An AI-powered screenplay feedback tool that gives every writer the same studio-grade coverage Hollywood charges $100 for — free, in minutes, graded against the same framework the industry uses.
“The truth about some people is that they are filmmakers who haven’t made their films yet.”
— Kevin Smith
I grew up in Los Angeles going to the movies every chance I got. Applied to film school. Got a $2,000 scholarship that wasn’t close to enough. The GI Bill was locked behind a contract I signed at 17 without guidance. FAFSA fell through. The formal path closed. I never stopped watching. Never stopped writing. So I built something instead.
SceneOne is the tool I needed. It’s also the tool every writer who couldn’t afford the $100/read gatekeeping needs. We grade craft. Not taste. Never taste.
The Problem
Hollywood filters talent by proximity to money.
Professional script feedback (coverage) costs $30–$100 per read. The writers who most need it are exactly the ones least likely to afford it. They submit blind, get rejected without explanation, and have no way to understand what went wrong or how to improve.
The Problem
$100 to find out if your script is ready.
Hollywood script readers evaluate structure, dialogue, pacing, conflict, and visual storytelling. Then they send notes. Writers with money get those notes. Writers without money submit blind and wonder why they keep getting rejected.
The Solution
The same feedback. Free. In minutes.
SceneOne gives every writer structured, evidence-based script feedback graded against Save the Cat — the same methodology Hollywood development executives have used for 20+ years. Page-specific. No jargon. Fix It right inside the app.
The Product
Every decision designed for writers, not around them.
SceneOne is built around the emotional reality of being a writer — vulnerable, invested, and deserving of feedback that respects both their craft and their creative authority.
📋
Save the Cat Framework
Every script graded against Blake Snyder’s methodology — the blueprint that Whiplash, Get Out, and The Dark Knight all follow. Not making up rules. Checking yours against the industry’s.
✦
Win Statement First
Before a single score appears, SceneOne finds one specific thing your script does well — with a page reference. Not “your writing is beautiful.” Evidence. Always evidence.
🚑
Creative Choice — No Penalty
Every note has a Creative Choice button. Tap it and SceneOne logs the decision, respects it permanently, and your score goes UP — not down. Breaking a rule on purpose is craft. SceneOne works for you.
🔧
Fix It Inline
Every flagged note has a Fix It button. Opens a small editor for just that scene. Revise it, hit Re-Analyze, and your score updates in seconds. No re-uploading the whole script. The fix loop closes inside the app.
🗺
Pacing Heatmap
Every page of your script scored and color-coded. Deep orange = slow, momentum stalling. Bright cyan = strong, keep going. Hover any cell for what’s happening on that page. Dead zones are impossible to ignore.
🎬
Sample Logline + Story DNA
SceneOne generates a pitch-ready logline and Story DNA comps (e.g. “40% Whiplash · 35% Black Swan”) from your script. Both are editable — suggestions only, not verdicts. When someone asks what your movie is like, now you have an answer.
📝
Plain English Notes
No film school required. Every note is written the way a good mentor explains things — using lines from your script as examples, with page numbers, and a clear reason why it matters. Zero jargon by design.
👤
Co-Writer Credits
Add up to 3 co-writers on upload with their emails. All collaborators are notified on upload, marketplace listing, and reader requests. Co-writers can create accounts to claim credit and access the full report.
⏱
Script Title Parsing
SceneOne detects your script title from the first page on upload and confirms it with you before analysis starts. Always editable — your title, your control. No assumptions.
The Personality
Built by someone who loves film.
SceneOne doesn’t just look cinematic — it speaks the language of film at every transition, every state, every moment of waiting. These are not decorations. They are the product’s personality made tangible.
⭐
Star Wars Crawl
“Scene Set. Your script report is ready.”
Built ✓
🎞
Film Countdown
“Scene Set. Action.”
Built ✓
🎬
Clapperboard
“Cut. Your script report is ready.”
Built ✓
👠
Ruby Slippers
“There’s no place like your next draft.”
Planned · Phase 2
🎵
Music Box
“The show must go on.”
Planned · Phase 2
📺
HBO Static
“It’s not TV. It’s your script report.”
Planned · Phase 3
Writer lists on Discovery Dashboard
Good Luck.
Black screen · film grain · spotlight beam · Playfair Display · 3.2 second hold
Exec enters Discovery Dashboard
Happy Hunting.
AMBER SNAP · SCANLINES · RED ROOM · 2.8 SECOND HOLD
The Creative Choice button triggers a “🎬 Director’s Cut” flash center screen. The score burns away in film-grain fire and the higher score rises from the ash in cyan.
Phase 2 — Discovery Dashboard
The two-sided marketplace no coverage tool has built.
