British Comedy Guide

James edited Page 2

Quote: James Cotter @ March 18 2010, 2:41 PM GMT

A lot of what I've done before has been padding because like I explained before that's the trouble with ad-libbing on the day, you get a lot excess material you would other wise get rid of in the writing process.

And that's what you do in the edit. CUT!

Quote: James Cotter @ March 18 2010, 2:41 PM GMT

:D Thanks for the acting compliment.

A lot of what I've done before has been padding because like I explained before that's the trouble with ad-libbing on the day, you get a lot excess material you would other wise get rid of in the writing process.

Or you could write the material. Like a writer.

Then learn and rehearse it. Like an actor.

Quote: Empty @ March 18 2010, 2:52 PM GMT

Or you could write the material. Like a writer.

Then learn and rehearse it. Like an actor.

Image

:D

Quote: Empty @ March 18 2010, 2:52 PM GMT

Or you could write the material. Like a writer.

Then learn and rehearse it. Like an actor.

Obviously I don't make the whole thing up. A good 50 to 60% is scripted by myself then learnt and rehearsed by myself but the piece was meant to be the character's back-story on film so I was still trying out things at that stage.

Quote: Tim Walker @ March 18 2010, 4:35 PM GMT
Image
:D

Laughing out loud

Quote: James Cotter @ March 18 2010, 4:46 PM GMT

Obviously I don't make the whole thing up. A good 50 to 60% is scripted by myself then learnt and rehearsed by myself but the piece was meant to be the character's back-story on film so I was still trying out things at that stage.

Laughing out loud

I could have done with a good 50 - 40% less of the original footage. The stuff where you can't think what to say next or how to say it.

Quote: James Cotter @ March 18 2010, 2:41 PM GMT

:D Thanks for the acting compliment.

A lot of what I've done before has been padding because like I explained before that's the trouble with ad-libbing on the day, you get a lot excess material you would other wise get rid of in the writing process.

Well I do a bit of standup. And maybe I can get away with a minute or two of audience riffing.

But more than that never works atleast for me. Getting the joke right takes writing, editing and memorising.

What you sometimes try wouldn't work if you were the worlds greatest actor.

Quote: Empty @ March 18 2010, 4:54 PM GMT

I could have done with a good 50 - 40% less of the original footage. The stuff where you can't think what to say next or how to say it.

Some of that is me trying to think of what to say next some of that though is me acting. I didn't want to make a show filled with highly polished gags, that's something I will do with other shows.

Quote: James Cotter @ March 18 2010, 5:02 PM GMT

Some of that is me trying to think of what to say next some of that though is me acting. I didn't want to make a show filled with highly polished gags, that's something I will do with other shows.

Then you were acting like an actor who was trying to think of what to say next. Well done, you managed it. I thought you didn't know what to say next most of the time. Now you're playing James Cotter the character, it makes more sense.

Quote: James Cotter @ March 18 2010, 5:02 PM GMT

Some of that is me trying to think of what to say next some of that though is me acting. I didn't want to make a show filled with highly polished gags, that's something I will do with other shows.

The most polished gags don't look it.

Quote: sootyj @ March 18 2010, 5:08 PM GMT

The most polished gags don't look it.

QFT - The Office was very tightly scripted but looked incredibly real.

The thing with The Office and its ilk is that many people think you can just shove people in front of a camera, say anything around a basic plot, then edit it down to half an hour of solid material.

Remember after Derek and Clive came out? Everyone was sat in front of cheap tape recorders thinking they were the next comedy goldmines. They didn't realise they weren't Peter Cook!

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