GAIA MEUCCI-ASTLEY
Script Consultant / Assessor
About
Italian born and Bristol based, Gaia is a freelance script consultant and assessor for new talent schemes.
She works for talent development organisations and institutions and she offers 1:1 mentoring sessions with writers developing their short film or feature scripts, with a particular focus on new and emerging talent.
Her regular collaborations include the BFI Network, the Torino Film Lab, LIM (Less is More), Ffilm Cymru Wales, Cinéma De Demain at Cannes Film FestivaI, Shore Scripts and Berlin-based Serial Eyes.
She has an international background in film programming and film festivals with over 10 years of experience championing and supporting up-and-coming talent in the UK and abroad. Her previous roles include being the Short Film Programmer for the Encounters Festival in Bristol and the Edinburgh International Film Festival as well as working with renowned organisations such as the Clermont Ferrand Short Film Festival, the Forum des Images in Paris and the BFI London Film Festival.
She is a member of Women in Film and TV UK, an alumna of the John Yorke Story for Script Development script editing course and a Development Angel for LiM (Less is More).
Gaia is genuinely passionate about developing stories, and is particularly experienced in working with new and emerging writers on their short films or 1st feature scripts.
Script Consultant
Developing a script for me is about carefully listening and tuning in with the writer’s intention. By becoming familiar with the writer’s vision and background, asking questions and talking through the project, my goal is to hold up a mirror to the script to stimulate the writer’s creativity and help them deliver the best possible version of their idea.
Writing is a very courageous and vulnerable activity and, as a script developer, I have great respect for the effort and commitment it takes to write a script.
I like to look at the writer’s identity and the script as a whole unit. Using screenwriting theory in a non-formulaic way, I encourage an open-minded, supportive process tailored to the specific project, blending technique, film references and intuition.
I work in English, Italian and French with writers based internationally.
I offer different kinds of sessions and packages according to the project and writer’s specific needs.