Right. Let's all send ours to him then.
Getting on the inside Page 2
Quote: james mccloskey @ July 18, 2007, 3:57 PMI know its hard to get a break in this business but i was reading a steve moffat interview and totally agree with what he says.
Personal Quotes
You're guaranteed to be lucky several times in your life-it's what you do with it. Young writers spend all their time worrying, in a way that David Gerrold did not and I did not. How do they get to meet the right people? How do they get to the right parties? If only someone would read my script... Forget all that. All these things are easy and will happen. The way you get your script to the right people is that you put it in an envelope. It's f**king easy. The difficult bit is writing something that is so good people will take a punt on a brand new writer. That's it-you have to write an absolutely terrific script.steve moffat
Well, that's obvious. But there really are a limited about of people who are willing to look.
Wise words but yes say easy for him to say.
I enjoy Jekyll
Quote: james mccloskey @ July 18, 2007, 3:57 PMI know its hard to get a break in this business but i was reading a steve moffat interview and totally agree with what he says.
Personal Quotes
You're guaranteed to be lucky several times in your life-it's what you do with it. Young writers spend all their time worrying, in a way that David Gerrold did not and I did not. How do they get to meet the right people? How do they get to the right parties? If only someone would read my script... Forget all that. All these things are easy and will happen. The way you get your script to the right people is that you put it in an envelope. It's f**king easy. The difficult bit is writing something that is so good people will take a punt on a brand new writer. That's it-you have to write an absolutely terrific script.steve moffat
I think this is nonsense.
I have written an 'absolutely terrific script'. It wasn't even read by the Writersroom. The problem might be the writing for Steve, who in my opinion is a mediocre writer, the problem for me is getting past the gate keepers.
I thought it was nonsense aswell because what he is saying is that his script was absolutely brilliant and he was just waiting for the call. Theres a limited amount of resources and they usually go to the people on the 'inside' The best thing to do is try another route such as producing your written work into an audio or visual format and putting it out there.
Quote: james mccloskey @ July 18, 2007, 3:57 PMI know its hard to get a break in this business but i was reading a steve moffat interview and totally agree with what he says.
Personal Quotes
You're guaranteed to be lucky several times in your life-it's what you do with it. Young writers spend all their time worrying, in a way that David Gerrold did not and I did not. How do they get to meet the right people? How do they get to the right parties? If only someone would read my script... Forget all that. All these things are easy and will happen. The way you get your script to the right people is that you put it in an envelope. It's f**king easy. The difficult bit is writing something that is so good people will take a punt on a brand new writer. That's it-you have to write an absolutely terrific script.steve moffat
Oh such rubbish. Define 'terrific' anyway. Sooooo subjective.
OK, so a great script is preferred but I can almost guarantee you'll get no-where without all the other stuff I mentioned earlier. If you're lucky.
That doesn't mean don't try, of course. Go for it! I'd be the first to applaud anyone here getting their work turned into a show.
I still think the way ahead is to produce it yourself and start showing it around. It's going to be bloody hard going but you'll be able to demonstrate to over-worked, risk-shy producers that you have what it takes... and a visual representation of your script is going to be easier to laugh at.
The thing that keeps cropping up here at BSG are those people who seem to think the BBC is the be-all and end-all for scripts & sketches. I mean, if you truly have a hard-on to work for the BBC then by all means enter the company as a janitor or photo-copy grunt; be really friendly to absolutely everyone you work with or bump into, and gradually build up connections & contacts with those who work in Production and/or writing, and then pester the f**k out of them with your incredibly funny & well-written material.
That, or, as someone else said, go to Cambridge.
Your number 1 priority is the writing: Funny; relatively short lines; plausible; timeless; universal; and no speeches.
Your number 2 priority is the correct/legible format: Easy on the eyes; easy to read. No blocks of dense text to wade through.
Has everyone here sent their materials to all available literary/script agencies? Why not? They couldn't stay in business if they weren't selling scripts/sketches and I seriously doubt they are only selling materials from established writers.
Keep writing. Build up your portfolio/catalogue. When you hit those spells or phases of being unable to write, that's the time to focus your energy on sending your stuff out to ALL available avenues.
I agree with others here at BSG: Start with sketches and build a rep; this will lead to contacts & connections to the people who can actually do something with your sitcom ideas.
Radio is a good place to start. The emphasis is on the storyline/situation and dialogue, and these are the most important elements in visual comedy as well.
