If readers aren’t grabbed by your story in the first 15 pages, they may not keep reading. Submit the first 15 pages of your script and have a 15-minute story notes call with the executive of your choice. This call will help you create a strong opening/act one to keep readers going until FADE OUT.
Questions? Email terra@roadmapwriters.com
Concept first. Start with a clear hook, a clean logline, and honest comps. Help me understand what the movie is, who it's for, and why it works at its budget level. Know what your budget is. Don’t oversell your script, just be clear about what it is. I'd rather get a sharp, specific pitch than a vague one full of hype. For comedy, make the comic engine clear. For horror, make the hook clear.
- Raunchy, R-rated comedy features in the vein of ANIMAL HOUSE, AMERICAN PIT, OLD SCHOOL, or USED CARS in the $5-7M range, max budget of $10M. This is our primary focus as of this moment.
Typically, we also look for:
- high-concept horror features with a strong hook in the $5M range. (BARBARIAN, TALK TO ME, IT FOLLOWS)
- blockbuster horror features with strong hook and franchise potential in the $20-25M range. (FINAL DESTINATION, SMILE, M3GAN, THE CONJURING, I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER)
We are NOT interested in horror/comedy features, or any other genre that is not either purely R-rated sex comedies or purely horror. So no comedy/family drama, rom-coms, or any other mixed/blurred genres. We also don't do anything with TV, verticals, shorts, or any other formats outside of feature films.
Mage Lanz is a story editor at Inzide Media, where she has spent the past two years working in feature development under producer Warren Zide. Her work has focused primarily on comedy and horror, evaluating submissions, identifying commercially viable material, and helping writers shape projects in development.
Before joining Inzide, Mage spent three years as a paid script reader for the Austin Film Festival, and in 2023 she served as an Associate Programmer for the Bentonville Film Festival.
Drawing on experience from both the creative and development sides of the business, Mage offers writers practical, honest guidance on concept, tone, structure, marketability, and how a script is likely to be perceived by producers, financiers, and development executives.
After registering, you will receive instructions on how to submit your material in your order confirmation email. After submitting your material, please allow about 3-4 weeks to receive proposed times for scheduling your call with the exec. If you haven't heard from your exec by the 3-4 week mark about scheduling, please email terra@roadmapwriters.com so we know to check in with them on your behalf about their proposed dates/ETA for you.
Be sure to familiarize yourself with Roadmap's Code of Conduct.
Questions? Email terra@roadmapwriters.com
Cancellation Policy: You may cancel your registration for a refund or Roadmap gift card if you have not yet submitted your material for review. However, once your material has been received by Roadmap, your registration cannot be canceled. Having revised material or a desire to retroactively apply a discount or gift card code are not grounds for cancellation, refunds, or gift card credit. Once your material has been submitted, the only acceptable grounds for cancellation and a refund or gift card credit is an unforeseen, ongoing emergency on the part of either the writer or the exec resulting in more than 6 weeks without any scheduling update from the exec via direct contact or Roadmap, or a sudden change in the exec's ongoing availability. In the instance of an irreconcilable scheduling issue, the writer may still receive a written feedback report from the exec. In this case, the writer is not entitled to a refund or gift card credit as the exec has read the submitted material and provided written feedback in lieu of the call.