Welcome to the site Penn, btw.
P.S. Congratualtions to the 'lucky' 32 and good luck to those who didn't get through for future efforts!
Sitcom (Com)Mission Page 54
This thread is locked. No further replies can be posted.
Quote: bushbaby @ January 22 2010, 8:04 PM GMTThat's not true Penn, I went to a workshop and they are superb not rip offs at all and at least half of what you would pay elsewhere for such knowledge/advice/fun.
I learned in a day what would have taken me years on my own.
My sitcom was acted out by actors there and got the laughs where I expected, but it had no conflict/problems so I came home and rewrote it.
It must have been in the long/shortlist 60 but just wasn't as good as the 32 chosen.
So to sum up, no not all the people that pay for feedback/workshops are in the 32. The purpose of the workshops is to help the writers, not Simon and Declan
Thanks Bush's baby, I think that you have redeemed the sitcommission in my eyes. Although what mad eyou think that your's got so high up? Your comments do make me want to go to a workshop because it sounds fun, and it would be good to meet some of the talented people that I have checked out on this site. However, objectively speaking, I think that the way the competition was set up was flawed. I do think that there is far too much scope for unintentional bias, when a judge comes to read a script that he has worked closely with and recieved money for doing so. Apart from anything, he would be very familiar with it, and have invested some of his own ideas in it, and we all know how hard it is to scrap our own ideas.
secondly, paying for feedback, great, but in a competition, if somebody hasn't paid for feedback, it could play in somebodies mind, especially when they have to read so many scripts. whereas, when somebody has paid for feedback, you have to read the thing, and your getting paid for it. Also I thought that originally they required everyone to pay a £5 fee to submit a script. did they later revise this?
Don't get me wrong, I am sure that the feedback and the workshops were invaluable, and very good value for money. However, if they were that good, perhaps have them as an ongoing thing, completely separate from the competition, and independant from the judges.
Finally, (sorry I have gone on a bit) Did this have anything to do witht he BBC? It was advertised on the writersroom.
Peace, Love, and Choklit,
PENN
Quote: bushbaby @ January 22 2010, 8:04 PM GMTThat's not true Penn, I went to a workshop and they are superb not rip offs at all and at least half of what you would pay elsewhere for such knowledge/advice/fun.
I learned in a day what would have taken me years on my own.
My sitcom was acted out by actors there and got the laughs where I expected, but it had no conflict/problems so I came home and rewrote it.
It must have been in the long/shortlist 60 but just wasn't as good as the 32 chosen.
So to sum up, no not all the people that pay for feedback/workshops are in the 32. The purpose of the workshops is to help the writers, not Simon and Declan
I also attended one of simons and declan workshop and I totally agree with bushbaby you do learn a lot from their workshop. It was an amazing experience watching my sitcom being acted out by actors. The only thing I didn't like about it was the fact that the time passed so quickly on that day. And I'm hoping to attend another one of their workshop's this year.
Also Congrat to all the finalists who made it to sitcom mission and good luck with the second episode.
Ps
I've posted my sitcom mission rejection (don't think I should call it a rejection since I have still not received an "Official" rejection through the email yet) entry on the critique forum if anyone is interested in reading it.
Hi BJ, welcome to the site. I can tell you now that Simon and Declan aren't in the 'pay and display' business - though I did sleep with both of them - but not together, as I'm not a slapper.
I think you might be underestimating the quality of the competition entrants as I know for a fact that the BCG members who made it into the final 32 have previously sold lots of comedy material, are script writers in other genres or had previous success in similar competitions such as The Sitcom Trials.
As for the workshops, think of them like driving lessons - hey people who took driving lessons passed first time - it's a conspiracy! It might be difficult to look at your script as anything less then comedy perfection, but believe me, it's an eye opener when it gets read out and critiqued.
There could have been a million reasons your script wasn't chosen - setting, characters, plot, racist jokes about Latvian midget hookers - who knows? That's why I went to the workshop, so I could find out what worked and what didn't.
In closing, after meeting Simon and Declan and chatting to them at length, they really are honest dudes with bags of integrity who want to uncover new talent rather then dirty their hands in a 'Cash For Jokes' scandal.
