Scholars worldwide have extensively written about screenwriting—exploring its theories, intricacies, and methods. Books, YouTube videos, and courses cover various aspects, such as screenplay writing, character development, and story structure. However, when I searched for a structured formula or principle to assess the quality of a screenplay, I found none. This gap led to the creation of this book, Film Screenplay Auditing.

While numerous experts have explained how to write a screenplay in their own unique ways, I realized that no one had addressed how to audit a screenplay to ensure it meets industry standards. You may be familiar with ISI and ISO certifications, which help organizations self-assess and verify whether their processes adhere to established guidelines. To my disappointment, no such structured method existed for evaluating a screenplay’s quality.

In my early years in the film industry, I believed that my writing—both story and screenplay—was flawless. Whenever I narrated my story to someone, I viewed it solely from my own perspective. If they failed to understand a part of it, my instinct was to explain rather than question my writing.

In filmmaking, auditing a screenplay is no simple task. It goes beyond pointing out flaws—it requires industry knowledge, experience, and patience. Before labelling something as a flaw, it must be examined from multiple perspectives. While screenplay issues have been discussed informally for years, I identified critical gaps in these discussions and developed a structured, unbiased approach. I take pride in naming and formalizing this process for the first time.

I call this process Screenplay Auditing, and I am proud to introduce it to the world. If this book provides you with a complete understanding of Screenplay Auditing and helps you conduct an initial evaluation of your screenplay, I will consider my effort successful.

Looking ahead, I hope every filmmaker and production company will hire qualified Script auditors to refine their screenplays before production. The day is not far when Script Auditor will be a recognized and credited role in every film’s title sequence.