WeScreenplay Closes Coverage Services Amid Industry Consolidation
WeScreenplay, a prominent screenplay coverage service, has announced the closure of its script coverage operations. The shutdown marks a significant shift in the screenwriting services landscape and reflects broader changes in the industry’s structure.
Industry Consolidation Background
The closure is the latest development in a series of major industry consolidations that began in 2021. That year, Backstage, a company originally launched in 1960 as a weekly casting listings newspaper, embarked on a $200 million acquisition spree. The company acquired several key players in the creative services industry, including FilmFreeway, Coverfly, and Voice123.
The acquisitions were backed by strategic investment from TA Associates, a global private equity firm, and were designed to expand Backstage’s suite of tools and talent pool of creative professionals. At the time, Backstage CEO Josh Ellstein emphasized that “creative content continues to be the critical differentiating factor across the media landscape from streaming services to social user acquisition & brand ads.”
In 2022, the consolidation continued when Backstage acquired Industry Arts, which owned WeScreenplay, Screencraft, The Script Lab, and Tracking Board. Subsequently, Cast & Crew acquired Backstage, bringing all these brands under one corporate umbrella.
Impact on Services
The immediate impact of these changes is being felt across multiple platforms:
- WeScreenplay’s coverage services have been completely discontinued
- Launch Pad coverage is no longer available
- Users seeking coverage services are being redirected to Coverfly, reportedly at doubled prices
- FilmFreeway appears to be the primary focus of the current ownership
Industry Concerns
The closure has raised concerns within the screenwriting community about the quality and reliability of screenplay coverage services. WeScreenplay’s users on Reddit mentioned concerns about “unreliable AI feedback services,” suggesting that the integrity of script coverage may have been compromised by the use of artificial intelligence tools instead of human readers.
Sources familiar with the situation have indicated that management issues may have played a role in these developments. According to individuals with knowledge of the company’s operations, the platforms reportedly faced challenges after the departure of their original founders, despite the initial optimism surrounding the acquisitions.
Future Implications
These changes signal a significant shift in how screenwriters may access professional feedback services in the future. When Coverfly joined Backstage in 2021, its co-founder and president Scot Lawrie had expressed hope that the merger would “offer even more resources to writers” and “make the entertainment industry more accessible for all.” However, the recent closure of WeScreenplay and the consolidation of services under FilmFreeway suggests a different outcome.
The consolidation under Cast & Crew’s ownership and the redirection of services to FilmFreeway indicates a streamlining of offerings in the screenplay services market, potentially reducing competition and options for writers. This raises questions about the future of other platforms within the same corporate family, including Coverfly, and the broader impact on the screenwriting community’s access to professional feedback services.
For screenwriters who relied on WeScreenplay’s services, this closure represents not just the loss of a trusted feedback source but also raises questions about the future landscape of screenplay coverage services and the role of AI in creative assessment.
Editor in Chief of Ikon London Magazine, journalist, film producer and founder of The DAFTA Film Awards (The DAFTAs).