How To Organize A Table Read For Your Script
First step is writing the words. Second step is hearing them aloud.
After a film, TV show, or play has been cast; a table read takes place where the cast (usually sitting at a table) reads their parts aloud. However, as a writer this should not be the first time that you hear your script out loud.
Prior to going into pre-production and assembling a cast and crew, it’s very helpful to organize a private table read to hear your script out loud and get constructive feedback from the people that you invite in order to make your script as best as it can be.
Hold a private table reading as soon as possible and invite a diverse group of people to ensure that you’ll get different types of feedback to improve your script.
A private table read also helps with getting the script completed in a timely manner. I have scheduled a private table read before a script was completed in order to give myself a deadline that I had to adhere to. As soon as I sent out the email inviting people to my upcoming private table read that was happening on a specific date, I knew that I had to have my script finished in time for the scheduled reading.
One of the main ways a lot of people are doing table reads now is via online video conferencing via either Zoom or another online platform.
If you choose to host your table read in person, it can sometimes be a challenge to find a location. However, after thinking of all of the places that you have access to, you may be able to discover a good spot that will work for you.
Table read locations — Some of the places that I’ve personally held table reads: My church — Must first ask the pastors and/or whoever is in charge of letting people use the church building for events.
My house — Make sure that if you are inviting people to your house, they are only people that you know and trust to know where you live and to be inside your home.
The conference room in my office building — Must first ask your boss and/or whoever is in charge of allowing people to use the space. I was friendly with one of the building’s security guards and he knew when the conference room would be available and he had the keys to unlock it, so I was able to use the space off the record.
Film school conference room — I had a member of my team who was a film school student, so we were able to use one of the conference rooms at his school.
One of the main purposes of your table read is to receive script feedback. If someone goes beyond just giving script feedback, but ends up contributing significantly to the script, offer them a writing credit. They may not want it, but offer it anyways, because it’s the right and fair thing to do.
