I just have to say that this service makes so much sense. It's far more effective
and transparent than the hope machine of contests and other services.
— Laurie Ashbourne
I mean, honestly considering the number of readers, the level of feedback, and the overall engagement
the price seems like an absolute steal. Been working in and around the
industry a long time and I have found this whole process to be absolutely professional and a pleasure.
— Charles Haine
Received feedback from the Gauntlet and have to say it's some of the most detailed and informative feedback
I've ever received. There's an overview that hits the high points, and then a page by page drubbing that
showed me what worked (and most importantly, what didn't work) with the readers. The emojis are my favorite!
In addition, a producer championed it, and now, utilizing the feedback from The Gauntlet, I'm working
with that producer to make the script better. Would not have happened without
the Gauntlet.
— Richmond Weems
These notes are truly valuable. I knew going in that this was the time to put my money where my mouth is
and check my ego at the door. Thank you, ScriptHop for the opportunity to have my pilot read by so many
qualified readers! It's a much-needed service for unknown writers. I'm
pumped about prepping my script to be resubmitted.
— S. Michael Salyer
A lot of writers are complaining about the cost, but I'm like, do the math.
$380 for 7 reads from industry
folk is the deal of the century. And if you get all 17 reads,
holy mackerel, you've hit the writer jackpot.
— Raven Petretti-Stamper
This is the vetting service I've been waiting for for years. The feedback I've received in both of my
submissions is actionable and inspiring and only serves to help me create a marketable product.
Hopefully, my next rewrite and submission will be "the one" that is the catalyst. Thank you so much!
— Pete Conrad
Astonishing coverage in its breadth. A breathtakingly ambitious project with notes to match.
I have enough notes for a month's worth of rewrites which is daunting and also extremely valuable. Bravo, I'm (almost)
overwhelmed.
— Mark Laing
I made it through Level 3 and was one of the survivors! Interestingly, I was one of the passionate
minority on Level 1. The feedback was overwhelming in a very good way. It covered Concept, Story,
Characters, Dialogue, Structure, Writing and Marketability. The software and feedback system they
designed makes it easy to read through the feedback at a macro and micro level. Also, what was very
valuable, I had a 1-on-1 meeting with Scott Foster (co-founder) after I received the feedback and
he had just met with a group of the readers who reviewed Saigon Doll. The meeting was helpful because
Scott summarized the major commonalities with the notes. Lastly, I was able to secure a shopping
agreement with a Producer who read my script in Level 1.
— Tony Ferrendelli
The experience was good. I really like the detailed breakdown, and also having seven readers check out my script is a major
plus. It's very interesting to see the different views on the same project. This was cool. Thank
you for launching this.
— K.E. O'Connor
The Gauntlet is unlike any other script service I have ever used. And that's a good thing! You can tell that such
delicate care and effort was put into its creation. Getting the real opinions of seven readers in one submission
is revolutionary. A fantastic opportunity and hands down the best script service I've ever entered! Highly
recommend. Definitely plan on using again in the future.
— Brian Salay
A ton of feedback - plenty of bang for the buck. Can tell it's actionable,
professional, and all-human insight to help me
elevate my project moving forward. Far more useful in improving my screenplay than standard 'contest coverage'
or just one set of pro coverage notes. You can see the consensus opinion and what improvements need to be
implemented.
— Stephen Hoover
Will I submit more projects to The Gauntlet? Absolutely. In my opinion,
this is the new Gold Standard for helping you get your
work in the best possible shape you can, opening that elusive door to the inner circle, and stepping into
the room with the rest of the serious people.
— Clark Ransom
Unfortunately, there have been a few competitions and screenwriting platforms that used/use AI analysis
for notes and feedback instead of humans lately. Thankfully, writers don't have
to worry about A.I. with ScriptHop.
— Dina Mousa
Out of all the feedback sources online, the Gauntlet has been the best bang for
the buck. Receiving feedback from a wide range of readers ensures that you get multiple points
of view instead of just one, which forces you to take bigger stock in the responses.
— Bobby Gorman
Admittedly I'm impatient when it comes to receiving feedback because I'm excited to know what everyone
thinks, so the waiting was rough in the beginning, but now that I see the level one report and all that
goes into it, the service is totally worth the wait. The comprehensive
breakdown gives me a detailed look at similarities between readers to see what issues need addressing.
— Pete Dowd
This format of having multiple reviewers — combined with a quick way to see the kinds of comments
that recur for a script — really helps underscore where its strengths and
weaknesses lie.
— Jon Nalick
The feedback I received from industry professionals was golden. I have never
seen a service like this before that gives critical insight into perfecting one's script. This
is a service I definitely see myself using to improve my scripts for the future.
— James Willingham
I didn't know what to expect, but what I DO know is that I got way more than I
ever considered possible. The scoring based on 'similar feedback' is really useful! It's a
comprehensive end-to-end package.
