Sitcom writing as a career Page 2

Quote: Oliver @ April 22 2008, 6:48 PM BST

whats the commission you get when it's green lit!

I thought 30-40k for the idea, and then 5-10k an episode

then royalties and dvd, merchandise etc

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5-10K for an episode is about the right range (depending on experience, wind direction, ferocity of agent, etc). As far as I know, I don't think it's standard for the writer to get a lump sum from the channel for the idea (you'll get an option from the production company in the first place, but that will be somewhere between £500 and 2K, usually). Would be nice to discover I'm wrong though.

re US writers getting more money - a greater commitment to producing quality programming.

Quote: Bomber @ April 23 2008, 12:34 AM BST

5-10K for an episode is about the right range (depending on experience, wind direction, ferocity of agent, etc). As far as I know, I don't think it's standard for the writer to get a lump sum from the channel for the idea (you'll get an option from the production company in the first place, but that will be somewhere between £500 and 2K, usually). Would be nice to discover I'm wrong though.

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From my own head (I'll say no more), if you don't get paid for the idea as well and it goes on a mainstream channel you are ripped off my friend.

Should get a lump sum if you ask/need

Also f**k the experience shit they give you as reasons. If they want it they will pay.

LOL

Quote: Oliver @ April 23 2008, 5:17 PM BST

From my own head (I'll say no more), if you don't get paid for the idea as well and it goes on a mainstream channel you are ripped off my friend.

Should get a lump sum if you ask/need

Also f**k the experience shit they give you as reasons. If they want it they will pay.

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problem is the market is saturated, Oliver... ask yourself how many people on this board alone are desperate to get a TV comission?

You can demand all the money you want from them but unless you are a completely original undiscovered comedy god they are just going to fob you off and move onto the next desperate wannabe... It's a buyers market my friend...

kjs

Quote: KJSmyling @ April 23 2008, 5:26 PM BST

problem is the market is saturated, Oliver... ask yourself how many people on this board alone are desperate to get a TV comission?

You can demand all the money you want from them but unless you are a completely original undiscovered comedy god they are just going to fob you off and move onto the next desperate wannabe... It's a buyers market my friend...

kjs

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Nah! If you have something worth something it's a commodity. If you have an armoury behind you...be strong

Look at the muppett that I dont get along with Ross Kemp. He is a rubbish actor/moron who managed to get million pound contract through being stubborn.

Take a few lessons from the stock brokers...be in control..dont be a pussy..

They turn you down, use it to your advantage and go to someone better

You get nothing for the idea. No one does. Not ever. If you are the creator then you should get the format rights. That's why Ricky Gervais became very rich when they made The Office: An American Workplace (or whatever they called it).

Having said that the guy that invented Bob The Builder never wrote a single episode. He sold the character rights from a set of drawings he'd put together. I suppose that's fairly close.

Quote: Oliver @ April 23 2008, 5:17 PM BST

... if you don't get paid for the idea as well and it goes on a mainstream channel you are ripped off my friend.

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Sorry, have we met?

But Ross Kemp is a viable commodity his role in Eastenders etc has made him a name, a name that will sell prime-time advertising and DVD's. You and the rest of us are nobodies with no track record and there are lots of us. Why should they give you 1 million when the bloke in the next room will take 500 quid and a bottle of milk stout.

TV execs are a law unto themselves they spend months feeding you little morsels of hope and then drop you the moment a new shiny object lands on their desk...

kjs

Quote: KJSmyling @ April 23 2008, 5:49 PM BST

But Ross Kemp is a viable commodity his role in Eastenders etc has made him a name, a name that will sell prime-time advertising and DVD's. You and the rest of us are nobodies with no track record and there are lots of us. Why should they give you 1 million when the bloke in the next room will take 500 quid and a bottle of milk stout.

TV execs are a law unto themselves they spend months feeding you little morsels of hope and then drop you the moment a new shiny object lands on their desk...

kjs

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Dude...you sound like you've been raped!

I swear to you that you have to appear stronger with them.

Quote: KJSmyling @ April 23 2008, 5:49 PM BST

But Ross Kemp is a viable commodity his role in Eastenders etc has made him a name, a name that will sell prime-time advertising and DVD's. You and the rest of us are nobodies with no track record and there are lots of us. Why should they give you 1 million when the bloke in the next room will take 500 quid and a bottle of milk stout.

TV execs are a law unto themselves they spend months feeding you little morsels of hope and then drop you the moment a new shiny object lands on their desk...

kjs

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Do you know Kjs, we finally agree on something

Quote: Oliver @ April 23 2008, 5:17 PM BST

From my own head (I'll say no more), if you don't get paid for the idea as well and it goes on a mainstream channel you are ripped off my friend.

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Are you going to pay the guy who came up with the James Bond idea, if you can make anything out of it?

Quote: Oliver @ April 23 2008, 5:52 PM BST

Dude...you sound like you've been raped!

I swear to you that you have to appear stronger with them.

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Never been raped, just been introduced to the real world of the entertainment media.

You've spent to long playing Gordon Gekko....

Good luck with your masterplan, I hope it works out for you but if it does you'll have found the Holy Grail, a TV exec who is not a complete c**t...

There aim in life is to fill 24 hours a day in the cheapest way possible , be that reality TV or a second rate sitcom, with three sets and a script written by a monkey...

kjs

with three sets and a script written by a monkey...

...............

Or a friend

Quote: Oliver @ April 23 2008, 5:31 PM BST

Look at the muppett that I dont get along with Ross Kemp. He is a rubbish actor/moron who managed to get million pound contract through being stubborn.

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When he got his contract was he not a famous actor, star of his own SAS show, liked by millions and with a good idea?

I'm sure he was stubborn by the other stuff must have been usefull.