Writers opt in to list their logline and Story DNA. Verified industry readers browse scripts that have already cleared a quality bar. Every script on the dashboard has been through SceneOne’s analysis — no more wading through 10,000 unvetted submissions.
Writer Side
You control everything.
Toggle your listing on/off at any time
Readers see logline + Story DNA only — never the script itself
Every access request requires your approval within 72 hours
No response = auto-decline. Your script stays private.
Approved access expires automatically after 14 days
Choose your contact method: SceneOne messaging or personal email
Timestamped IP certificate on every upload — proof of prior creation
Reader Side — Verified Only
Scripts that are ready to be read.
Manual credential verification — IMDbPro + company email + LinkedIn
Filter by genre, score threshold, Story DNA comps, format
Access a script grants zero rights — no options, no adaptations
14-day read window, auto-expires
Full activity log — every request, every approval, every expiry
Donut chart dashboard — scripts reviewed, active access, pending requests
Writers never see other writers’ scripts. Architectural wall, not just policy.
The Screens
7 screens. One cohesive system.
Welcome / Sign Up
Screen 0
Create Account and Sign In tabs. Password strength meter with 4 live requirements. Form validation — button stays grey until all fields are valid. Age confirmation (18+) and content policy summary.
Onboarding
Screen 0b
6-step walkthrough: Save the Cat grading framework, plain English feedback, Creative Choice (you have the final word), Fix It inline editor, Logline + Story DNA pitch tools, and processing time honesty.
Upload
Screen 2
Drag & drop. Title confirmation modal — detects from filename, always overridable. Co-writer fields with name + email (up to 3). TOS acknowledgement fires before analysis starts, not after. Sample script button for demos.
Coverage Report
Screen 4 · Hero
Full dashboard: stat row, pacing heatmap (orange → cyan), editable logline, editable Story DNA, 5 craft dimension cards with Fix It + Creative Choice, Revision Plan, My Listing toggle, Exec Mode toggle.
Discovery Dashboard
Screen 5 · Reader Only
Verified readers only. Filter sidebar — score threshold, genre, Story DNA comps, format. Script cards with logline, DNA tags, mini score bars. Request Access triggers reader TOS → Happy Hunting.
Writer Profile
Screen 6
Avatar, member stats, script listing cards with status chips (Live / Private / Under Review / Approved / Expired), activity feed, pending request approvals with Approve/Decline inline.
Exec Profile
Screen 7
Flux-inspired. Left sidebar nav with notification badges. Donut ring charts — scripts reviewed, active access, pending requests, avg score. Requested scripts list with status chips. Full activity feed.
Exec Mode (Report)
Toggle View
9-stat development assessment grid: Genre, Budget Tier, Format, Craft Score, Primary Strength, Primary Flag, Named Characters, Comp Titles, Save the Cat Beat. Recommendation card. Browse Discovery Dashboard button.
Design Decisions
Every choice documented. Every reason recorded.
Decision 01
Democratizing Hollywood as the Primary Mission Statement
The product had a strong tagline but the deeper mission was buried in body copy. Every surface of SceneOne now answers “why does this exist?” before “what does it do?” Mission-first, feature-second.
High Priority
Decision 02
Save the Cat as the Grading Framework
AI feedback without a documented methodology is just opinion. Save the Cat gives every score a traceable foundation — the same blueprint Hollywood uses. Stated clearly in onboarding so writers know exactly what they’re being evaluated against.
High Priority
Decision 03
Creative Choice Button — Score Goes UP, Not Down
Breaking a rule on purpose is craft. Breaking it without knowing is something to fix. Only the writer knows which one it is. When Creative Choice is tapped, the note is logged, locked, and removed from scoring — so the score rises. No coverage tool has ever done this. The score burns away in film-grain fire and the new higher number rises from the ash.
Highest Priority · Case Study Lead
Decision 04
Plain English as a Design Principle for All Feedback Copy
If the notes are hard to understand, the tool fails its mission. Every note uses the writer’s own script lines as examples, with page numbers, in plain conversational language. The test: could someone who never took a screenwriting class read this note and know exactly what to do?
High Priority
Decision 05
Logline Generator + Story DNA as Pitch Tools, Not Verdicts
Both are AI-generated suggestions, fully editable. SceneOne claims zero ownership of generated output. The framing: when someone asks what your movie is like, now you have an answer. Not a judgment — a head start.
Medium Priority
Decision 06
Orange-to-Cyan Heatmap Color Scale
Three iterations: navy (invisible on dark background), amber (conflicts with existing UI), orange-cyan (correct). Orange reads as caution universally. Cyan is SceneOne’s “strong” signal throughout the product. The color scale required understanding the whole design system, not just the heatmap.
