Quote: Jinky @ November 21 2012, 2:41 PM GMTIs the narrator like Peter Jones or more like the one in Pete vs Life?
Or somebody else?
More the former, I suppose. As I say, I wrote it a long time ago, but I think the voice I had in my head for that tended to be a Stephen Fry-esque delivery.
I see.
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I prefer Peter Jones.
Apologies for bumping a year old thread, but has anybody here made it through to the Writersroom development session? Any info on what actually goes on there, outside of the Writersroom blog that (kind of vaguely) described last year's session.
Hi
I'm in the 'development group' at BBC North. I got there through the Laughing Stock competition. It isn't necessarily those who submit unsolicited scripts up get through, it's people who are 'found' through scouts going out and about to festivals and also through comps like the one I went into where your script goes through the usual writersroom rigmarole anyway (read by several writers etc).
I haven't made the best use of my Writersroom connections yet, to be honest, (though I have personal reasons to blame!) and it really is up to what you do with it. No one will chase you or keep in contact, you're in a group that receives invitations to talks, courses, festivals etc., you get dibs on commissions for new writesr as well.
In my case, I got a commission for a ten-minute comedy play and then dropped off the radar a bit after completing it (personal problems, like I say...) but I did receive emails asking if I'd like to go to the TV Writers' Festival with a recommendation from the Development Manager etc because I didn't have a TV credit (which is a prerequisite) so they try to help you out.
My first meeting with the Development Manager just consisted of an informal chat where they try to suss out whether you're a wanker or not, and get an idea of what you want to do. They gave me feedback on my sitcom then said to rewrite it and send it to independent production companies. Some things do get commissioned through the Writersroom, but from what I can tell, you're mostly advised to keep sending elsewhere.
Oh, and if you want to get through the writersroom, bear in mind the readers only look at the first ten pages of script. So cram them with funnies and leave them wanting more. Best to also leave them with a slight mystery over what will happen next. If they like the first ten then you're through the first stage and they'll read your full script. Obviously, the full script needs to be good too, or you fail the second stage....what I mean is, don't give them a slow burner because they don't have time!
SGLEN,
Very useful info and a nice insight into the system.
Thanks and good luck with your writing.
Quote: playfull @ 13th November 2013, 12:19 AM GMTSGLEN,
Very useful info and a nice insight into the system.
Thanks and good luck with your writing.
No probs and cheers! Hopefully there's also someone else around in a development group that has been more engaged with the process than I have because there's probably a lot more to say!
Don't think of the first ten pages. If they get past that they may well stop at 12. Truth be told they may well stop at page one. They will probably have made their mind up if is negative by page one or two. Make each page a page turner and have a story that drives the funnies.
Thanks for the info, sglen. Hopefully the Writersroom will be as potentially fruitful as the BBC North development group seems to be! I'll report back. Would they help you out getting stuff to production companies that have the "no unsolicited material" policy, do you think?
Quote: BoomBoomBoom @ 13th November 2013, 8:48 PM GMTThanks for the info, sglen. Hopefully the Writersroom will be as potentially fruitful as the BBC North development group seems to be! I'll report back. Would they help you out getting stuff to production companies that have the "no unsolicited material" policy, do you think?
The development group is part of the Writersroom. Basically, the aim of the Writersroom is to get to a Development Manager, so as far as I know there's a similar situation going on in each region.
Sorry, I have no idea about the production stuff as I really haven't taken advantage of this yet! I imagine they can help out, or at least give advice.
Do you have a meeting? I don't know what 'development session' is really, unless it's to do with BBC London? The meeting me and my writing partner had was just us and the Development Manager.
Yeah, next week in London. But I think it's mostly a large group -- as best I can tell from Writersroom blogs etc, it's usually been about 25 in past sessions. They're sending out a link to a video at some point (I'm guessing an episode of something on iPlayer) which the group will then discuss. There are meetings with producers involved, I assume on a one to one basis but that could be group too. The impression I get from correspondence and details so far is that it's not as focused or ongoing as the development group you've described, but I'm hoping that I'm just being pessimistic and that it'll be the same. They're putting lunch on, so that's good.
Quote: BoomBoomBoom @ 14th November 2013, 8:50 AM GMTYeah, next week in London. But I think it's mostly a large group -- as best I can tell from Writersroom blogs etc, it's usually been about 25 in past sessions. They're sending out a link to a video at some point (I'm guessing an episode of something on iPlayer) which the group will then discuss. There are meetings with producers involved, I assume on a one to one basis but that could be group too. The impression I get from correspondence and details so far is that it's not as focused or ongoing as the development group you've described, but I'm hoping that I'm just being pessimistic and that it'll be the same. They're putting lunch on, so that's good.
I'd be really surprised if it's not the same to be honest. We did a lot of 'homework' for our writing course at the start of the Development Group stuff, watching other television shows then debating them etc.
We also did workshops where we pitch ideas and have people criticise us endlessly 
, and there are loads of industry people that come in for talks. I work an hour away so I am yet to even get to one of the sessions that the industry people talk at. I reckon it must be the same kind of setup as in Manchester, though.
And to be fair, we had a different Development Manager in the North when I had my first meeting, so one-to-one meetings may have just been her thing...
The outcome of the day is that the Writersroom department are basically our internal agents within the BBC - we email them with plans, ideas, scripts etc, and they forward them on to/put us in touch with the relevant people in the departments. I'll be joining the Northern Writers list, which will mean I'll get details of events/courses etc that they're putting on. But there are no ongoing sessions, specific pitch sessions, lectures etc for the group as a whole.
I see from their website that the Writersroom is operating a different system this year, with separate genres for each submission window - Drama is up first, and Comedy follows....
Still no news though on whether they've started reading submissions from the last scriptroom; I think last time they told us when they were reading each genre, but I think it's a different team now. Has anyone heard anything directly?
I agree that it's not productive to pin all my hopes on Writersroom because the chances of even getting to the second stage (20 pages) is so slim. I still think it's worth submitting to though as there's always a chance, but I also think that writers should submit to everything (free to enter) that's available - after all, what one reader hates, another person likes - and I've been told by established / published writers that the more you write, the better it gets....
Similarly, I plan to submit to Newsjack, even though I've tried the last 2 series and got nothing on... I live in hope. 
What is Kickstarter? 
Agreed, writers should submit to every relevant opportunity, and not just rely on Writersroom. After all, it's all about getting noticed and building important contacts along the way.
Oh, and write, write, write to learn the craft. That way, your writing will improve and you'll have a portfolio of work.