In closing, after meeting Simon and Declan and chatting to them at length, they really are honest dudes with bags of integrity who want to uncover new talent rather then dirty their hands in a 'Cash For Jokes' scandal.
.........
here here, they are truly genuine and nothing like other comps.
Quote: BJ Penn @ January 22 2010, 7:52 PM GMTi get the impression this comp was all about money. i.e. those that paid for workshops and feedback, got short listed, and not because of "development". I don't like these things where they ask you to pay for stuff, especially when you get rejected having opte for the "non paying" option, and in the rejecion email, it says "why don't you pay to our workshop, to see where you went wrong".
I agree.
No, not really. Welcome to the forum. I paid (twice) for feedback and got nowhere, so that's one myth exploded. I wish I could've got on the Gold workshop but was too late to book a place.
Before entering I spoke to several people in the industry, all of whom were complimentary about these guys and what they do, which is the only reason I bothered and the only reason I ended up on this forum.
Good luck (again) to all those finalists, thanks to Simon and Declan, and to those who got nowhere (like me), keep buggering on - it's the best revenge there is, mwoahhhahahahahaha!!!!
Quote: Renegade Carpark @ January 22 2010, 9:20 PM GMTHi BJ, welcome to the site. I can tell you now that Simon and Declan aren't in the 'pay and display' business - though I did sleep with both of them - but not together, as I'm not a slapper."
_______
Hahaha
________"I think you might be underestimating the quality of the competition entrants as I know for a fact that the BCG members who made it into the final 32 have previously sold lots of comedy material, are script writers in other genres or had previous success in similar competitions such as The Sitcom Trials."
______________________________________________________________________________
I haven't underestimated anybodies quality. I was questioning the integrity of the competition, and by that I mean the scope for the appearance of bias, as opposed to any actual bias.
_______________________________________________________________________________"As for the workshops, think of them like driving lessons - hey people who took driving lessons passed first time - it's a conspiracy! It might be difficult to look at your script as anything less then comedy perfection, but believe me, it's an eye opener when it gets read out and critiqued."
______________________________________________________________________________
Again I am liking the sound of these workshops, but that should have nothing to do with the competition. The workshops would have been a good idea as a 'second round' thing, where those that get through go to a workshop, and then submit their reworked piece, playing for the last 16. What is the point of putting it into the competition at first base? If it was a separate service, distinct from any comp, people could use it to help their competition entries, but the judges can have absolutley nothing to do with it. To be clear, I am not doubting the value of the workshops, but they should be completely separate fromt the comp itself.
__________________________________________________________________________"There could have been a million reasons your script wasn't chosen - setting, characters, plot, racist jokes about Latvian midget hookers - who knows? That's why I went to the workshop, so I could find out what worked and what didn't."
____________________________________________________________________________
No, my script was just shit. Haha you could read it on the critique forum. I wrote it in 4 hours, and most of it was rushed. All filler, with no killer.
____________________________________________________________________________"In closing, after meeting Simon and Declan and chatting to them at length, they really are honest dudes with bags of integrity who want to uncover new talent rather then dirty their hands in a 'Cash For Jokes' scandal.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Again, you guys have definitely sold this crowd to me, and I like them already. But any legit competition should leave no scope for the 'appearance of bias'. I was just a bit sceptical when the rejection email offered me a workshop for which I had to pay money. It's the integrity of the competition itself, and by that I don't mean anything to do with Simon and Declan, I mean the format is inherently flawed. Let's face it, the beeb would not have set up a competition in this format, and their reasoning would have been 'integrity'.
Finally can somebody please answer the question: just reading some comments on this forum, did they initially charge £5 to submit your script? and if so, why was this scrapped?
Quote: BJ Penn @ January 22 2010, 10:16 PM GMTAgain, you guys have definitely sold this crowd to me, and I like them already. But any legit competition should leave no scope for the 'appearance of bias'. I was just a bit sceptical when the rejection email offered me a workshop for which I had to pay money. It's the integrity of the competition itself, and by that I don't mean anything to do with Simon and Declan, I mean the format is inherently flawed. Let's face it, the beeb would not have set up a competition in this format, and their reasoning would have been 'integrity'.
Finally can somebody please answer the question: just reading some comments on this forum, did they initially charge £5 to submit your script? and if so, why was this scrapped?
