Developed · Disney
Pretty Woman
Developed the script 3000, which became Pretty Woman, and coached Julia Roberts on her audition.
Script consultant Script notes Career advice
The studio executive behind Pretty Woman and Face/Off will read your script.
I won't just tell you “what's wrong” with your script, I will offer concrete solutions on how to fix it. It's what I've been doing for thirty years. Plus, I'm a writer, so I “get it.”
- WGA Member 30 Years
- WGA Award nominee
- Former studio executive
$1 billion+in box office and home video from films Matt developed or wrote
When Hollywood needs a script doctor, they call the billion-dollar box office surgeon.Now Matt makes house calls… over Zoom.
Billion-dollar figure: combined worldwide box office, home video (VHS, DVD and Blu-ray), TV licensing and streaming revenue from films Matt developed or wrote.
The experience
The track record
Bought & developed
Face/Off
Bought the screenplay when every other studio had passed and developed the project.
Discovered the writer
Se7en
Discovered Andrew Kevin Walker and gave him his first screenwriting job.
Wrote & produced · 2023
The Other Zoey
Recently wrote and produced The Other Zoey for Amazon, a number one rom-com hit.
Matt hired and worked with hundreds of writers and directors, including…
DirectorWriter
- J.J. AbramsWriter · DirectorStar Wars: The Force Awakens, Lost
- Ang LeeDirectorCrouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Brokeback Mountain
- Brian HelgelandWriterL.A. Confidential, Mystic River
- Jeph LoebWriter · ProducerDaredevil, Commando
- Tony ScottDirectorTop Gun, Crimson Tide
- Chris KeyserWriter · ProducerParty of Five; Chief WGA Negotiator
- Jonathan HensleighWriterArmageddon
- Sidney LumetDirector12 Angry Men, Network
…and many others.
Nominations
Writers Guild of America Award nomineeAdapted Long Form, The Stranger Beside Me, 2004 (shared with Matthew McDuffie)
CableACE Award nomineeDramatic Series, The Showtime 30-Minute Movie, 1995
Produced credits as writer
2023The Other ZoeyWriter, producer
2016Manson's Lost GirlsWriter
2012666 Park AvenueWriter, 1 episode
2004Plain TruthTeleplay
2003Every Breath You TakeWriter, director
2003The Stranger Beside Me WGA Award nomineeTeleplay
2002Point of OriginWriter
2002ObsessedWriter
2000Auggie Rose (Beyond Suspicion)Writer, director
1994The InvestigatorWriter, director
The who
He has worn many hats in the business.
Writer, director and producer. Former studio executive. Wall Street bulldog.
He's been a part of the studio system, the indie world, and the streaming universe. Now for the first time he is offering his services to the public.
- $1 billion+box office and home video from films he developed or wrote*
- 150+projects developed
- 2,000+scripts read
- 25+screenplays and pilots
*Worldwide theatrical box office for Pretty Woman ($463.4M) and Face/Off ($245.7M), per Box Office Mojo, plus home video and The Other Zoey.
The executive
Worked for Touchstone/Disney, Paramount, Warner Bros. and Jerry Bruckheimer. Developed over 150 projects. Read over 2,000 scripts.
As a studio executive, gave such good notes on a project that Jeffrey Katzenberg wanted him to rewrite the script.
The writer
WGA Member 30 YearsHas written over 25 screenplays and pilots, in all genres from rom-coms to psychological thrillers to historical epics and biopics.
Adapted Dostoyevsky's The Brothers Karamazov for Francis Coppola and Sony Pictures.
The Wall Street bulldog
A former New York deal lawyer who spent years across the table from people who read every clause twice. Now he reads them for you.
Has advised numerous writers, directors and producers on deal making, contracts and strategy.
Teaching. Teaches at Chapman University's Dodge College of Film and Media Arts. Taught screenwriting at the University of San Francisco and has given pitching seminars across the country.
Matt lives in Hollywood with his teenage son, who learned at the age of two that for a story to be effective it needs conflict.
If you want script notes, help with production issues, or assistance with legal, financial or career concerns, you have come to the right place. Full background and credits
The what
What Matt can help with
- Your script
- Are you struggling to get your next draft to another level?