Medium Priority
Decision 07
Randomized Cinematic Loading Experiences — Virality Baked In
The loading screen is the one moment the writer is captive and waiting. Three randomized experiences: Star Wars crawl, Film Countdown, Clapperboard. Writers upload twice just to see which one they get. Virality is designed in, not bolted on.
High Priority
Legal Architecture
Built to protect writers, readers, and the platform.
SceneOne’s legal framework was designed alongside the product — not as an afterthought. Four documents cover every relationship on the platform.
Terms of Service
Age requirement (18+), AI disclosure, warranty of ownership, Creative Choice and verdict language disclaimers, no-AI-training clause, co-writer notification consent, limitation of liability, California law governs.
Privacy Policy
Tiered retention: 7 days (Free), 30 days (Pro), 60 days (Pro Unlimited). Script files purge — reports stay forever and export as PDF. No data sales. No AI training on scripts. GDPR principles for international users.
Content Policy
The “legitimate studio” test: could this be produced by a real studio? If yes, it’s allowed. Four hard prohibited categories — content that requires real harm to exist. SceneOne supports provocative, dark, and challenging work.
Marketplace Rules
Writer 72-hour response window, 14-day reader access expiry, timestamped IP certificates (Certificate of Prior Upload), reader credential verification, contact preference (platform vs. personal email), co-writer rights and notifications.
⚠ Legal package is a working draft. To be reviewed by a qualified attorney before publishing. Contact legal@sceneone.app
The Roadmap
Three phases. One mission.
1
Coverage Tool — Built
AI script feedback graded against Save the Cat. 7 screens. Fix It inline editor. Creative Choice. Pacing heatmap. Logline + Story DNA. 3 cinematic loading experiences. Two-sided marketplace prototype. Legal architecture. Co-writer credits.
2
Live Discovery Dashboard — Next
Real Supabase database. Claude API integration. Reader verification system. Co-writer email notifications via Resend. IP timestamp certificates. Stripe payments. sceneone.app domain.
3
In-App Script Writing — Vision
Full screenplay editor built around the feedback loop. Draft, analyze, and revise without ever leaving SceneOne. Like Celtx — but built around feedback from the start. The film school that never gatekept anyone.
Tech Stack
Production-ready architecture from day one.
React + Tailwind
Frontend
Node.js + Express
Backend
Supabase
DB + Auth + Storage
Claude API
AI Analysis
Resend
Email Notifications
Stripe
Payments
Vercel + Railway
Hosting
~$1.65/script
API Cost
Funding Strategy
Five paths. No single point of failure.
SceneOne doesn’t depend on any one revenue source. The model is layered — free users build the community, B2B partnerships build credibility, and institutional adoption makes SceneOne the industry standard before any VC conversation happens.
Path 1 — First
Screenplay Competition Licensing
The Nicholl, Austin Film Festival, BlueCat, Page Awards each receive 10,000+ submissions annually. SceneOne as their first-pass filter: $15–30K/year per competition. Writers want pre-screening before rejection. Competitions want to protect their readers. This pitch solves both sides.
Path 2 — First
Film School Partnerships
USC, NYU, AFI, Chapman. SceneOne as a curriculum tool — students submit drafts, get coverage, bring notes to workshop. Faculty adoption creates institutional licensing ($5–20K/school/year) and makes SceneOne the industry standard before graduates enter the workforce.
Path 3 — Parallel
Freemium SaaS
Free (1 script/month, 7-day retention) · Pro $12/month (5 scripts, 30-day) · Pro Unlimited $29/month. Break-even: ~250 paying users. Community scale is the proof of traction that unlocks every other conversation.
Path 4 — Parallel
Literary Management Pre-Screening
Managers and agents are buried in unsolicited queries. A manager who requires “SceneOne score above 75” before reading creates a defensible filter without their assistant reading 200 bad loglines. Tool sale or partnership — not a subscription. Validates SceneOne as industry infrastructure.
Path 5 — Phase 3+
Studio & Platform B2B
$20,000–$50,000/year per studio, streamer, or platform license. “You receive 10,000 submissions. SceneOne pre-screens so your readers only touch scripts that are ready.” TSA scanner, not security officer. Sundance Collab partnership is the entry point to this ecosystem.
On AI Skepticism
SceneOne Doesn’t Write. It Reads.
The WGA’s fight was about AI replacing writers. SceneOne doesn’t generate a single word of anyone’s script. It reads and evaluates — the same function a $100 coverage reader performs. No AI training on submitted scripts. No rights claims. The Creative Choice mechanic exists precisely to protect the writer’s authority. The enemy is the gatekeeping fee. AI is the tool that removes it.