Case Study
How MakeReady used OnDesk to compete with studios 4x their size
"In this business, speed is everything. OnDesk lets our team of five move as fast as companies with 20+ readers. We're getting back to agents and managers while our competitors are still on page thirty."
Brad Weston
Former President of Production, Paramount Pictures | Founder & CEO
MakeReady
MakeReady develops and produces premium film and television content. With a lean team and world-class taste, they've built a reputation for punching above their weight in Hollywood's competitive development landscape.
Location
Los Angeles, CA
Industry
Film & Television Production
Team
5-person team
Challenge
How should a boutique production company with world-class taste compete against larger studios with 20x the reading capacity?
Every week, the same story: hot material hitting inboxes across Hollywood. MakeReady's team of five would dive in, knowing that by Monday morning, their competitors with 20+ readers would already have offers out.
The math was brutal. A single script took 4 hours to read and evaluate properly. Major studios with full reading departments could burn through twenty scripts in that same window. By the time MakeReady finished their first pass, the best material was already gone.
Hiring more readers wasn't an option. The overhead would kill their lean operation, and the material demanded more than basic coverage: they needed deep analysis, draft comparisons, and collaborative tools. They were stuck choosing between speed and quality.
Critical questions
- —How do we respond to submissions before they go to larger competitors?
- —Can we scale our reading capacity without sacrificing the taste and judgment that defines us?
- —How do we keep punching up in our weight class in the development game?
Solution
OnDesk's AI screenplay analysis gave MakeReady the reading capacity of a 20-person team
OnDesk changed everything. The AI screenplay analysis and tracking platform, built on a proprietary model made specifically for film development, can read and evaluate a full script in 3 minutes. Not a summary but comprehensive coverage with plot analysis, character breakdowns, dialogue assessment, and marketability insights.
The first week was surreal. Scripts that would have taken 4 hours now took 3 minutes. MakeReady could evaluate twenty scripts before lunch and still have the afternoon for creative decisions. AI script coverage handled the initial read, freeing the team to focus their taste and judgment on the most promising material.
The competitive advantage was immediate. While other enterprises were still reading page thirty, MakeReady was already reaching out to reps with informed perspectives. OnDesk didn't replace their judgment. It amplified it, letting five people move like fifty.
3-minute reads, 4-hour depth
AI screenplay analysis that evaluates plot, characters, dialogue, pacing, and marketability in 3 minutes. MakeReady gets comprehensive AI script coverage 80x faster than human readers without sacrificing quality or insight.
First-look advantage on hot material
Respond to agents and managers while competitors are still reading. Screenplay analysis AI processes submissions instantly, giving boutique companies the same reading capacity as major studios with 20-person departments.
Built specifically for development
Not generic AI but a purpose-built platform for the development-to-sale phase. OnDesk AI script coverage understands film structure, market positioning, and what makes material commercially viable.
Impact
MakeReady maintained their reputation for world-class taste while gaining the reading capacity they needed to compete at the highest level.
From 4 hours to 3 minutes per submission
Team of 5 competing with 20+ reader studios
Consistent first-look advantage on hot material
"We're not just keeping up anymore. We're setting the pace."
Brad Weston
Founder & CEO, MakeReady
HEAR FROM BRAD
Get the same advantage as MakeReady
See how OnDesk AI script coverage and screenplay analysis AI can help your production company evaluate 20x more material. Join leading studios using AI screenplay analysis to stay ahead.