Stephen ‘Spling’ Aspeling has been a film critic for more than a decade. Having reviewed thousands of films he’s become an authority and expert. Initially writing a film review a day for his movie blog, he then branched out to writing for other websites, magazines, newspapers and broadcasting on radio stations.
The South African film critic has turned his passion for art and English into a lifetime pursuit, reviewing, writing and judging film. His honest, insightful and thoughtful reviews have earned him respect among audiences and filmmakers alike. This probably explains why he’s been approached to assess film from second draft to 1st edit on numerous occasions.
Having come from a creative background, Spling as he’s come to be known, found it easy to apply his full knowledge to screenplays, using the tools of analysis he gained through experiential knowledge, interpreting his findings and critical insights for filmmakers at a stage when they can still make crucial changes. Getting a review of your film before it’s been made is much more helpful than having it picked apart in a post-mortem. This is where the idea for reviewmyscript.com came about, after discussing the screenwriting services idea with good friend and scriptwriting expert, Matthew Kalil.
The company’s name centres on the idea of getting a review of your script, which is important in the buildup to production. Being able to give a screenwriter a projected idea of how the film will be received, whether the tone of the film is on track and if the characterisation is working can be the make-or-break difference. While an analysis process, Spling is able to project the screenwriter’s vision as if he was watching the film, offering feedback that can give screenwriters a valuable perspective and even be used to leverage the screenplay in its early promotion.
Beyond this unique concept, the script services website also caters for more traditional script editing, as well as newer feedback formats such as the Three Wells Analysis with script guru, Matthew Kalil. Augmenting the services to offer assistance from every possible angle, they’ve also teamed up with actress Angelique Pretorius, offering script reads and radio plays in order to get a better handle on the finished product or specific scenes. Another offering is script walks, which involve discussing a screenwriter’s ambitions, characters or virtually any aspect relating to their screenplay on a journey of its own. Fresh air, good exercise and great coffee ensure that writers get the insight and motivation necessary to do the best job possible.
Launched in 2019, reviewmyscript.com has opened its doors to screenwriters and even writers from across the spectrum. Contact them with your any unique requirements to see how they can assist you best.