If a company say no but: "if another draft is written then I'd be happy to take a look". Does this mean they actually want to see a re-write or are they just being polite?
Quick question about prod cos
It means they would be happy to take a look at a better draft.
I might throw them a curveball and send a worse draft.
It happens more than you might think!
They made a lot of suggestions; so I'll just do that. If it's worse, they'll only have themselves to blame.
It sounds like they like the general premise, characters, story etc, be really sure before you send it back that there isn't a single flabby line in it.
Cheers for the advice and pray for me...
In his later years, Churchill suffered from arthritis and transvestism in equal parts.
Quote: Mark Norton @ July 17 2009, 10:16 AM BSTIf a company say no but: "if another draft is written then I'd be happy to take a look". Does this mean they actually want to see a re-write or are they just being polite?
Hard to say, varies from producer to producer. Having had this comment (almost verbatim) said to me a couple of years ago by a very famous comedy producer (face-to-face, in a meeting), all I can say is that I'm still waiting for his feedback on the re-write! (To be fair, you have to take the positives from that sort of comment. It at least means that they will probably be interested in anything new you write.)
Quote: Mark Norton @ July 17 2009, 10:16 AM BSTIf a company say no but: "if another draft is written then I'd be happy to take a look". Does this mean they actually want to see a re-write or are they just being polite?
Quote: Mark Norton @ July 17 2009, 10:26 AM BSTThey made a lot of suggestions;
What an odd thread.
It wasn't until you started making things go all bold.
Quote: Tim Walker @ July 17 2009, 11:30 AM BSTHard to say, varies from producer to producer. Having had this comment (almost verbatim) said to me a couple of years ago by a very famous comedy producer (face-to-face, in a meeting), all I can say is that I'm still waiting for his feedback on the re-write! (To be fair, you have to take the positives from that sort of comment. It at least means that they will probably be interested in anything new you write.)
On relection and with a couple of more years experience under your belt Tim, do you genuinely think that the script you sent back in was an absolutely cracking one?
To be honest, it was a rushed job because 'A' was the first producer I had met (in fact, meeting with him was incredible, as this had been literally the first sitcom script I'd written) and I was naive enough to think that he was waiting with baited breath for the re-write to my opus.
I did go on to develop that sitcom more properly, re-writing with the interest from some other producers. I look at it as a funny script with some show potential, but my writing has improved (IMO) greatly since then. I think more about writing a show beyond the pilot episode, ie do these characters have the potential to keep people coming back for more; and does the premise sustain more than just a pilot's worth of stories and jokes?
I was just wondering because that does sound a familiar tale Tim. Sometimes it takes a while to get the kind of distance and perspective to deliver a second draft that has 'moved on' enough to make the Producer think it's worth talking some more about.