If your stuff is damn good, then it will rise to the surface and will be noticed. You'll know it's damn good if you decide NOT to post it here at BSG or any other website. You'll send it off to the agencies and production companies. And you'll keep sending it off until someone accepts it.
Use your rejection-related bitterness or depression as fuel for your writing.
Create or die---or live the slow death of being a mere consumer & spectator.
I choose writing.
Quote: Darren Goldsmith @ July 19, 2007, 12:02 PMI still think the way ahead is to produce it yourself and start showing it around. It's going to be bloody hard going but you'll be able to demonstrate to over-worked, risk-shy producers that you have what it takes... and a visual representation of your script is going to be easier to laugh at.
It is a good idea to produce your work yourself but of course this can cost money and you have to get cast and crew (some of who are time wasters or incompetent) in for free through sites like Talent Circle and Mandy.com and a good director. Using friends etc. is OK but using professionals does make a big difference if you can get them. Some of them usually work for free if they like the idea cos there isn't always that much work around. The only problem then is getting it shown to people.
If it's a short film the big festivals like Edinburgh usually use volunteers to look through submissions so the judges don't see everyone's work. BBC Writers Room probably uses trainees to do the same. (since they get over 10,000 submissions a year apparently)
I know this cos I produced (and co-financed) my own comedy short and I'm trying to get it to people at the moment. Luckily my mate is a professional actor so we called in some favours but it wasn't cheap and even then it doesn't mean it'll get seen or it might not be what they want.
My advice is to keep it short (1-3 minutes), simple and use professionals as much as poss. Anyway, the short film I made will be online soon and I will post details here.
I think Darren and Nicholas are right about self producing and i am about to go down this route. I'm lucky in that I have the equipment and expertise to produce it myself, although i can't act so will need to draft in some people.
Skibbington von Skubber (german pirate - I suppose there's a first for everything) seems to repeat Moffat's point.
'Your number 1 priority is the writing: Funny; relatively short lines; plausible; timeless; universal; and no speeches.'
Not me. Some of us are fully formed, Skibbinton, and already do this. we just need to get our stuff read by comedy producers, rather than readers.
Quote: Godot Taxis @ July 19, 2007, 3:28 PMI think Darren and Nicholas are right about self producing and i am about to go down this route.
Guess I was wrong about self producing then 
Quote: Seefacts @ July 18, 2007, 7:31 PMWell, that's obvious. But there really are a limited about of people who are willing to look.
There are also a limited number of brilliant scripts.
But, and this is the hard part, there are millions, trillions and zillions of good scripts...
Good scripts are 10 a penny...
THAT is the problem...
Quote: Godot Taxis @ July 19, 2007, 3:28 PM...Some of us are fully formed, Skibbinton, and already do this. we just need to get our stuff read by comedy producers, rather than readers.
And what convinces you that you are fully formed?
Let's say you are a producer. You already have projects and commitments. You are already running a race and juggling plates in the air; do you have time to read un-examined, unsolicited material by unknown writers? Probably not. Do you even want unknown people sending you material?
I think word of mouth and friend of a friend has more going for it than sending in unsolicited materials; but I also think you should try whatever occurs to you.
Now to get the word of mouth going, perhaps you have to actually bite the bullet and start at the very bottom and work your way up. Start with radio and local access television.
Has anyone ever arrived from anonymity and had their sitcom produced?
But if all of that sounds like bullshit, and it probably does to you, then it's merely a game of persistence & perserverence and good manners. Don't let your teeth show---except in your work. Keep your cover letter totally free of humour and emotion. Just the facts. No value judgments.
If your work is as smashing as you think it is, you will definitely bust through the wall. Keep sending it out. And seriously think about sending it to agencies.
I am following my own advice. Will keep you posted.
All the best.
I like the way many of you called what Steven Moffat said 'Absolute Rubbish', clearly its not as it worked for him. I have also had some success by doing what he said, just writing as well as you can and bunging it in an envelope.
Thats not what he said Matthew he said you have to 'write an absolutely terrific script' which does sound very pretentious. I don't think you would ever hear Gary Shandling of Larry David say that, they would say something along the lines you just said which is spot on. Just write as well as you can and put it in an envelope. All this advice is good advice, my advice would be to spread your net as wide as possible and hpe you catch something.
I think people seem to have the wrong attitude here, saying "my work is excellent, if producers reject it then they are wrong". You have to see your own flaws and re-draft and re-work. If you are getting rejected then maybe your perfect script isn't so perfect. If you want a producer to take your work you have to give them what they want, and if they have rejected you then you haven't done that.
How can they be wrong? They know exactly what they want.