Jim Mercurio, Screenwriting Coach and Mentor

About me

I can’t guarantee that you can write a great script in seven days and sell it for a zillion dollars. However, my decades of experience as a screenwriter, development exec and filmmaker can help you grow as a writer and improve your script—today.

Having read more than 5,000 scripts, I know that not all screenplays or screenwriters fit into one mold. As a story analyst, I immerse myself in your material—taking cues from your work, mining your script—to help you elevate it and your writing to their fullest potential.

Learn More

Complete Screenwriting: From A to Z to A-List

6 Discs* 10 Hours* 1 Hour of Motion Graphics

At a Glance

The most in-depth exploration of story: scenes and single lines of dialogue analyzed at the molecular level.
Gain a new appreciation for screenwriting craft. Raise your expectations and learn the skills to meet them.
Perfect the most lucrative skill in Hollywood. Not how to come up with high-concept ideas … but how to execute them!

Learn More

What Clients Are Saying

After I hired Jim for his Professional Script Analysis, I was amazed that his comments went deeper than books and college courses. I watched his DVDs, and then asked him how I could better myself as a screenwriter. After he revealed he had a set of teaching paradigms which functioned as a course, I committed to flying across the country for a week-long intensive training session. Having been world-class in another field, I know it when I see it: Jim's mentoring is world-class.

Wayne Chiang 1999 StarCraft World Champion

Jim is patient and inspiring and gave me the tools I needed to take my script to the next level. I just signed with a manager and agent and Jim definitely helped me get there. He's truly a gem!

Kelly Los Angeles

Jim’s feedback was invaluable. His knowledge of film genre, theory, formulas and structure is exceptional. After working with Jim, my script was optioned by an Academy Award-nominated director.

Pam Bassuk

Jim miraculously gets the best out of you.

Jill Wallace

Seeing a movie — or better yet, your own script — through Jim's eyes is like playing a round of golf with Arnold Palmer. Moves you never imagined are revealed, and techniques you thought you knew cold are plumbed to greater depths.

John Dummer

The best example of how an analyst can give concrete help without veering off the track of your story... (Jim) is not just telling you how to rewrite a particular script... much of what he said could be applied to future work as well.

Creative Screenwriting Magazine in their review of 20+ script consultants

Services

Coaching & Mentoring

Coaching is a commitment you make to your script, craft and career. Jim provides all the support you need over several drafts, regardless of where you are in your process, to write a polished ready-to-market script.

Comprehensive Analysis

Jim’s close analysis of all aspects of story and craft gives you everything you need to embark on a highly productive rewrite. Includes 10-15 pages of feedback on one draft of your feature-length screenplay.

Professional Analysis

Jim provides 12–22 pages of in-depth notes that delve into every aspect of your feature script with ultra-detail. You will also receive nitty-gritty analysis for multiple key scenes. The specificity of insight will improve your writing forever. This service is the next best thing to Script Coaching.

Snapshot Analysis

Jim provides quick, concentrated insight that functions as a litmus test for your script and craft.

Treatment Analysis

Includes four to seven pages of notes on outline, synopsis or treatment for a feature film plus a 20-minute follow-up call to discuss ideas and brainstorm solutions.

Scene/Craft Analysis

An assessment of your craft at the nitty-gritty level: dialogue, scenes, action description, etc.

Jim Mercurio

Let me be your champion!