The writer has rewritten the first act three times and can no longer see it. The script editor reads the new draft in an evening, writes two pages of notes and starts with what works. Then she points out that the main character makes no real choice until page forty. The next draft fixes it. The script editor is the person who helps a writer make the script better, by asking the right questions instead of rewriting it.
What a script editor does
A script editor works on the script but does not write it. They read drafts, write notes, discuss them with the screenwriter and keep track of what has been agreed. They make sure notes from different people (the producer, the director, a broadcaster) do not contradict each other and reach the writer in a form they can use.
The work is heaviest in development. On a TV series it carries on into production. The script editor checks that facts and characters stay consistent across episodes, prepares scripts for the production team and handles last-minute changes. On a feature the role may be a freelance consultant who reads a few drafts and gives notes.
Responsibilities
- Read and analyse each draft, and write clear notes
- Discuss notes with the writer and agree the next steps
- Combine notes from producers, directors and broadcasters into one view
- Keep track of story and character continuity across episodes
- Prepare and issue script revisions to the production team
- Read new submissions and spot writers and ideas worth developing
How the role touches the budget
No budget responsibility, but real influence on cost. A script editor is paid a fee or weekly rate from the development or script budget, and that is usually their only line. They can still save money indirectly. A script that is solid before the shoot needs fewer expensive rewrites on set, and a scene cut in development costs nothing to lose.
How people get into the role
Many script editors start as script readers, writing reports on submitted scripts for a production company, an agency or a fund. From there they move to script editing on a series or in a development team. Some later become a development producer, a producer or a writer themselves.
At a broadcaster
In the UK and parts of Europe, broadcasters and their drama departments employ script editors who look after series on behalf of the channel. They read every script, give notes, and report to the commissioning editor or the head of drama. In the United States the closest title is story editor, which is usually a junior writing position in a writers' room rather than a separate editing job.