“In many ways you pushed me far beyond what I thought I could do, and entertained ideas that seem far-fetched. You are clever, oh so wise, and critical in all the good ways.”
Alex, Nashville
“Out of all the people who have given me notes on my screenplay, Will’s feedback was by far the most helpful. After weeks of struggling with the first draft of my script, I submitted it to Will, and I am so glad that I did. The feedback I received completely unlocked the problems I was having and clarified which parts of the story needed work. It was obvious from the depth of his assessment that he had taken the time to really read each page and had put a lot of thought into his notes. He made me think about parts of my story in a new way, and my re-written draft was much stronger for it. Not only were his notes invaluable for fixing this specific script, but I feel like his feedback on my writing has made me a better writer overall.”
Hillary, Los Angeles
“Tes notes sont d’un soin et d’une finesse extraordinaires. Merci de me donner autant d’attention. Très utile pour me faire réfléchir davantage.”
“Thank you for giving my script so much attention. Your notes show extraordinary care and finesse. Very helpful to get me to think further.”
Nicole, Perpignan France
“You obviously put a great deal of effort into your notes, which range from very helpful to extraordinarily helpful. I’m brimming with ideas for the rewrite… Every time I talk to you, I get more excited about my script.”
Allan, Boston
“What do you want to know about first? How much you’ll get for your dollar, or how great the advice is? Both far exceeded my expectations.
Thanks to William Akers, our story will be better, stronger and more marketable. The other critiquing service we used suggested re-arranging the furniture and adding a throw pillow. William came in and gutted (lovingly and wisely) and provided blueprints to rebuild. He is the real deal.
He’s insightful, thorough and cuts right to the core. It’s the insight into the story and characters that will blow your mind. Just when you think you’ve got it all figured out…”
Colleen, Nebraska
“Just wanted to let you know I’ve been working through a re-write and I believe I’m making pretty good progress. The detailed notes you made on the hard copy are proving to be invaluable. From the macro big picture stuff down to the micro details of economy, formatting etc. I really really appreciate your insights and attention to detail.”
Gregor, Rocaberti Workshop, France
“I am an Egyptian television director working on my first feature. I am collaborating with a writer in Egypt because it’s a local story. I read Will’s book to be able to get a professional view on what is being written. The book was of great help. When I found out that Will consults and gives notes, I went through the trouble of translating the whole script from Arabic to English. The comments and notes were absolutely great, worth every penny if not more. The audio commentary was amazing because it gives you clues on how to fix the story and characters with inspiring examples from real life and scenes from movies… How and when to add tension, remove scenes or even characters…the introduction of a character… the agent of change… the ending… the list is endless. The comments opened my eyes to limitless possibilities, taking the script to a whole different level. Will, thank you and I am happy to find you. So all of you out there who think the fee is a lot, think again.”
Omar, Giza Egypt
“Got everything, listened to everything, great job, as expected! Exactly the kind of notes I need to fuel a healthy rewrite (I’m way too close to the material right now).”
Pierre, Montreal
“Will’s notes were invaluable in improving the rough cut of my short film. They were ruthlessly honest and focused– the furthest thing from the “great job” notes I was getting from my buddies– and energized me to strip away extraneous material, clarify the tone, and vastly improve the quality of the film.”
Rob, Brooklyn
“I was really nervous having Will critique my work. Would he think it sucked, would he think I sucked? What happened was he saw through what I was saying and made me face all the things I wasn’t saying that needed to be in my script. If you are looking for a pat on the head and a “good job” then go somewhere else, but if you want to make your characters and story come alive then have Will critique your script. He knows what he is talking about and can give you a clear path to follow. It is up to you to do the gritty, painful work of rewriting, but so worth it, if you have that story inside you that needs to be told.”
Joni, Nashville
“Little did I know he would be so dedicated, so committed. Sir Will read it through twice, made notes, and sent them back to us. Fine Job I thought. But no, we then had a good two hours telephone call where he went through his notes with us, clarifying the comments, focusing on the issues and educating us regarding the script.
He opened our eyes to things we had not seen. Of course, it was our project, the forest for the trees. Being so close to the project for so long had shaped our view. Will opened our eyes to a different film. Of course you can choose not to listen– but we would have been fools to have done that. So we did listen.”
Trevor, London
“Went in thinking “Eh, it’s not great, but it doesn’t suck, surely?” As I read, sure enough, looked up and said “Yep, my screenplay sucks!” Took specific notes on more precise lines of action; I was being way too wordy! Novelistic, indeed! Not to mention gaping plot holes and character details that I had just not considered before. I had always tried to write telling myself, “character before narrative, let the former drive the latter.” And while I thought myself to be doing so, I made the fatal mistake of only thinking of characters within the contents of the story. I asked questions about them that in the end forced characters into a narrative, and didn’t allow the characters to be true people and help mold the narrative.
Must say, it left me in a state of writer’s block for a few days. But EUREKA! Had the most productive day of writing in a couple of months today, this time trying to apply points from Your Screenplay Sucks! to make it well…suck less! What was written today is still undoubtedly first draft writing, but writing with what I learned in mind definitely made a difference! Comparing two pieces of writing, one before reading the book and one after reading the book, I found a substantial difference. The “after” piece came off as far less pretentious and read like something I would actually want to read. I often get so caught up in describing the movie in my head that I forget to consider how the content reads on the page — another point you made in the book! Much more clear results after applying your lessons.”
Dan, Los Angeles
“In my experience, Akers is able to effortlessly identify the needs of my screen story and tailors his response to where I am in my process. His advice cuts to the bone and proves, time after time, to be extremely effective and on target. He pushes me toward creating the ultimate cinematic experience. I could not ask for a better critical eye for my material.
Thank you Mr. Akers. I would be stupid to work on a screenplay without you.”
Francisco, Las Vegas
“William M. Akers’ screenplay critique ranks among the most comprehensive, reading your script three times, each with its own set of notes. From cleaning up your format to challenging structure, theme, and character, this review, while not for the faint of heart, will improve your current story and your next story.”
David, San Antonio
“Working with Will has been invaluable to our project and a great learning experience for me. The most encouraging thing is that he he goes beyond the call of duty, which makes me suspect he cares about what he’s doing. He grasped the subject we were dealing with immediately and opened our eyes to possibilities that we had been missing. His notes are detailed and constructive, his approachability and honesty in discussion allows you to get the most out of working together. All this brings a new energy and creativity to the writing process, helping you to move the work on.
The advice and support we have received from Will is going to impact hugely on this project and will undoubtably influence me as a writer in the future. I can’t wait to see what he makes of our next draft…”
Claire, London
Your Screenplay Sucks! 