–15.0
Character Support System
Supporting characters, relationships, and opposition.
Category 4 · 0.0–15.0
Story Structure
The architecture holding your screenplay together.
Category 5 · 0.0–15.0
Conflict & Stakes
Dramatic pressure and what is truly at risk.
Category 6 · 0.0–15.0
Dialogue
Character voice, subtext, and effectiveness on the page.
Category 7 · 0.0–15.0
Pacing
Momentum, rhythm, and audience engagement.
Category 8 · 0.0–15.0
Emotional Impact
How deeply the audience connects to the story.
Category 9 · 0.0–15.0
Theme & Meaning
The deeper purpose beneath the plot.
Category 10 · 0.0–15.0
Originality & Creative Identity
Uniqueness and the fingerprint only you can leave.
Category 11 · 0.0–15.0
Visual Storytelling
How cinematically the story communicates on screen.
Category 12 · 0.0–15.0
Scene Effectiveness
Whether each individual scene earns its place.
Category 13 · 0.0–15.0
Marketability & Audience Connection
Audience accessibility and professional potential.
Category 14 · 0.0–15.0
Professional Readiness
Whether the draft demonstrates industry-level preparation.
Category 15 · 0.0–15.0
Overall Story Survival
The screenplay judged as one complete experience.
Where the bands sit
The total lands a draft in one of four bands. The band is a description of the work left to do, not a ranking of writers.
180–225
Survival Ready
Professionally competitive. Polish and prepare to submit.
135–179
Strong Draft
Real craft on the page with specific areas holding it back.
90–134
Developing
The story exists. The execution needs a focused rewrite.
Below 90
Early Stage
Foundational work needed. This is a starting point, not a failure.
The rules of the read
Evidence before opinion
Every point taken or given has to be traceable to something on the page — a scene, a line, a page range. A note that cannot cite the draft does not get written.
Ambiguity is not a mistake
When a screenplay supports more than one reading, the read names the readings instead of asserting a motive as fact. Deliberate open space is not scored as confusion.
Restraint is craft, not absence
Withheld emotion, delayed payoffs and containment are read as choices first. The question is whether the withholding is paying off later, not whether it feels quiet now.
The same draft scores the same twice
Each read is checked against itself before it is released. Category scores that cannot be justified against the reasoning are re-run rather than published.
The number is a measurement, never a verdict
225 is a development instrument. It describes where a draft stands today and what to fix next. It does not predict a sale and it is not a judgment of the writer.
See the method on a real draft
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