SCREENWRITERS FEDERATION OF AMERICA

SFA Approved Consultants

John Rainey	Founder of Rainey Script Consulting, John Rainey, has worked with over a thousand screenwriters in the past twelve years. John attended Cornell University in the MFA program for Stage Directing, and he has also taken ten options on six of his scripts. Creative Screenwriting Magazine has rated John Rainey "Best of the Best" in the 2003 survey of screenplay consultants. John believes that everyone prepared to work hard can become a professional Screenwriter, and he wants to help those who are willing to do the work to get their stories on the market. Although he has enjoyed living in Iowa for seven years, John now resides in Redondo Beach, California. Visit the Rainey Script Consulting website for more information.
Dave Trottier	Dave Trottier has sold several screenplays and developed projects for The Walt Disney Company, Jim Henson Pictures, York Entertainment, On the Bus Productions, Hill Fields (for ABC) and New Century Pictures. As a script consultant, he has helped dozens of his clients sell their work and win or place in contests (including two Nicholl Fellowship winners and a National Play Award winner). His book, The Screenwriter's Bible (now in its third edition), is a top seller. He has written a column for Script since 1989, and has published over a hundred articles in Writer's Digest, Hollywood Scriptwriter, USA TODAY, Vision, Disney Channel Magazine, Creative Screenwriting, and other national publications. He was recently interviewed by American Writer. Visit website for more information.
Sara Caldwell	Sara Caldwell has over 15 years of experience in the trenches as a film and video writer/producer and award-winning screenwriter. She has worked in all levels of production, from craft service to executive producer. She is also co-author of "So You Want to be a Screenwriter: How to Face the Fears and Take the Risks" (Allworth Press.) This book addressed the process of screenwriting as well as ways in which to create believable stories and characters. She has also written numerous industry articles and columns for publications such as Script, Hollywood Insider, Creative Screenwriting, and more. In addition to private consultations, Sara has conducted screenwriting and video production workshops for participants of all ages. Visit website for more information.
Christopher Keane	Christopher Keane is the author of over two dozen novels and screenplays, including: The Hunter (Paramount), Dangerous Company (WB), How to Write a Selling Screenplay (Random House), Hot Property: Screenwriting in the New Hollywood (Penguin), The Crossing (WB) and The Huntress (Penguin/Putnam) an MOW and now series on USA Networks. He teaches screenwriting throughout the United States and in Europe and has taught and lectured at Harvard, NYU, the Smithsonian, Maui Writers and is a “Star Speaker” at the Screenwriting Expo in LA. Christopher Keane is a member of Writers Guild of America West, The Authors Federation, and PEN. Visit Keanwords website for more information on script analysis services.
Leslie Paonessa	An industry professional with credits as a development executive and producer, Leslie Paonessa is uniquely qualified to provide expert, personalized story analysis/evaluation and in-depth consultation to the new and more seasoned writer, as well as to independent producers and production companies. Her past and current work with many important independent feature companies and an international client list provides a strong background to assist in making your screenplay ready for today’s competitive marketplace. Focus on story elements, structure, character development, and dialogue, with page-by-page notes of problems and suggestions create a useful, insightful analysis to help the writer go forward in re-writing. Supportive telephone coaching follow-up can also be included.
Jonathan Dorf	Playwright, screenwriter and script consultant Jonathan Dorf has had his plays produced in over twenty states, as well as in Canada, Europe and Asia. He is published by Eldridge and Meriwether, is the resident playwriting expert for Final Draft and The Writers Store, the former managing director of the Philadelphia Dramatists Center and a current vice-chair of the Alliance of Los Angeles Playwrights and a member of the Dramatists Federation. For screen, he has written a pair of produced shorts (Throwaways, dir. David Marmor, and Reunion, dir. Harley Cross), as well as a number of feature-length scripts. He holds a BA in Dramatic Writing and Literature from Harvard University and an MFA in Playwriting from UCLA. Visit website for more information.
Peter Soutter	During the last 10 years Peter Soutter has worked as a script consultant and story analyst for some of the biggest film companies in the world including Universal Studios, Polygram Filmed Entertainment, Village Roadshow and Propaganda Films. During that time Peter has written thousands of script coverage reports and has worked with a variety of directors including Spike Jonze, Stephen Frears and David Fincher. Two years ago Peter established Script Surgery an online film script consultancy service. Peter personally reads every script submitted to Script Surgery and specializes in nurturing up and coming talent. His script analysis, industry style coverage and other services help the writer take their script from first draft to polished screenplay.
Lynne Pembroke	As well as being a published author and poet, Lynne Pembroke has seventeen years experience as an entertainment industry professional. Starting with such companies as Stephen Cannell Productions, The Walt Disney Studios, and ABC Entertainment, she has done story editing for an Emmy Award Winning Children's Producer/Writer and is currently a judge for several major script competitions. Lynne applies her expertise further by providing in-depth story analysis and evaluation for screenwriters. Each analysis is individually tailored to assist the writer in getting his/her screenplay ready for the marketplace. Many of her clients have gone on to sell their work. For more information on Lynne's screenplay consultation services, visit her website.
Steve Biodrowski	Since graduating from USC's School of Cinema, Steve Biodrowski has worked as a film critic, script analyst, and journalist. His articles have appeared in Movieline, Premiere, and Le Cinephage. He served as the West Coast Editor of Cinefantastique magazine, as the Vice President of Editorial Content at Fandom.com, and as the Executive Editor at Cinescape Online. As a script analyst, he has worked at RKO/Pavilion and at World Film, Inc., where he provided coverage on such titles as The Crow, To Die For, Sphere, The 13th Warrior, Corrina, Corrina, Two Bits, and Mixed Nuts, all of which went on to become feature films. As a screenwriter, he has collaborated on The Pacific Conspiracy for Sandy Howard Films and Red Moon for Conrad Puzon Productions. Visit website for more information.
Jacqueline Dollard	Blank Slate is a niche company founded by Jacqueline Dollard. Jacqueline has fifteen years' experience in literary development in both features and television with high profile companies and individuals that include top literary agency Triad Artists Inc., headed by Arnold Rifkin, Lee Rosenberg and Nicole David, HBO Features, ER, The West Wing television producer and president of The Writer's Federation, John Wells, Twentieth Century Fox Features and New Regency. In addition to working actively in development in the industry, Jacqueline has also worked with Syd Field, Robert McKee, John Truby, UCLA Extension, and studied mythology, fairy tales, and the anatomy of the psyche at the Jungian Institute in Los Angeles. For more info visit website.
Paul Young	Paul Young, founder of Literary & Screenplay Consultants, is the original writer of the Warner Bros. feature BORN TO BE WILD, and his screenplay adaptation of the novel MENDEL'S DWARF is to be produced by Barwood Films, with Barbara Streisand as Executive Producer. His script consulting clients include Academy Award nominees for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay and Best Adapted Screenplay, and the Winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival. He provides in-depth analysis that identifies the strengths and weaknesses of a script, supplies detailed solutions for all creative problems, and outlines a complete range of development proposals that functions as a guide through the revision process. For more information visit website.