The Chronic Consumer

I watch and recap a lot of television shows for Reviews and More, and as a result, was looking around for some additional resources to help me keep up with the workload. Essentially, I wanted to be able to access the scripts to my favorite shows so I could write more accurate recaps, which is how I came across the Showfax.com website. (Click all images for larger.)

Showfax.com is actually geared towards actors — specifically, those who want to audition for guest starring roles in weekly episodic series. The site gives wannabe actors access to “sides”, which are the script pages for a specific guest role on a series, thus allowing them to prepare for their auditions with the latest scripts.

Sides are grouped according to the regions where auditions will take place, and currently includes the following: Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Toronto, Vancouver, Texas, and the Southeast. If you’re looking for an audition, you simply click on the region closest to you, which then brings up a new menu of role types, such as Episodics, Pilots, Features, Movies of the Week, Commercials, Plays, and a bunch more.

Click again on the type of production you’d like to appear in, and you get a screen listing all the sides available for all the different projects currently in production. You can then click on the production name to see the various roles available, and when you’re ready, you can download the script in .pdf format.

I’m not an actor (aspiring or otherwise), but I’ve still found Showfax to be very helpful. As I said, I can use the script pages to write more accurate recaps for my favorite shows, and, since episodes are usually written several months in advance to actual air date, I can kind of get a glimpse at what’s coming up on the shows I watch. Unfortunately, Showfax doesn’t publish entire scripts, so I just get bits and pieces of info.

For example, here’s a script page from the Bones season 4 opener, which has yet to air:

As you can see, the character Zack Addy is back in the opener, a development I wasn’t expecting since he was revealed as a killer in the S3 finale. From the sounds of the dialogue, it seems that Sweets (the psychologist) will be making a habit of visiting Zack in the criminal mental facility, so maybe Zack will still be a regular after all. Again, this is info I wouldn’t have if not for accessing the script on Showfax.com.

Showfax can also be used as a tool for aspiring screenwriters who are interested in finding out how certain television shows format their scripts.

A one-year membership to Showfax, which gives you access to 25 downloads per day, costs $68. I think this is a very reasonable price for all the scripts that are available, but then again, I don’t know if similar free services exist, so you might want to check into that possibility.

Alternatively, you can download individual sides without having to pay for a yearly membership. Individual downloads costs between $2 and $4 each, so it seems that going for a membership is a much better deal, especially if you’re going to access lots of sides.

Overall, Showfax.com seems like a terrific resource for actors and writers (and even just television enthusiasts) alike. The sides are updated frequently, downloads are quick and easy, and membership fees are affordable. Check it out today!