I believe they did but I don't know why they changed their minds. Maybe they'll read this and answer - they often pop by. Frankly, I'd have paid that anyway. Christ, that's not even a pint and a half where I live - they have to hire the venue and the equipment up front you know, marketing, hours on the phone pumping the product of others and if someone's commissioned as a result of their work, they're not a percentage, and they spend weeks reading over 500 scripts or so. Whatever they do to pay the mortgage, I doubt it's organising this competition.
Right, I'm off to the Seychelles. Simon and Dec offered me the use of their holiday home as commiseration...
Quote: bluer than blue @ January 22 2010, 10:47 PM GMTBJ PENN
You've completely missed the point of the exercise.
Any writer who has experienced the workshops and seen the hard work, hours and effort that Declan and Simon put into the whole experience would be offended by your observations.
The effort involved in giving up days before a workshop, arranging venues, finding actors that are willing to work half a day at their own expense.
For that you get some of the most constructive imput from professional actors and your peers, all for £40.Out of 500 entrants your the only one that appears to be questioning Simon and Declan's integrity.
It appears to me reading your blogs, that your writing is probably as good as your grasp of the facts.
If you can't handle rejection, don't enter competitions where you might be rejected, leave that to the grown up's who understand these things.
Sorry blue eyes, but it is clear that you are the one that has missed the point. I'm not going to keep repeating myself, but you're in danger of being a little defensive, and protectionist. I expect that your writing would be similar to 'Big Top' or '2 pints of lager'. pull your head out of Simon and Declan's arses for one minute, and smell freedom my friend.
Quote: Empty @ January 22 2010, 10:23 PM GMTI believe they did but I don't know why they changed their minds. Maybe they'll read this and answer - they often pop by. Frankly, I'd have paid that anyway. Christ, that's not even a pint and a half where I live - they have to hire the venue and the equipment up front you know, marketing, hours on the phone pumping the product of others and if someone's commissioned as a result of their work, they're not a percentage, and they spend weeks reading over 500 scripts or so. Whatever they do to pay the mortgage, I doubt it's organising this competition.
Right, I'm off to the Seychelles. Simon and Dec offered me the use of their holiday home as commiseration...
The five pound fee was scrapped because the beeb would not agree to it, so there's your answer, this comp is honest and above board.
Simon and Dec are truly honest and enthusiastic about what they are doing for writers and the business. You have to go to a workshop to be convinced. they are good guys and not the usual rip off, trust me please
Quote: bushbaby @ January 22 2010, 11:00 PM GMTThe five pound fee was scrapped because the beeb would not agree to it, so there's your answer, this comp is honest and above board.
Simon and Dec are truly honest and enthusiastic about what they are doing for writers and the business. You have to go to a workshop to be convinced. they are good guys and not the usual rip off, trust me please
I do.
I agree with you.
Quote: Empty @ January 22 2010, 11:02 PM GMTI do.
I agree with you.
Sorry Empty my answer was to Penn I believe or someone, but I'm p*ssed and got the wrong quote xx
Quote: BJ Penn @ January 22 2010, 10:59 PM GMTSorry blue eyes, but it is clear that you are the one that has missed the point. I'm not going to keep repeating myself, but you're in danger of being a little defensive, and protectionist. I expect that your writing would be similar to 'Big Top' or '2 pints of lager'. pull your head out of Simon and Declan's arses for one minute, and smell freedom my friend.
What's your comedy style Bj sitcom wise?
What is this, handbags at dawn? Cool it people.
Thread will be reopened in due course. Anyone continuing the petty whining that seems to be taking place of late can expect themselves to be swiftly banned from the site.
Got the 'first half' of my feedback - was pretty scandalous to be honest. Basically just 6 pages of my script copied and pasted in with about half a page of comments. The criticism that was offered was pretty spot on mind.
It also reminded me of the utter subjectivity of it all - everyone who I've showed my script to has liked different bits, including lines I didn't even find funny at all. Everyone has seem to dislike the same characteristics, bits etc - so it's quite clear to me where I've gone wrong, which of course should stand me in good stead for the future.
I'm not whining about not getting into the 32 - my script was pretty knocked out in all honesty. And it was my first ever attempt at sitcom writing.
So yes, congrats to the 32. I won't be able to attend the finals sadly but I might try and go to a workshop one day.