Nobody Knows Anything.... Page 3

Quote: Marc P @ November 2 2008, 9:13 AM GMT

Directions should be very well written. They are like poetry, as with dialogue, in as much as they should have the maximum bang for the minimum buck, not poetical in the sense of lots of similies and metaphoricals. They are there to place the reader in your imagined world and hold them there whilst still fulfilling a technical function for the directors and other secondary artists like the actors to interpret.

I've said it before but it is all about STORY. Don't break the willing suspension of disbelief by taking your readers out of your story.

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Yes. I used to write my directions in a very no-nonsense, clinical way until I read a Funland script that changed my mind. Now I try to engage the reader in the directions as well as the dialogue.

Link to Funland script here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/insight/tv_comedy.shtml

Quote: Mikey J @ November 1 2008, 7:24 PM BST

But it's some of those comedy scripts that I don't get.

Especially "Marigold."
It's unoriginal.
It's a totally stereotype family. Plus other sterotype characters.
Gag light. (almost gag free)
Tired "so been done before" storylines.

And was a winner of a BBC contest. Eh?????

How did that get made?
That's what I'm finding hard to swallow.

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I think you're right about "Marigold". Talk about being obviously formulaic. The rest of the entries must have been total shite, that can be the only explanation for it winning, unless it was rigged. Not that the BBC would ever do that would they, Blue Peter?

That's a bit precious. Everyone else manages to work 9-5 and write at the same time. If you're any good, hopefully it won't be forever. It's called paying your dues I believe.

I agree. Whilst paying my writing dues I've been able to pay the bills for umpteen years with two (moderately) successful careers in Engineering and Sales. Had great fun working. Why not? Life's a gas!

Quote: Mikey J @ November 1 2008, 7:24 PM BST

But it's some of those comedy scripts that I don't get.

Especially "Marigold."
It's unoriginal.
It's a totally stereotype family. Plus other sterotype characters.
Gag light. (almost gag free)
Tired "so been done before" storylines.

And was a winner of a BBC contest. Eh?????

How did that get made?

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Marigold was great.

Quote: Frankie Rage @ November 2 2008, 1:15 PM GMT

I agree. Whilst paying my writing dues I've been able to pay the bills for umpteen years with two (moderately) successful careers in Engineering and Sales. Had great fun working. Why not? Life's a gas!

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If life's a gas, why do you never stop complaining about, well, everything? I don't remember the last positive post you made.

Quote: Aaron @ November 2 2008, 1:20 PM GMT

Marigold was great.

If life's a gas, why do you never stop complaining about, well, everything? I don't remember the last positive post you made.

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I can see that Marigold would be right up your street.

I don't care what you remember.

Go attack someone else..

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Here below (you besmircher of my character!) is a positive post I wrote just this morning. Maybe you dwell too long in the throwaway threads, like 'General, General' where the posting is all cakes and cuddly toys. Anyways.

November 2, 2008, 11:02 AM GMT

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I've always done it for as long as I can remember - and the writing too!

I started off with poems and I also drew cartoons and captioned them and some comic style strip stuff too. The poems developed into song lyrics and I started writing music as well.

Most of my writing has been song writing and that's my first and biggest love. I have written approx. 1,000 songs (I estimate) and about 800 are long forgotten. Of the 200 that remain, about 40 are "finished" and about 5 have some serious commercial opportunity (I think!!)...

As for other writing, I have tried short stories and plays. Also, some comedy sketches (about 100 so far and 30 mins of dramedy). The comedy is a recent side line and I would be the first to admit that I am a newbie comedy writer with lots to learn.

Back to the why I do it. I just like doing it. It is a pleasure.

Having said that, I do still aspire to steer at least one of my songs to commercial success. I don't hate money or success, I'll take what I can get!

I do (unfortunately?) have an unhealthy disdain of marketing men in the music and entertainment business generally as they are (inevitably) so full of themselves that they couldn't spot talent if it shat on their faces. I can say that as a marketeer myself! It's a drawback feeling that way maybe, but I get over it.

Anyway, whatever you do don't moan about any perceived "failure" or reasons for it, remember what someone who was very famous once said about success,

"..if you're good enough and big enough, it's here, come up and get it!"

Fx

Yowser, Perry, that Funland script broke every rule I've been taught: camera POV, amount of direction and style, etc.

Does anyone know if this is a transcription of the TV episode rather than the original script presented to the Beeb?

Quote: SlagA @ November 2 2008, 3:24 PM GMT

Yowser, Perry, that Funland script broke every rule I've been taught: camera POV, amount of direction and style, etc.

Does anyone know if this is a transcription of the TV episode rather than the original script presented to the Beeb?

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Haven't read it (though loved the show) but it was a script being put togehter by established names. I think the more established/trusted/ succesful you are, then any so called 'rules' fly out the window. In actual fact, a couple of weeks ago a producer I'm working with told me to ignore anyone who tells you how things 'should' be done. Not sure how good the advice is, but it made me feel happier, and I suppose she knows what she's talking about!

Quote: Matthew Stott @ November 2 2008, 3:37 PM GMT

Haven't read it (though loved the show) but it was a script being put togehter by established names. I think the more established/trusted/ succesful you are, then any so called 'rules' fly out the window. In actual fact, a couple of weeks ago a producer I'm working with told me to ignore anyone who tells you how things 'should' be done. Not sure how good the advice is, but it made me feel happier, and I suppose she knows what she's talking about!

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Did you ignore her Matthew?

Rules are always for the guidance of wise men, etc.

Wise men know when they can ignore the rules.

Fools do too.

Quote: Marc P @ November 2 2008, 3:39 PM GMT

Did you ignore her Matthew?

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Quote: Frankie Rage @ November 2 2008, 1:34 PM GMT

I can see that Marigold would be right up your street.

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And just to please you even more, I even went to the recording.

Quote: Frankie Rage @ November 2 2008, 1:34 PM GMT

I don't care what you remember.

Go attack someone else..

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No, I think not. There's only one person more pathetic than you, Frankie, and it doesn't work quite as well when I attack myself.

Quote: zooo @ November 2 2008, 11:54 AM GMT

That's a bit precious. Everyone else manages to work 9-5 and write at the same time. If you're any good, hopefully it won't be forever. It's called paying your dues I believe.

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If that's aimed at me, then (reading it back), I agree. It sounds very precious.
But I can't do a normal 9-5 job, because it's just not me. I'd collapse. I honestly couldn't cope. Can't help that.

I'm by no means knocking those that hold down a 9-5 AND write... those people are heroes... they truly are. I have huge admiration for them. I couldn't do it.

My dues are paid by me spending every day of my life fighting for survival. That's the choice I made. Hope I haven't offended anyone.

Quote: Rustle T Davis @ November 2 2008, 5:15 PM GMT

If that's aimed at me, then (reading it back), I agree. It sounds very precious.
But I can't do a normal 9-5 job, because it's just not me. I'd collapse. I honestly couldn't cope. Can't help that.

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Nooo, I didn't mean to be confrontational or anything!
Can't even remember who it was aimed at, but it wasn't just one person.

Quote: SlagA @ November 2 2008, 3:24 PM GMT

Yowser, Perry, that Funland script broke every rule I've been taught: camera POV, amount of direction and style, etc.

Does anyone know if this is a transcription of the TV episode rather than the original script presented to the Beeb?

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It's the original script. If you read League Of Gentlemen scripts they're presented in a similar prosey style.