I have been working on a television pilot, and have sent it out several times now for contests or script coverage. Everybody else has given me extremely constructive feedback, pointing out strengths and weaknesses, giving me fairly precise areas for me to improve on with each revision. The feedback I got from Larias was absolutely useless and the first time I felt it was a complete waste of money. Brilliant gems like, "Why does the Puerto Rican character have to speak English with a Spanish accent?" and "maybe this needs to be a cartoon"! I've read it three times, and I'm still in shock I paid $151 for this garbage. I find myself completely paralyzed right now! As a Hollywood outsider with no steady income, I can't afford to throw my money away, and I've lost confidence in the Stage 32 vetting process for reviewers. (I raised this with them, but their response was pretty lame.) What do I do? Just send back the revised script to people who have already read it and were helpful before?
Screenwriting : has anybody gotten script coverage from Roberto Larias? by Rosa Lafantastica
has anybody gotten script coverage from Roberto Larias?
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Ardua, I'm so sorry that happened. I've had both good and useless paid coverage. My best coverage has been between peers here in Stage32. If you'd like to swap scripts for coverage, let me know. I want you to have a positive experience at Stage32.
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Ardua, feedback is subjective. It's someones opinion and that's all it is. If the feedback makes sense to you and you can see where it would help the story then great consider it use it. If you think it's shit then it probably is. There are a lot what I will tastefully call "A-holes" giving script coverage or so called "professional" feedback. If you know your story well enough and it's structured properly you should be okay.
Um, I didn't say anything about spelling errors--I indicated upon introduction of my Puerto Rican character that he speaks English with a Spanish accent. (I was not writing his dialogue phonetically!) No other reviewer ever complained about that, and nobody complained that my Hong Kong character's introduction indicated that he speaks with a British accent. I understand that somebody might grow up in N.Y.C. after being born to Puerto Rican parents and not have a Spanish accent, but my character is actually from Puerto Rico, which is my prerogative and important to the character's arc and role in the overall story. If anybody wants to clarify their comment on that point, I would appreciate it. No spelling errors! Thank you in general for your other feedback! I'm still not sure what my next step will be.
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Oh, I wasn't talking about you making a spelling mistake, it was a general thing, they pick something rather unimportant to the overall point don't. Anyway, sorry I didn't put that better. Best of luck.
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I don't know who Roberto Larias is but those were pretty dumb remarks he gave you. Now I know why I never pay for feedback.
Kay, he didn't say "this should be a Puerto Rican accent, not a Spanish accent"--he questioned why he has an accent. I would honestly hesitate to specify what you are suggesting since I don't think a single Mexican or Mexican-American was cast in the Mexican-American family on "Ugly Betty", but I appreciate your point. I will rewrite something to clarify that the character is from Puerto Rico and speaks English with an accent. I would LOVE to see a Puerto Rican in the role, but my dream casting is probably not in the realm of possibilities! I hope you have been able to return as an adult! I've only been once, before the hurricane, but I've had several coworkers from Puerto Rico.
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Thanks Ardua, everyone needs allies. Good luck!