Hello, I hope everyone's had a pleasant start to the new week! We're going to have another bash at Ric's Happy Hour tomorrow at 1:15pm. It would be great to see you here again, hopefully we'll be able to give it a proper go!
In the meantime, please check Ric's responses to last week's questions here so we don't cover too much past ground!
If production companies took a little extra time to provide decent feedback on spec scripts, surely that would increase their chances of producing a real winner and also raise the bar for writing generally?
[QUOTE]Originally posted by ScottTheDot: Question for Ric:
If production companies took a little extra time to provide decent feedback on spec scripts, surely that would increase their chances of producing a real winner and also raise the bar for writing generally?
Hello Everyone, Glamorous, Scott and Davina plus anyone else lurking. Really pleased we are up and runing.
Why? I know it seems harsh but to give you an example. In the first 12 mionths of Baby Cow Mcr I was responsible for all unsolicited material as roughly 5-10% of my job. We received over 600 scripts - all logged, receipted and checked. I read at night, weekends etc. The writers who had a realistic chance made up abouut 5% and their work would be read and assessed by me two to three times plus at least one more person. We simply do not have time to give feedback to everyone. The scripts or writers that have potential are always followed up.
is there honestly any chance for a new writer to break into what appears to be an old boys network? I have received work back that looks very much like it has been thumbed quickly dumped back in the envalope and returned unread (admitedly by the BBC and not your good selves)
my thought would be that without feedback, bad writers continue sending bad stuff. I got great feedback from BBC scotland once and it improved a rather dodgy script no end.
Hi, I'd add to Scott's q that it's almost as though people new to writing are ruled out immediately by the industry if they have no 'business head'. It takes a huge effort to show your creativity but almost instantly you're expected to become an expert. How much of that will an agent do and how much does the industry expect the writer to pick up on?
Is there any particularly route that commissioners prefer to see a new writer have taken... Such as getting a grounding in stand up first??... And do they prefer you to concentrate on say radio before attempting TV, as many do??...
JunkMales currently work mainly in sketch form, but don't know how best to submit these? Are you interested in sketchs? Should they be submitted as a show in itself? Should they be themed?
Or for you it sitcoms or one off dramas all the way?
"Strange things are afoot at the Circle-K. " - Ted "Theodore" Logan
I don't really have any big questions about comedy writing (I know I suck) but I am curious to know if writing is as harsh as performing. As an actor and performance artist, I know how tough the industry is but surely writing is less so. Anyone got any views?
I wasn't the only one who laughed when the news said the Plymouth Hoe was on fire....Member 4675 of the RubyMae James fanclub XX
There's definitely a lot of unsolicited material around - I know some agents are getting several hundred book proposals a month... So I can see how it would be INCREDIBLY tough to get through it all...
Originally posted by mousevale: is there honestly any chance for a new writer to break into what appears to be an old boys network? I have received work back that looks very much like it has been thumbed quickly dumped back in the envalope and returned unread (admitedly by the BBC and not your good selves)
Everything is read. I have good friends at the BBC and they all read everyhting that comes in. We all want to unearth the next genius. Harry Williams broke thorugh with Roman Empire, Saxondale had a new writer on it. I know it is hard but then this is not social work, we are all trying to get our own ideas as far as possible.
That's a good topic for debate, Glam... I'd say as a writer, you're perhaps putting yourself 'out there' even more so than a performer... As you would have put so much of yourself into the work/material - whereas a performer/actor (although they give much of themselves too) would usually be performing someone else's work, and therefore it wouldn't be a part of them in the same way...