- Are the notes you're getting from friends and Reddit not elevating your material?
- Do you need advice on whether your idea is worth pursuing and/or how to tweak it?
- Your career
- Do you need help with a contract?
- Have a question about a producer's offer?
- Want assistance understanding the financial and/or legal intricacies of the business?
I can help.
The nitty gritty
Screenplay notes & rates
Every service includes a live conversation by Zoom or phone.
Feature film
Most requestedScreenplay notes
$600
Comprehensive reading of your draft, plus a phone call or Zoom where we will discuss your project.
- Detailed analysis
- Ideas
- Constructive criticism
Over 120 pages? Contact me for a quote.
Get feature notesTelevision
TV pilot notes
$400
Comprehensive reading of your draft, plus a phone call or Zoom where we will discuss your project.
- Detailed analysis
- Ideas
- Constructive criticism
Over 65 pages? Contact me for a quote.
Get pilot notesBefore you write
Treatment analysis
$350
Comprehensive reading of your treatment, plus a phone call or Zoom where we will discuss your project.
- Detailed analysis
- Ideas
- Constructive criticism
Over 10 pages? Contact me for a quote.
Get treatment notes
Quick hit
Logline & idea punch‑up
$175
Send me your logline and in a 30-minute phone call or Zoom I will assess its viability and give suggestions.
Punch up my logline
The business side
Legal, financial, production & career help
$195first hour
Help with a contract, a question about a producer's offer, or the financial and legal intricacies of the business. $125 each additional hour.
Get career adviceHandwritten notes are not a part of these services. For longer scripts, pilots or treatments, please contact me for a quote.
The fine print, up front
Complex characters. Simple story.
Matt knows a lot of people in this business. That's not what you're paying for. This is about story, character and craft: telling compelling stories, and growing into a stronger storyteller.
Matt does not promise, arrange or even hint at introductions to agents, managers, producers or talent.
Here's the good news: if the writing is truly solid and compelling, it gets noticed. Matt isn't the vehicle for that. He's not a manager or an agent. He's the person who helps make the writing that good.
What you get
- Honest, studio-level notes on story and character
- Every page read by Matt himself, never by AI
- Concrete fixes for your next draft
- A sharper sense of what makes a script work
- A better storyteller at the end of it
What you don't
- Introductions to agents or managers
- Access to producers, studios or stars
- Your script passed along to anyone
- A promise of a sale, or an Oscar speech
The stakes
Before you spend a dime, know the stakes.
I'll be straight with you. This isn't cheap, and it isn't for everyone. That's on purpose.
I only work with dedicated storytellers. Not dreamers.
First screenplay? Keep your money. Join a writers group, read produced scripts, and finish a few more drafts. You'll learn more from that than from any consultant, including me.
Put in the years? This is for you, ideally with something to show for it, like a semifinalist or finalist placement in a major competition.
Know the odds. Screenwriting looks easy but is brutally hard. The odds are longer than most people imagine. The ones who make it are the ones who will stop at nothing.
1,918WGA West writers who earned any money writing movies in 2023
vs.
2,146roster spots in the NFL and NBA combined
5Academy Nicholl Fellowships at most each year, out of thousands of scripts
vs.
10astronauts NASA chose in 2025, out of 8,000+ applicants
Put another way: fewer Guild writers got paid to write a movie that year than there are players on NFL and NBA rosters. And screenwriting's most prestigious fellowship is about as selective as NASA's astronaut corps. Sources: WGA West annual report (2023 screen earnings); 53-player NFL and 15-player NBA rosters; NASA 2025 astronaut class; Academy Nicholl Fellowships.
Great writing can't be taught. It has to be learned… nurtured, one draft at a time. What I can do is shorten the distance. But the distance is eternal. We can always strive to become better writers.
You're probably ready if
- You've finished several scripts, not just one
- You've placed in the competitions that matter, like the Academy Nicholl Fellowships, Austin Film Festival or Final Draft Big Break
- Your draft is close, but something isn't working
- You want an unvarnished, professional read
- You're in this for the long haul
Probably not yet if
- This is your first screenplay
- You haven't finished a full draft
- It's your own life story, and the only audience that's truly hooked is you
- You're looking for a shortcut or a connection
- The fee would be a real financial strain
How it works
FADE IN:
Get in touch
Tell me about the project in a few lines. Please don't send pages yet.
