Hi Reader,
Like I do every four years, I’ve been watching a ton of World Cup... and this go-around, one thing has been impossible to miss: VAR has become the story.
Not the goals, or the players, or the drama on the pitch. The technology has overshadowed everything - and not in a good way!
We’ve now seen major controversy around decisions in games like Croatia’s loss to Portugal and Egypt’s loss to Argentina, with criticism aimed not just at the calls themselves, but at how far the technology has gone in overriding the human experience of the game. Reuters described this tournament as one where FIFA’s use of VAR and connected-ball technology has "backfired", and it's easy to see why.
And the more I watched, the more it made me think about AI and screenplay analysis.
And don't get me wrong, I don't think the problem is the technology itself. No, it's where we put it in the chain of decision-making.
When the tool stops being a tool
In theory, VAR was supposed to help referees. It was supposed to confirm the obvious miss, or catch the clear error - and ultimately, support the human decision-maker.
But that’s not what it feels like now. Instead, it seems like the technology is making the call, and the human being is just there to point at the screen afterward. In other words, a system meant to correct clear mistakes has instead become the focal point of the tournament, with complaints about overreach, inconsistency, and the loss of flow and feel in the game.
That’s the part that stuck with me, because I think the same danger exists in screenwriting.
AI can absolutely be used as a tool - especially one that saves time and money.
For example, it can help brainstorm ideas and sort information. Flag patterns. Summarize data. Maybe even point out technical issues.
But the second it becomes a substitute for human judgment instead of a supplement to it, we’re in trouble.
Writing is not only technical
A script is not a math problem. It's more than just structure, pacing, formatting, scene length, dialogue count, and trope recognition. I mean, all of those things matter - but they are not ALL that matters.
A screenplay lives or dies by something harder to measure: how it feels.
Does the scene land emotionally?
Does the character feel true?
Does the dialogue feel alive?
Does the story make us lean in?
Does the script move us, disturb us, thrill us, or stay with us?
That's where the real judgment comes in. And that’s where I think a lot of people misunderstand the danger of AI in coverage, contests, development, and studio evaluation.
It's not just that AI might miss something technical. The real danger is that it might be technically correct while being emotionally wrong.
See, in both of those games I mentioned, goals were overturned because a machine overruled what humans saw with their own eyes. The same can be said in screenwriting coverage. A machine can spot what it has been trained to see as mistakes, but the overall goal of the story could be overturned if the humanity is stripped out of it, especially if it was never a mistake to begin with.
Human judgment needs nuance
That’s why this World Cup conversation feels so relevant to me. In both cases - soccer and screenwriting - the best results come from a combination of:
- technique
- experience
- and human interpretation.
Right and wrong are not always black and white.
Sometimes the right call needs:
- nuance
- context
- intent
- emotional intelligence
- and a feel for what is actually happening in front of you
In other words, not just text and subtext - but context to put it all into perspective. That's the nuance AI simply lacks (at least for now).
Sometimes a scene is messy on the page, but alive in a way that matters. Or a line is grammatically imperfect, but emotionally dead-on. Sometimes a script breaks a rule, but does so in a way that serves character, tone, or audience connection.
A machine may not understand that, but a good human reader will.
This is why human readers still matter
When you’re looking for screenplay coverage or feedback, this is one of the reasons I think it’s so important to work with an experienced human being.
Someone who understands the technical side, the story side, and the emotional side.
An experienced reader/screenwriter who can see not just what the script is doing, but what you are trying to do.
What emotions are you trying to evoke?
What kind of story are you trying to tell?
What is the intent behind the choice?
And if it’s not landing yet, how do you guide it toward that target?
Only a person can really do that well, by looking for human contradiction, emotional truth, character instinct, and the kind of subtlety that makes a script feel alive instead of merely competent.
And for some added inspiration, check out my recent video on what I learned in making my short film, Boneyard Racers.
🎥 Watch the full video here: Big Writing Lessons from Short Films
So if you want help with your screenplay - on a human level, and from an experienced writer and story coach, then click one of the links below and let's talk about:
👉 My coaching calls - great for brainstorming, outlining, character work, and solving story problems early: Book Your Session today!
👉 My coverage packages - a great next step if you need meaningful developmental feedback before diving back into the draft: Click here!
👉 Rewrite to Greenlight - my ongoing developmental editing program for taking a script from almost there to funding or production-ready: Click here!
In the end, what people respond to most is not just precision - it’s feeling. That’s the part no machine should be allowed to replace.
Until next time - keep writing, and stay creative!
Neil
P.S. Check out my feature film, Spin the Wheel - out now on Tubi!
Click here to watch for FREE: https://tubitv.com/movies/100030151/spin-the-wheel
And see my latest feature, Contamination, now on Amazon, AppleTV, Fandango, and Hoopla!
Learn more about storytelling, screenwriting, and filmmaking: www.neilchasefilm.com.
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