“Gaia Meucci-Astley served as script editor in the development of a short film script that I recently worked on. I would highly recommend Gaia for her insight, knowledge, dedication and contribution to the project.

I found Gaia to be not only knowledgeable in the craft of storytelling, narrative structure, form and genre, but also highly professional, communicative and receptive to my vision.

Gaia provided invaluable suggestions to enhance the story’s emotional impact and strengthen the thematic elements. Her ability to identify areas of improvement and offer constructive criticism was excellent.

She effectively balanced maintaining the integrity of my original vision while incorporating her own innovative ideas, resulting in a well-rounded, engaging story.”

Hardey Speight Writer / Director – Black Lab Films

Testimonials

LESBIAN LINES | Script Editor | 2024-2025

Hybrid Documentary written and directed by Cara Holmes. Supported by Screen Ireland and produced by Keeper Pictures - currently in post-production.

‘Gaia is an extremely thoughtful, thorough and creative collaborator. Setting out to make a hybrid documentary, where you are mixing script with reality can be a daunting prospect but Lesbian Lines has benefited hugely as a result of working with Gaia. Gaia took time to read treatments, watch references and listened to my ambitions for the project. She absorbed it all and asked all the important questions to help me find the narrative points of interest and to create a solid story structure for our film

Gaia has a great personality, she is warm and generous with her ideas. It was such a pleasure to work and create with her.’ 

Writer/Director Cara Holmes

CINEMA DE DÉMAIN – CANNES FILM FESTIVAL – SCRIPT MENTOR - since 2022

 ‘Working with Gaia is always a smooth & careful process. Her involvement in the analysis of the projects is thoughtful, challenging for the writers and flexible. It is particularly helpful and reassuring for filmmakers with a script at a early stage of work. Her great knowledge of the short film production & circuit is also a useful tool for the consideration of the projects.’

 Florian Fernandez - Head Rendez-vous Industry - Cinéma De Demain - Cannes Film Festival

BARFLY | Script Editor | 2024-2025

Feature film in development with the BFI for Bridge Way Films and Kin Pictures. Written by Jack Sherratt and directed by Dan Thorburn.

‘It has been a pleasure working with Gaia on Barfly. Her expertise has allowed us to actively explore character, story and the world of our film with even greater layers of nuance, and her nurturing spirit has set us at ease every step of the way’

Producers Chris Hees and Millie Marsh

“I have been developing my first feature script with help from Gaia. Her caring process and knowledge of story development have helped me understand what I am trying to say and how to achieve it. Her clarity and vision helped me discover aspects of my story I hadn’t seen before. She has been friendly, supportive and encouraging. My project was shortlisted for the Sundance Development track, which wouldn’t have happened without her help and advice.”

Writer/Director Carolina Petro

SCRIPT MENTOR - SEA SALT - SHORT FILM - 2023

‘You touched exactly what I felt was missing in my script, pointing out in exact words what was not working and guiding me towards finding solutions that could work in the benefit of the film. It was a true delight to work with you and have my project read by you!”

Writer/Director Leila Basma. Sea Salt premiered at the Venice Film Festival in 2023

"I worked with Gaia on a short film script and it was a great pleasure. Gaia was very thorough in her preparation and asked intelligent and provoking questions to get me thinking deeply about the story I wanted to tell and how I wanted to tell it. I would really recommend Gaia as a script consultant, my work definitely improved under her astute eye."

Writer/Director Miriam Devitt

SCRIPT MENTOR - CANKER - SHORT FILM - 2021

Gaia worked with me on my short film Canker first as a consultant for the screenplay, and later on as an overall consultant as I received helpful notes from her when I showed her different cuts of the final film. She helped me figure out the main plot points in the screenplay and suggested that I gave them the foremost attention while manifesting them, which was a really important note since the film has a sort of maximalism style. With the different cuts, she also very carefully pointed out the specific moments where she thought the cut was dragging or where it worked emotionally and led me to later on produce a more intense cut. Overall, I think working with Gaia is a very pleasant and effective experience, as she has a great eye for good art and is a great communicator.

Tu Lin, writer-director of Canker, short film selected at Cannes Critics’ Week in 2021

“Working with Gaia was an amazing experience. She took the time to get to know my previous work first before reading the short film script I sent her and she was incredibly positive about my growth as a writer. When it came to the script she asked me a lot of questions that I found really useful because they helped me identify blindspots in the story but the main thing I took from the session and that I have carried forward every time I write a new script was this question: What do you want the audience to walk away thinking or feeling after they see this film? That will be your guiding light'. Since I met Gaia I approach work in that way and it has made everything stronger and much clearer from the start. I would 100% work with her again.”

Writer/Director/Actor Ana Torre