Zack Long by Bookcase

All Work and No Screenplay…

Hey there! I’m Zack Long, founder of Scriptophobic, press director of the Indie Film Wisconsin Film Festival and author of Scream Writing: The Comprehensive Guide to Writing the Horror Screenplay. I’ve been addicted to horror movies ever since I saw Evil Dead (1981) when I was capital W Way too young. It terrified me and I made it my mission to understand how it had such power. Of course, I’m older now and less afraid but I kept studying the genre (and film in general) and have put over 20 years into understanding what makes horror work.

Now I’m taking those lessons and using them to give back to the Scream Writers out there through personalized lessons for screenwriters and comprehensive feedback and analysis on screenplays. It’s my goal to help your script be the best it can be and I approach each script with an open mind and work to strengthen the cognitive effect your screenplay is aiming to achieve.

Writing is hard work, don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. As writers, we often get too close to our material to see its strengths and weaknesses. While studying creative writing at Dalhousie University, I lost count of how often self-perceived weaknesses in my writing were strengths to the reader. But I also overlooked some very real weaknesses. That’s why it’s important to get honest, detailed feedback on our work within our chosen field.

We all know that we should “practice, practice, practice” but we often forget how important feedback is to deliberate practice. In “Peak: Secrets from the New Science of of Expertise” Anders Ericsson writes that “Generally speaking, no matter what you’re trying to do, you need feedback to identify exactly where and how you’re falling short. Without feedback…you cannot figure out what you need to improve on or how close you are to achieving your goals.” With feedback from Scriptophobic and personalized lessons, I aim to help you achieve YOUR goals.

 

Order any of our screenwriting services and receive a code for 50% submission into Indie Film Wisconsin Film Festival.

Services

First Ten Pages – $100

Zack will look over the first 10 pages of your feature or pilot to help you craft a fantastic opening.

Short Film Screenplay – $200     
Get 5-6 pages of quality notes on everything from your characters and dialogue to the theme and structure.
TV Pilot – $250  

Get 10-12 pages of quality notes on everything from your characters and dialogue to the theme and structure.

Feature Length Screenplay – $500     

Receive 10-15 pages of notes on everything from your characters and dialogue to the theme and structure.

1 Hour Lesson – $50  

Zack and you will chat either through email or a quick 15-minute Skype session about your learning goals. From these goals he creates a personalized hour long lesson, complete with useful documents and power points.

Short Film Workshop – $750           

Over the course of 4 weeks, you and Zack will sit down for a weekly one-hour Skype or phone session plus a 15-30 minute session to set learning goals. Zack tailors an individualized learning plan to accomplish those goals and prepare you for your next goals.

 Get in touch today if you have any questions and treat your screenplay right.

Please send a PDF of your screenplay and a paragraph or two about your intentions to ZackLong@Scriptophobic.ca after you have bought your service of choice. If you have any questions prior to purchase, don’t hesitate to send Zack an email.

                                        Second Draft – 25% OFF

If Zack has ever consulted on your script in the past, receive 25% off the original price on any subsequent drafts. Contact Zack for a custom invoice.

Testimonials

“Zack Long’s prowess for the craft and integrity of storytelling and the written word is matched only by his gifts as an approachable and entertaining communicator. An inspired mind, Long isn’t afraid to share both his inspiration and his wisdom.” – Nathan Squiers, author of the Crimson Shadow series.

“I highly recommend Scriptophobic for your screenplay review needs. Zack’s notes are tough, concise and thorough as hell. What he’s done is help me whittle down my work to a sharper, more refined film, by giving page by page notes and a full breakdown covering the plot, characters, what works and what doesn’t. It’s made my script better.” Nathan Smith, screenwriter of Fresh Meat.

“I sent my script to Zack and he gave me extensive notes – I could tell that he really put a lot of effort into working on this script and giving me excellent advice. He gave me so much to work with, that I could put into action immediately to make the script better. I would definitely recommend him to anyone working on a horror screenplay (though I think his notes would help anyone with a non-horror one as well)! I’d definitely work with him again!” – Leslie D. Soule, author of the Fallenwood Chronicles.

 “I was lucky enough to stumble across Zack and his services, and I was blown away by his considerable insight into storytelling. He offered some brilliant suggestions, particularly in regards to the structure, that will certainly improve the flow and emotional resonance of my screenplay. Because of his evaluation, I’m quite anxious to get back behind the keyboard and incorporate his ideas. I can’t imagine the time and effort he would put into a full consultation, and I have no doubt that any writer would reap immense benefit from his suggestions. As an added bonus, he is a great guy, and as a throwaway in our conversation, he unexpectedly gave me a fantastic line that I will be sure to incorporate into the story. Thanks again Zack!!!” – Chad Dashnaw, screenwriter of The Halfway Point.