An Open Collaboration Sketch Idea?

Let's keep this simple. Very simple. One scene simple. We can also work through the logistics as we go along.

Each day we shall suggest and vote upon a segment of the script. Suggestions for each segment are only allowed to be submitted within 24 hours before we move onto the next segment. Voting for each segment will be open for 7 days (from Day 1), where upon votes will be counted and the final draft will be completed. The suggestion with the highest vote that day will be added to the draft, which I'm imagining will remain there until the end anyway.

The reason I think it shouldn't be 24 hours of suggestions and 24 hours of voting, is because it will string this out for too long and I'm not even sure if it will be popular enough to maintain interest for that amount of time

If you have any suggestions on how else to do this, please share them as I feel I this may be ill thought out.

I understand that this isn't how most people write sketches but let's give it a try. I don't think suggesting whole premises at once would work because it will no longer be as collaborative. So breaking it down into pieces will give everybody a chance to get something in.

Day 1: INT/EXT - Location - Time. (Example: INT. JOKE SHOP - DAY)

Day 2: Characters. (SHOP KEEPER, old humourless man. CUSTOMER, Clown

Day 3/4/5/6/7: Dialogue.

In regards to tackling the dialogue. It's going to be tricky. But seeing as most of us can come up with relatively witty lines and comebacks. I'd suggest, as with the example of the joke shop. You would submit what you think is funniest opening line shopkeeper would say to the customer, or vice-versa. I suppose it's almost like improv'.

So let's say we all decide upon this as the first line:

CLOWN: Is this a joke shop?

Okay, not particularly funny. But let's pretend it's funnier than it is. Everyone who wants to participate would have to try and come up with the next funniest line and then we would vote on the best.

Which could be...

SHOPKEEPER: Are you trying to be funny?

Now it doesn't look as simple as I intended but hopefully under all this, it is.

This is just a thread to work through the idea of this. Also people put their names down to see how much interest there is in doing it.

There is no prize or filmed sketch, but if it's as brilliant as I hope it's going to be, y'never know. We could try submitting it to someone/somewhere. Or at least it could path the way for more complex future projects?

For a simple idea it doesn't sound simple enough Leevil! I like it but will have a think about how it may work, be good to get a bit of a flow going on this.

Thanks for the support, Shan. I was going to sweep this under the carpet if it didn't get any replies by tomorrow.

I think I over explained the examples a bit too much. But this is why I suggested people throw in ideas on how to get this working.

I still think the basic concept of breaking a script down into segments and then voting on them is something that could work and be quite successful.

And because the submissions are quite small, it wouldn't take up too much of peoples "valuable time".

I suppose it could be viewed as putting all these caption competition and other competition threads to some useful purpose, instead of just being throw away jokes/line/ides.

I think there's something really interesting in this. Not sure whether you'd have to have a 'direction' that you want to head in though. If you don't, you may just end up with a lot of mad (but funny) lines.

As you know, in a classic sketch the writer normally has some idea of the ending so it's something to aim at. Whereas this sounds as if it may just be a lot of clever/funny people having a bit of a laugh.

Maybe it's just a question of starting one off and then seeing what happens? It could well grow organically and morph into something completely weird/brilliant.

Definitely worth persevering with though.

Just write a f**king sketch for f**ks sake.

Ok, looking at it again I think that having both suggestions and voting is very drawn out and time consuming and will drive us round the bend a bit trying to sort it out.
How about each week start with 1) the setting and 2) two characters.
These would be decided by PM ing you the suggestions.

Then anyone can put forward the next two lines, 24 hr voting period, and so on until an 8 line sketch is complete.
I say 8 lines as it may drag on too long otherwise.

Who knows might take off..or not.

That's confused me a bit, Shan. I can't see why mine was confusing too. Let me have a cup of tea and come back to that

Quote: sootyj @ September 16 2011, 8:31 PM BST

Just write a f**king sketch for f**ks sake.

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Boo! Boo you and your lack of community spirit and collabrativenessness.

Go lie under your masonic girl friend.

Quote: sootyj @ September 16 2011, 9:33 PM BST

Go lie under your masonic girl friend.

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Is that the start of the sketch or our collaborative entry for next year's Sitcommission?

Quote: sootyj @ September 16 2011, 9:33 PM BST

Go lie under your masonic girl friend.

View original

What implies that she's Masonic? Did catskillz link "That" vid to you?

She built my house whilst wearing an apron.

Duh!

NB: A Masonette not "a masonic girlfriend".

I think its best to sweep it under the carpet , or you could write it, film it, put all your love into it, edit it yourself with shit software then put it in critique saying you think its rubbish and get slated for hours by people on here- up to you. I once got a hoover stuck up me when I was sweeping my stuff under the carpet and had to go to A&E, the Dr said I was picking up nicely.

I like the idea, Leevil, but thinking it might get a bit drawn out with waiting for the vote.