Hmm. I couldn't get work to pay for it. That would have been some flexible accounting...
See you then!
Dan
James Cary & Dave Cohen: Comedy Writing Courses Page 2
We're all being made redundant in a couple of years so they've given us money to spend on training. Obviously they want us to spend our credits on in-house training but we can spend it on other stuff as long as:
a) It's tax-deductible for them
b) We can convince them it's somehow 'vocational'
So I got a no to driving lessons (who could imagine those being useful for trying to get another job, eh?) - which, reading between the lines, the excuse was the non-tax deductible one - but a yes to a comedy course.
And hence you have gained experience of high-level financial accountancy also! 
Dan
Quote: Afinkawan @ March 23 2011, 11:45 AM GMTWe're all being made redundant in a couple of years
A couple of years?? That's some notice period!
The Sword of Damocles is on order from a small village in Southern Turkey where customs and red-tape permitting it will be couriered via donkey to a position approximately over your head in early to mid 2013. We thank you for your patience.
I'd love to come to either or both courses, but I can't get any time off at the moment.
Quote: Frantically @ March 23 2011, 12:07 PM GMTA couple of years?? That's some notice period!
Yes. We were informed of the site closure in November 2009 and at the moment it's looking like early 2013 for the closure.
Fortunately what we do is so complicated and heavily regulated that it takes years to transfer it to another site which can make the stuff ever so slightly cheaper.
It's going to put 500 people out of work, take three years to close down the site and at least another five years for the savings to recoup the cost of the closure but at least it's added 0.25% to their share price.
Hooray for capitalism!
Not trying to undermine James and Dave at all but I couldn't get on the radio course this week because a large organisation has decided to invoke the days rule in paying me. (And being an individual I can do nothing about it.)
But if there is anyone out there who wouldn't mind being pm'd about it, could you let me know please.
Intriguing...
You can PM me if you want.
Just a quick reminder:
There are still one or two places available for the 'Writing TV Sitcom' course on Friday 1 April, if you'd like to book for that, please go to
http://davecohen.squarespace.com/acade-me/
and don't forget to keep up with James's sitcom blog at http://sitcomgeek.blogspot.com/
Thanks
Dave
Last call for the 'Writing TV Sitcom' course on Friday 1 April, if you'd like to book for that, please go to
http://davecohen.squarespace.com/acade-me/
and don't forget to keep up with James's sitcom blog at http://sitcomgeek.blogspot.com/
Thanks
Dave
So I went on the radio one on Friday and it was rather good.
So here's a very quick write-up.
The discussed some info about amount of comedy output and number of listeners on radio compared to TV. Also some of the advantages of radio. e.g. Radio comedy can be edgier, literally set anywhere and can be easy to get good actors as the work is easier for them.
There was some discussion about how to start getting your name known - open door shows often have 'newer' producers who might be more willing to look at stuff on spec. Worth getting to know new stand-ups to explore the writer/performer route etc.
Talked quite a bit about a '3 Act' structure to sketches with lots of very good comments from James about how to avoid pissing off the script editor reading your stuff. Useful tips e.g. not waffling at start when a SFX can set scene quicker. Not waffling past your punchline etc.
It was driven home quite forcefully that there's no point even thinking of using blasphemy or the 'c' word on Radio 4!
If you want to reinvent comedy, don't bother sending it to an open door show.
There was a useful list of questions to ask yourself about your sketch, some of which I sort of knew but definitely useful to have it discussed with examples.
There was some interesting discussion about word association and how accidental word association can throw an audience off to the detriment of your sketch.
We briefly discussed current events then had about 10 minutes or so to write a sketch, or at least outline one in small groups.
My effort (along with a couple of young guys very new to sketch writing) is here.
After lunch we went on to discussing radio sitcoms.
Various things discussed - remember you can think big.
There were some good pointers on how to 'ground' your sitcom so the audience know where they are and keep coming back.
There some hints on what to avoid then a lot of discussion on character - of course! Getting the right balance of character.
Some more questions to ask yourself about your sitcom and James's '7 C's of Comedy':
Character + Conflict + Confinement + Catastrophe + Catchphrase + Casting = Comedy (except when it doesn't).
Then we brainstormed some potential sitcom characters. The guy I was working with turned out to be on the Welsh Scrabble team and had been thinking about a sitcom set in that world. He thought it was a fairly weak idea but after we discussed it there, hopefully he's changed his mind because it sounded great to me and once he started telling us about it, all sorts of characters and situations presented themselves.
A chat with James suggested a sitcom for me to write as well. Which I might even have a crack at!
Overall it was a very worthwhile course which I recommend to anyone. You should be gutted that you missed it.
Looking forward to the next one this Friday now!
Yes. I am gutted. Very helpful and made me even more determined to get on one if I ever get paid...
Hmm, maybe I did the wrong one of the two! Hope this Friday's is at least as good.
Dan
Quote: swerytd @ March 28 2011, 3:36 PM BSTHmm, maybe I did the wrong one of the two! Hope this Friday's is at least as good.
Dan
Well, from chatting to James last Monday, he seemed to think that this week's one would be more useful for me at least, so I'd guess that goes for other people who already have some idea of writing sketches for radio, as it should be more sitcom focussed.
Ah cool. Good stuff!
Dan
For reference, yesterday's TV Sitcom element was ace. Both James and Dave are ridiculously knowledgeable about all of this and have pre-empted most of your questions anyway! They are both ludicrously friendly, easy to chat with and encouraging of all ideas.
Great day all round; the exercises in character and plot development were excellent and, perhaps most interestingly, was seeing James and Dave thinking aloud about characters that were effectively thrown at them and how they understood them and got into them straight away. That showed how we should be thinking when we're writing.
Everyone on the course was very nice too and it was great to meet people who I'd (1) only heard of, (2) had only heard of me(!) (3) only met on-line, (4) only emailed before and (5) never met! Everyone was lovely... group hug!
Recommended if they do run it again. More than good value.
Dan