5 minutes
CUT TO:
Agree and book
If it's a fit, you accept the submission release, pay, and only then send your material.
1-day reply
INT. OFFICE
Matt reads
Every page, personally. No readers, no assistants, no AI.
Date set when you book
FADE OUT.
The notes call
An in-depth session by Zoom or phone. Record it, ask anything, and leave with a plan.
30 min – 4 hrs
Stories from the trenches
The idea
How to write a logline: what a studio exec reads first
One sentence decides whether your script gets opened. How long it should be, what goes in it, and what to leave out.
Coverage & notes
Script coverage, from the side of the desk that reads it
What's in a coverage report, what pass, consider and recommend really mean, and why I give mine on a live call.
Structure
Three-act structure examples from films I worked on Soon
How Face/Off and Pretty Woman actually break down, and why structure is a diagnosis, not a formula.
Questions
Straight answers to what writers ask most, from the craft to the contract.
Don't see your question?
Ask Matt directlyStruggling to get your next draft to another level?
That's exactly what screenplay and TV pilot notes are for: a comprehensive reading of your draft, then a two-to-four-hour call with detailed analysis, ideas, and concrete solutions on how to fix it. See screenplay notes and rates.
Notes from friends and Reddit not elevating your material?
Friends are kind and strangers online are guessing. Matt read over 2,000 scripts as a studio executive and knows what makes a buyer say yes, and as a working writer he knows how to get the fix onto the page. See screenplay notes and rates.
Is your idea worth pursuing, and how do you tweak it?
Start with a logline and idea punch-up: a 30-minute call where Matt assesses the idea's viability and gives suggestions. If you already have a treatment, treatment analysis goes deeper before you commit months to a draft. See rates.
Can you help with a contract?
Yes. As a former Wall Street transactional attorney, Matt has advised numerous writers, directors and producers on deal making and contracts. Legal, financial, production and career help is $195 for the first hour. It's business guidance from experience, not legal representation.
Have a question about a producer's offer?
Book an hour of legal, financial, production and career help. You'll get a former studio executive's read on what the offer means, what's standard, and what to push on. $195 for the first hour, $125 for each additional hour.
Want help understanding the financial and legal side of the business?
Matt has seen the business from the studio, the writer's chair and the deal table. An hour of career help covers options, financing, packaging, representation and how deals actually get made. See rates.
Will Matt introduce me to agents, managers or producers?
No. Matt has plenty of industry relationships, but this service isn't about access. It's about story, character and craft. He doesn't pass scripts along, make introductions or promise representation, a sale or a meeting. Truly solid, compelling writing gets noticed on its own merits; Matt isn't a manager or an agent, and he isn't the vehicle for that. What you get is a better script, and a better storyteller.
Do I get written notes?
No. Handwritten notes are not a part of these services. The core of every service is the live call: verbal script coverage, where we can dig into your questions in real time. You're welcome to record it. Why I give coverage verbally.
Do you use AI to read scripts?
No. I read every page myself and don't use AI to read, summarize or evaluate your script. No readers, no assistants, no AI.
How long does it take?
It depends on the length of the material and Matt's schedule. You'll get a firm date for your notes call when you book.
Can I just send you my script?
Please don't. Start with a short inquiry. If we're a fit, you'll accept the submission release and book the service, and then you send your material. It protects both of us.
Is my script kept confidential?
Yes. I don't share or pitch your material to anyone without your written permission, and you keep all rights to it. The terms are set out in the submission release you accept before sending pages.
Is contract help the same as legal representation?
No. Matt draws on his experience as a former Wall Street transactional attorney and studio executive, but this is business guidance, not legal representation, and it doesn't create an attorney-client relationship. For legal advice on your specific situation, hire a licensed entertainment attorney.
The contact
Ready for the final draft?
For more info and to get started, please contact me. Tell me a little about your project and I'll reply within one business day about fit and timing. Please don't attach or paste script pages here; those come after you've accepted the submission release.
Or email matt@screenwritingconsultant.com