British Comedy Guide

The Sitcom Mission 2012 Page 30

Could the money for entry fees be used to pay for props and such like?

Quote: Lazzard @ January 12 2012, 9:23 AM GMT

Tricky isn't it?
If only there was a dirty great red banner at the top of the page with all the info.

Oh...

Heh, I looked through the guidelines first.
No mention of the 12 min/cliffhanger format, so I asked to make sure.
Also saw the blurb about minimum props, but asked as many finalist sitcoms had full costumes.
Third question was a gag. :)

Quote: Kev F @ January 12 2012, 6:06 AM GMT

No, that's The Sitcom Trials format, not the Sitcom Mission's. Different shows different rules. (Or were you being satirical?)

No, not being satirical. Just had a blonde moment where I got the two mixed up. :)

Quote: andyblacksheep @ January 12 2012, 10:40 AM GMT

Final Draft 8 can 'save as' FD7 (.fdr rather than .fdx)

2) We sourced the Tudor costumes for 'In the Meantime'. We felt that since we were silly enough to set it in Tudor times, we should shoulder that problem! Basically, there is NO budget for costume or props. If your ep won't work without a particular prop, someone has to make or buy it, and since your actors and director aren't being paid, it's not going to be them!

Ah. OK.
#

3) Probably worth writing him a cameo ;)

Heh, I did wonder as Simon appeared in last year's The Regulators. And in Sitcom Trials, low and behold, there is is again in the winning sitcom.

Quote: evan rubivellian @ January 12 2012, 10:42 AM GMT

Could the money for entry fees be used to pay for props and such like?

We'd rather people just concentrated on writing a brilliant script with witty dialogue, great characters and interesting plots.

Mime costs nothing.

Mime costs nothing?

Yes but if I'm going to the trouble of writing great, witty dialogue, I'd rather you didn't get the actors to mime it.

No offence to mime artists intended. Mind you, if you are offended please feel free to, like, shake a fist at me or something. Or do that angry scowl I saw once at Covent Garden after a mime didn't get any money from the crowd.

Not gonna happen. This way everyone is equal, and a sitcom won't get ruled out for being too expensive. If SCM had been paying for costumes, I wouldn't rate our chances of getting a period piece through.

The only way to be fair is to have one rule applies to all. That's either ALL props and costumes will be paid for on a blank cheque, which is unrealistic, or none will.

Quote: andyblacksheep @ January 12 2012, 10:40 AM GMT

2) We sourced the Tudor costumes for 'In the Meantime'. We felt that since we were silly enough to set it in Tudor times, we should shoulder that problem! Basically, there is NO budget for costume or props. If your ep won't work without a particular prop, someone has to make or buy it, and since your actors and director aren't being paid, it's not going to be them!

Did you mention you'd provide the costumes in your submission, Andy? Mine involves clowns, and I'd happily provide the outfits, but didn't mention it.

Actually no, it was only after we got to the final 8. Before then would have felt a bit presumptuous!

Quote: evan rubivellian @ January 12 2012, 10:42 AM GMT

Could the money for entry fees be used to pay for props and such like?

it's already ring- fenced for hiring the theatre, I'm afraid. Putting on a show like this at a decent venue ain't cheap.

Quote: andyblacksheep @ January 12 2012, 10:40 AM GMT

Final Draft 8 can 'save as' FD7 (.fdr rather than .fdx)

Absolutely true, but writers need to be aware that we can't open .fdx. If you have the latest version of FD please do as Andy says and either save as PDF or .fdr.

The central scene of my entry takes place on an island shaped liked a clown (like King Kong's skull island) and I've already constructed a set using balsa wood and foil milk-bottle tops from the 1970's. I've also built a clockwork T-Rex. I'm just that confident!

Cheers, Andy.

I've also built a clockwork T-Rex. I'm just that confident!

Not another clockwork T-Rex sitcom! Can't you people come up with something original?

Trust me, it's not just your bogstandard "clockwork T-Rex" sitcom - who wants another one of those, right?

Mine has milk-bottle tops.

Simon: thanks for answering the point I raised.

By the way, how many readers will there be? Just yourself and Declan?

Simon and I will read all the entries and long list 32.

Hat Trick will then get involved and we'll short list 16 from the rewritten entries.

Countdown: Three weeks to go.

How are those scripts coming along?

Here's a blog from last year's winners, Emma Edwards and Abigail Dooley on their experience of The Sitcom Mission 2011.

https://www.comedy.co.uk/sitcom_mission/blog/

Quote: Declan @ January 13 2012, 5:39 PM GMT

Countdown: Three weeks to go.

How are those scripts coming along?

Hi Declan,

How are you?

I'm almost out of the planning stage and into the scripting stage now - I've left it a bit late this time around, but I'm going for it anyway because I know and have faith in my idea and the characters. Thanks for asking. :)

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