Quote: Mickeza @ April 1 2010, 1:15 PM BST(there are 25 scenes in it)
I just handed in one with over fifty scenes; twenty five sounds quite sedate to me! 
BBC Writers Room Page 4
Quote: Dolly Dagger @ April 1 2010, 1:24 PM BSTAre you joking?
Sounds a risky way to write a sitcom. What if it was to be released on DVD? It should be comfortable to watch in 25-30 minutes. If it isn't have you thought about writing it as a 15 minute piece? Not much call for them, but....
Also would anyone reading it stop half way through and go away for a few minutes before finishing the 2nd bit? They wouldn't and it should be the same for someone to read as to watch.
Why is it ridiculous to suggest that adding a break in the middle of something would add to the viewing experience? Watch any top American sitcom, Frasier has the writing bits between scenes, Friends has the shots of New York as does Seinfeld, The Big Bang Theory plays music. These are all plot devices used to break up scenes. I have written something that I think needs a break in the middle, this isn't radical thinking, it's just an opinion. I'm not saying it wouldn't work without one, just that it would benefit with one. And when reading scripts, I rarely read it all in one go, and if I do I generally re-read them at a later date. I've written it with channel 4 in mind, this is the crux of it all, therefore it isn't 50 pages long because I don't think it would fit on the BBC. But, to return to my original question, should I still send it to them? And if not, then where?
Quote: Mickeza @ April 1 2010, 2:05 PM BSTWhy is it ridiculous to suggest that adding a break in the middle of something would add to the viewing experience?
It does seem a very odd way to go about writing something; unless, for whatever reason, you were writing something specifically for a commercial channel.
It shouldn't really matter if there is an ad break or not - rather than writing specifically for one. As I said ask yourself if you watched the whole episode through on DVD does it still work? It seems daft to rule out four possible channels (BBC1, BBC2, BBCThree, BBCFour) just so you can put an ad break in to enhance the viewing experience. You want viewers to be hooked, not desperate for a break.
Quote: Dolly Dagger @ April 1 2010, 2:11 PM BSTIt shouldn't really matter if there is an ad break or not - rather than writing specifically for one. As I said ask yourself if you watched the whole episode through on DVD does it still work? It seems daft to rule out four possible channels (BBC1, BBC2, BBCThree, BBCFour) just so you can put an ad break in to enhance the viewing experience. You want viewers to be hooked, not desperate for a break.
It would work, I just think an ad-break would benefit it. Do BBC Four do sitcoms? I could see it fitting in on that channel, but BBC Three wouldn't go near it, and it's much too risky for BBC One. I don't think the story warrants an extra eight minutes either, so it would need to be a 25 minute slot, which I don't think they do?
Quote: Mickeza @ April 1 2010, 2:31 PM BSTIt would work, I just think an ad-break would benefit it. Do BBC Four do sitcoms? I could see it fitting in on that channel, but BBC Three wouldn't go near it, and it's much too risky for BBC One. I don't think the story warrants an extra eight minutes either, so it would need to be a 25 minute slot, which I don't think they do?
I really wouldn't try to make life even more difficult for yourself by fixing in your mind a specific running time and a particular channel. So much changes from your first draft (if it gets picked up) that it's less stressful to be able to go into the process without any fixed preconceptions. This is not the same thing as suggesting that compromise your vision at any cost, of course. 
Quote: Mickeza @ April 1 2010, 1:15 PM BSTThe general style of it, it is dialogue intensive and skips back and forth an awful lot from scene to scene (there are 25 scenes in it) with a non-linear time-line. It could be quite hard for an audience to concentrate on for 30 minutes. I want it to be shorter and have two distinctive parts. You know they still do this at the theater right? A break can actually be used as a device, it hasn't always been just for adverts.
Sounds like you've come up with something a bit different.
Good for you.
Quote: Mickeza @ April 1 2010, 2:05 PM BSTBut, to return to my original question, should I still send it to them? And if not, then where?
Worth a shot. As I understand it, they're looking for writers (as opposed to projects), so, what have you got to loose?
I keep waiting for someone to say "April Fool!"
By far the silliest thing I've read in some time.
I think I need a break.
I did ask if it was a joke.
Quote: Lazzard @ April 1 2010, 6:00 PM BSTI keep waiting for someone to say "April Fool!"
By far the silliest thing I've read in some time.
I think I need a BREAK.
I see what you've done there, now that is a level of wit I don't think I've ever encountered before. Oscar Wilde is probably up in heaven right now pleading with God to let him come back to Earth for a singular day, just to allow him to converse with you and test his immeasurable brain power against that of yourself. Men will travel timezones just to catch a glimpse of this titanic battle, cinema goers everywhere will choose to boycott the new clash of the titans film, knowing that it is just sheer hyperbole in comparison with the battle you will embark on against Mr. Wilde. I'll be there, armored with pen a paper, desperately trying to transcribe the various original witticisms you will throw at each other, with my neck throbbing in pain due to swaying it back and forth in order to keep up with this Godly event. And then I will send the transcript off to the Writers room, safe in the knowledge that this is one piece of work not even they could fail to see the funny in. The response comes, and it turns out some other clever bugger had the same idea as me, only he captured the whole thing on DVD. What a bummer. But still, at least I can say I was actually there the day Lazzard met Oscar Wilde.
SMALL PRINT - This was my rather desperate attempt to respond to the above post without using language in a tone which would have undoubtedly got me banned.
Quote: Mickeza @ April 1 2010, 6:34 PM BSTI see what you've done there, now that is a level of wit I don't think I've ever encountered before. Oscar Wilde is probably up in heaven right now pleading with God to let him come back to Earth for a singular day, just to allow him to converse with you and test his immeasurable brain power against that of yourself. Men will travel timezones just to catch a glimpse of this titanic battle, cinema goers everywhere will choose to boycott the new clash of the titans film, knowing that it is just sheer hyperbole in comparison with the battle you will embark on against Mr. Wilde. I'll be there, armored with pen a paper, desperately trying to transcribe the various original witticisms you will throw at each other, with my neck throbbing in pain due to swaying it back and forth in order to keep up with this Godly event. And then I will send the transcript off to the Writers room, safe in the knowledge that this is one piece of work not even they could fail to see the funny in. The response comes, and it turns out some other clever bugger had the same idea as me, only he captured the whole thing on DVD. What a bummer. But still, at least I can say I was actually there the day Lazzard met Oscar Wilde.
SMALL PRINT - This was my rather desperate attempt to respond to the above post without using language in a tone which would have undoubtedly got me banned.
I don't know about ad breaks but look up paragraphs etc.
Good luck with breaking the mould.
Yep, let's keep it all civil please... is the advice I give before I have to start shouting "Oi!" and looking sternly at people.
Let's put the discussion back on track and assume everyone is being serious (however unusual we may think an idea is) until we know otherwise.
Quote: Marc P @ April 1 2010, 6:41 PM BSTI don't know about ad breaks but look up paragraphs etc.
It's all one idea, why would it need another paragraph? A completely serious question.
To get this back on topic, I think I will send it off to the writers room like someone above said. Thank you all for your advice.
Quote: SlagA @ April 1 2010, 6:41 PM BSTLet's put the discussion back on track and assume everyone is being serious (however unusual we may think an idea is) until we know otherwise.
I can't honestly say I've assumed anyone has said anything serious in my whole time on these forums.