Quote: Simon Stratton @ August 1, 2007, 2:12 PM
I think this just highlights the problems facing 'new writers'. As there is no way for a production company to filter out all the terrible writers to look at the good ones (there are no worthwhile qualifications in comedy writing or apprenticeships) their are very few avenues to take for a new writer, only by winning a major competition or getting very lucky with a production company's slush pile are you going to get in. And even then...
4Laughs seems to offer another alternative, but (and I could be wrong!) Channel 4 doesn't seem to pick up writers from it. I'm not saying it's not a very useful site for writers, with the forums and info on competitions, but I do think it oversells itself when it keeps implying 'come to our site and if you're good and put the effort in, you'll get into TV'.
What's been your experiences with 4Laughs Frankie?
First things first, one thing the site doesn't do is SAY 'come to our site and if you're good and put the effort in, you'll get into TV'. I think people just assume because it's under the Channel 4 TV umbrella then that's what it must be. This is often picked up on by new (and old) contributors but nowhere does Channel 4 actually say that. I've looked! It may be implied but it's definitely not stated!
What they actually do say is that this is a 'do it yourself' comedy site and it's geared up more towards writers who want to produce work that goes beyond the script, i.e. audio, video and animation. However writers can post scripts and get feedback from other contributors and occasionally 4laughs Editors; also there are script competitions and very occasionally in those you also get feedback from Baby Cow and others in the biz.
But beyond scripts, it's mainly a site where you can showcase your audio, video, acting and animation skills through entering the competitions. I've found it to be a good place if you're a writer who wants to get his work developed through performance.
I originally went on the site in the hope of improving my comedy writing and ended up joining up with some like minded others and we formed a little group called 'Junk Males' and have recorded sketches, both audio and video. During this process I've had a go at camera work and all that goes with setting up a shoot, a bit of editing and a bit of acting. Without the site I wouldn't have met these guys and gals and we've had a lot of fun. We have won some 4laughs competitions, DVD's and stuff (including 4laughs mugs!) but also £500 with which we've bought some better gear and I had 30 minutes with quite a decent prostitute...
We've now started to look outside 4laughs and one of our writers has just had two sketches accepted and recorded by the BBC in their 'Play and Record' effort.
In conclusion, the 4laughs site is mostly for people who want to write, develop AND perform their own material, even if only to demonstrate how it might live 'off the page'. You'd still need to go out and find a market for your stuff via the traditional methods: production companies, major competitions, intercourse with a Producer, etc.
4laughs isn't a route in to a Channel 4 TV contract UNLESS you are capable of securing a TV contract by the traditional methods anyway.
Think about it... it couldn't be really, could it?