— Eve Hayes
Remarkably, Scott Foster, a ScriptHop Co-Founder, personally reached out to me due to the differing
viewpoints of the reviewers and his interest in the story. Although I've won and placed in many contests
before, I've never experienced such dedication to helping writers.
— Gayla Kraetsch Hartsough
The chance to get 12 (or hopefully 17!) readers' responses to one's material is incredibly valuable.
The on-page script notes are genius because you are getting real time responses to every joke,
incisive line, or surprising scene turn, so you are able to better calibrate what consistently works,
where there are logic issues, or overlooked moments that would benefit from more pushing on. That
was far and away the most useful aspect of the experience. Additionally, it was interesting to see
what kind of reader (studio reader, festival reader, producer, agency reader) responded to the
material, and what kind didn't, because I could also then weigh that into my assessment of their notes.
But, I think the benefit of the Gauntlet is to be able to get a huge amount of reader reaction data
in a very short time, which then vastly shortens the rewrite time. I will definitely resubmit this
script to the Gauntlet as the reactions did help me to find the note behind the note, even if, as is
usual in development, the fixes suggested were maybe wrong but the reactions were correct and extremely
helpful.
I was extremely skeptical going into this experience, and figured it to potentially be a complete
write-off, but I am very pleased with the result!
More than any screenplay contest, or the Black List,
your service provides actionable feedback that I have already seen make the script better and stronger.
— Glen Brackenridge
In the feedback, I could tell the evaluators spent time crafting their thoughts and breaking down the finer
points of my script in full detail.
If anyone is considering submitting, absolutely do it! It's an amazing
opportunity for your writing.
— Andrew Johnson
Putting my award-winning screenplay through the Gauntlet was an experience
like no other. Allowing it to be scrutinized at every level gave me the insights that I feel
my story needs to try and take to the next level. An outstanding process with no sugar-coating that
I know will only make my screenplay better. I am being meticulous with my rewrite based on their
multi-layered notes in order to put it back through again. I cannot recommend
ScriptHop enough and look forward to putting more of my work through this unparalleled process
in the future!
— Jack Warner
The wealth of notes and detail is immensely helpful and deeply encouraging as towards next steps.
I look forward to polishing and then re-entering this script at a later date!
— Christopher Dole
Participating in ScriptHop's Gauntlet was an eye-opening experience that
transformed how I approach my script.
The feedback from the analysts was incredibly thorough, highlighting both the strengths of my story and
areas for improvement with actionable suggestions. Their insights helped me refine key aspects like
dialogue, thematic resonance, and pacing, while also deepening my understanding of character
development and conflict escalation. What stood out most was how the Gauntlet didn't just critique
but encouraged growth, providing a roadmap to elevate the script while respecting my creative vision.
I now feel more confident in my ability to create a polished, impactful story, and the feedback has
become an invaluable resource as I prepare for the next draft. Thank you to the ScriptHop team for this
amazing opportunity and I plan on re-entering my script very soon to the Gauntlet. I highly recommend
it to any writer looking to push their work to the next level!
— Oliver North
The ScriptHop Gauntlet's actionable feedback on my script is invaluable.
The on page notes really help me to see what's working and what needs more attention. Thank you to
everyone who took the time to read SUNDOWN. Back to work.
— Alan C Beard
As painful (and exhilarating) as some of the feedback is to read, the specificity of many of the
readers/commenters and the truth behind their words (which explain the pain) make this an extremely
valuable tool for the rewriting and reimagining of the pilot and the series as a whole. This is so
much information to digest that I gave it a good once over and will have tackle it slowly as my
ego allows. LOL. A really great experience, and I look forward to resubmitting after much contemplation,
introspection and self flagellation. :)
I have submitted this to one other place - a script competition - and the feedback I got back was
so obviously written by ChatGPT I felt extremely annoyed. A waste of time and money. There are some
notes from commenters that provided instructional feedback, which I was not expecting. Very specific
things to work on, including ideas for reframing the story and the characters, very clear notes
on reformatting, that it made me felt like at least a few people reading it were really championing
me and cheering me on. The instructional feedback is the most useful. It is more difficult to
process shorter comments like "this joke isn't funny" because the very next commenter will say
"great joke". But this is also helpful, because it shows me that I need to be myself. That's all
I can do. I can't be everyone's cup of tea, but that's not a very interesting thing to be anyway. Thank you!
— Amy Christine & Marcel Sarmiento
These notes are extremely detailed, actionable, and come from a variety of readers. At first pass, there
are some things that were mentioned by a majority of readers at all levels. That is super helpful, as
often times a writer can feel like a reader just didn't "get" their writing. I can't wait get onto
rewrites. The Gauntlet is an invaluable service that I would definitely recommend.
— Eric Buckley
With this being my first submission, wow! I had no idea I would receive so much insightful
information and notes. This is beyond helpful and I will definitely be utilizing the Gauntlet
in the future. I really appreciate all of the time, dedication and advice generously
given by the analysts. Thank you all!