Feedback on comp entries

Here's my feedback on feedback I've got from the few sitcom comps offering feedback I've entered things into over the last few years. I've entered roughly about 12 scripts with a feedback service offered for a fee so far. And not one of the assessments I've received mentioned the quality of dialogue or laugh quota, punchline rate or even humour in any of them. They have all been over concerned with form and form only - more indepth directions needed, make it more visual, make it less static etc.

What the hell is the point of constantly telling us to have a high joke count and make it funny in the long line of pro advice pieces, when none of the readers of our scripts mentions this 'vital aspect' in their feedback pieces?

Do others have similar experiences with their feedback given and do you feel as disillusioned as I do with it all?

[NB Actually Declan did once, on two lines he didn't appreciate, but you get my general point better if I generalise on the trend.]

Sounds like, in the main, you've been reviewed by people with screenplay experience rather than sitcom.
A lot of those comments are just cut and paste clichés.
People like Declan are few and far between - with a specialisation in the genre.
When I entered SitCom mission his feedback was, in the main, bang on. Points of disagreement, for sure - but they were all relevant and helpful.
I had to rescue (in script editing terms)a couple of guys recently who'd fallen into the hands of charlatans - given them a whole load of shit advice and charged them for it.
They are there norm rather than the exception, I'm afraid.

I mean, it depends on the script, but generally if I'm giving or receiving feedback on a script, notes like structure/plot/characters are far more important than feedback on the jokes themselves. Obviously if you're writing comedy, it's always nice to know if people are actually finding your work funny, but comedy is ultimately subjective, so there's only so much use you can get out of notes like that.

Having said that, I've used a few paid services myself, and the results are definitely mixed. The issue with a lot of the bigger companies that offer paid services is they'll just farm out scripts to random readers who are probably getting paid sod all to give feedback on all sorts of random comedies/dramas/horror/thriller/etc screenplays on a daily basis, so they're less inclined to do a deep dive and just chuck out some surface level critiques to get the job done and move onto the next one. I've also definitely had issues with at least one company offering suspiciously glowing feedback for one of my scripts, then bombarding me with offers to pay for more feedback, as if they knew I'd be less likely to pay for more reads if they tore my writing apart.

I think the key is always to find one or two people you really trust to give useable and honest feedback, and strike up a good relationship with them, rather than just flinging money at random anonymous reviews. But that's obviously easier said than done.

The only feedback that counts is if something's used or optioned .

Quote: Jaicee @ 3rd August 2022, 10:02 AM

The only feedback that counts is if something's used or optioned .

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Well that's silly.
It all depends what stage you are at in your writing career.
And, more importantly, who's giving it.

Quote: Crindy @ 1st August 2022, 5:01 PM

I think the key is always to find one or two people you really trust to give useable and honest feedback, and strike up a good relationship with them, rather than just flinging money at random anonymous reviews. But that's obviously easier said than done.

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Very much in agreement with this tbh!

An advantage asking people you trust has over competition feedback is that if you do want feedback on a specific aspect of your script (eg. joke count*) you can let your reader know beforehand that this is where you'd like them to focus their attention. They may still spot other things that are noteworthy, but at least you're more likely to feel you're both on the same page (very weak pun intended) generally speaking.

(*Although if you already know your script needs to be packed full of jokes/should be as funny as it can possibly be, I'm not sure that you need to solicit a second person to confirm this! Notes that help you to heighten/'punch up' your jokes, or let you know if a one-liner rings true to the character saying it etc. can be genuinely helpful -and I think there probably are comedy-specific script service providers out there who can help with this -but I feel like broader things like joke count/your own personal sense of what is funny rely more on instincts that you hone over time.)

Quote: Crindy @ 1st August 2022, 5:01 PM

I mean, it depends on the script, but generally if I'm giving or receiving feedback on a script, notes like structure/plot/characters are far more important than feedback on the jokes themselves. Obviously if you're writing comedy, it's always nice to know if people are actually finding your work funny, but comedy is ultimately subjective, so there's only so much use you can get out of notes like that.

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Also this! I find that when I work on getting the plotting right and making my characters as strong as possible, more opportunities for laughs present themselves (eg. in the way their personality comes out in their dialogue, and in the choices they make/the consequences of said choices). If I want to up the quality/quantity of my jokes, these are the areas I go back to.

Quote: Lazzard @ 3rd August 2022, 10:11 AM

Well that's silly.
It all depends what stage you are at in your writing career.
And, more importantly, who's giving it.

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If you tell me something's wonderful or it's crap it doesn't matter . Like me and everyone else here you have no power . If it gets used it's worked , if it doesn't , it's not .
Come of your high , wise old writer, high horse , old chap . Best wishes and good luck.

Quote: Jaicee @ 5th August 2022, 9:57 AM

. If it gets used it's worked , if it doesn't , it's not .

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But sometimes it's useful to have somebody elses opinion on why someting hasn't worked, so you can look at that area of your writing. Otherwise you're just doomed to make the same mistakes over and over again. Sometimes criticism is a good thing because it helps you grow and develop.

Quote: Jaicee @ 5th August 2022, 9:57 AM

If you tell me something's wonderful or it's crap it doesn't matter . Like me and everyone else here you have no power . If it gets used it's worked , if it doesn't , it's not .
Come of your high , wise old writer, high horse , old chap . Best wishes and good luck.

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Things don't get 'used' they get developed and then, sometimes, made.
Unless you're talking about one liners and sketch material, and even then, wouldn't you like to know why they've been rejected? I know I would.
Learning the tastes of the people you're working for is pretty important.
The development process involves listening to a great deal of feedback, and reacting to it.
That in itself is reason enough to get used to taking on board other people's comments.
And it's not about power, it's about improving your work.
You've just got to choose the right people.
If the feedback you've been getting is either "wonderful" or "crap", then you've chosen the wrong people.
Either way, learning to take notes is a vital part of a writers's toolkit - which ones to ignore, what to take on board, what they actually 'mean' when they say they don't like a certain element.
Anyway - I find your outlook pretty bleak, but you are entitled to it, so I return the best wishes.