"Character development? Drama? Does the writing even make sense? Most importantly: Will it all work out in the end?"

With a keen outsider's eye, a Story Editor works directly with the producer and the writer(s) in the pre-production phase to create the most potent story possible.

Classically just for scripted television and features but increasingly for short films, this person helps develop the story faster and greatly improves act structure, plot and character progressions. It is like being in an edit session before the shooting even begins.

Hiring a story editor strengthens the script and delivers the strongest, most compelling story possible by keeping the filmmaker's original vision in check. It also adds the subtleties and nuances that audiences crave, holds a mirror to your characters, keeps the film's format from drifting when changes are made, and turns a "nice idea for a film" into a finished product that begs repeated viewings.

$$$Adding one to a production creates an incredible element of efficiency - and saves a ton of money in post-production. Without a Story Editor, you'll spend an eternity in the edit bay "creating" the story.

Email me at the address above for an estimate. I have pricing available for:
- Feature films
- Short films
- Single characters within a film
- Single acts within a film
- Single scenes within a film

As a service, it costs less than you might expect. Pricing varies depending on the film's genre and style.

"Chris Bové understands storytelling not only better than every other editor I've worked with, but also better than most directors and writers. He nails down so quickly what the story is about, and sees from the beginning what elements will be important in serving the film. He has a peerless grasp for structure, and most importantly for ascertaining the main tension - and making sure that the pacing, characterization, and moment-to-moment serves that tension. 

I've worked with Chris on three completely different films - an elegiac love story, a quirky kids' adventure, and a thunderous action-comedy - and he not only adapts to the storytelling style for each new film, but also relishes the opportunity. He is unparalleled in is his ability to forecast post-production problems during scripting and pre-production. Just by reading the script, he'll give you plot ideas, key shots and sound fx that you likely hadn't thought of - and that you'll no doubt need later.

Ultimately, Chris is all about telling a good story. He's a joy to work with because of this purity of purpose, clarity of mind, and efficiency in execution."

- Soman Chainani writes, produces and directs award-winning independent films for domestic and international festivals.


"As a writer/producer/director I’ve always been a firm believer in bringing an editor into the storytelling process before you get into the edit bay.  Chris has such a strong sense of story structure and character development that his input as a story editor in early drafts of the script is invaluable.  He has an innate ability to strip away the unnecessary and help bring out the critical elements that move a story forward.  And where some story editors like to hit you over the head with the obvious—Chris takes the alternate route and uses subtlety and nuance to enhance the filmmaker’s vision.  He’s always put my vision and the audience first.

He effortlessly adapts to individual styles and storytelling methods—not always an easy feat.  He can always come up with creative ways to prevent mistakes in the field that will cost me later in the way of re-shoots.  All filmmakers are passionate about their art—the great thing about working with Chris is that he’s as passionate about your film as you are."

- Paul Lamont is an award-winning producer of documentaries seen regularly on PBS and PBS-HD.

"Was I the class clown? No, but I wrote for him."  -- Harold Ramis

There are many reasons to hire a writer. You may find your schedule forbidding you from doing the appropriate research. You may have discvovered that the generating of core ideas is your forte, and not descriptive storytelling and character arcs.

Whether you need a full script written from scratch or a ghostwriter to flesh-out your core idea, I can help. 

$$$ Email me at the address above for an estimate. I have pricing available for feature films, shorts, scripted television and documentary. Services span the gamut from entire scripts to ghostwriting and partial  

And please note - the better the concept, the LOWER my cost!

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The average screenplay I receive is between 100 and 120 pages, but this price also applies to shorts, documentaries and television programs.

A Script Editor works directly with the producer and the writer(s) in the pre-production phase to create the cleanest, most widely-accepted script possible. Avoid mass confusion among the cast, crew and your editor. Let me help with:

- Format assistance (scene structure and formulas)
- Clearer, more efficient ways to describe scenes
- More potent rewording of lines or narration
- Preparing the script for various needs and production crews
- Spelling and grammar issues


"It's just a script, right? I'll be right there directing it anyway, so who cares about every detail?"

It would be arrogant and irresponsible of me to say that a perfect script can eliminate all production woes. However a smooth, efficiently-run production will always begin with a solid, clearly written script.

Your script is... like the blueprint for building a house. You pay crews of people by the hour to build it all for you -- based entirely on that blueprint. Not even the best job foreman can watch every nail get driven.