Comedy writing for TV/Foreign Markets

What is Commercially funny and what isn't?

Brad Ashton gives his expert view on why some scripts are successful while others meet with rejection. What makes a gag, sketch or sitcom suitable for universal markets and not just for English speaking audiences? This will be illustrated with short video clips demonstrating the important differences.

Where do comedy ideas come from?

Brad Ashton explains how his own best scripts were based on things that have happened to him. He shows how to recall seemingly insignificant things from your past on which to base your comedy. He applies this not only to scripts for TV and radio but also for the voracious market of comedy articles for newspapers and magazines.

Creating sitcom formats-What comes first, Character or Plot?

Brad Ashton gives examples of character-led sitcoms and then looks at sitcoms where the plot came first and the characters were invented to fit into it. He will show how real-life characters are developed based on people he personally knows or knows of. Creating believalbe storylines and constructing a sequence of scenes that will keep the story moving will follow this.

Examining the student's work

Brad comments on what the students have written during the session and adds advice on how to improve them. He also discusses speech patterns that work best in comedy. By reading scripts that have already been produced and showing excerpts from popular sitcoms Brad points out how our favorite characters conform to their own individual way of speaking.

Finding a market for your script

Brad gives specific instructions on how to present and market your completed scripts, including a list of TV Production Companies abroad who have purchased from British writers.

For more information or to book a place on the workshop please call 0845 021 4000 £99 Saturday 26th may

Everybody wants your money eh! £99.
Thats a decent pair of shoes that.

£99? Bloody Hell! That's all I'm saying on the matter!

This sounds interesting. Could you tell me the name of the person that I should write my cheque out too...

Quote: Ginger Jesus @ May 4, 2007, 3:12 PM

This sounds interesting. Could you tell me the name of the person that I should write my cheque out too...

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Charley Rance.

Quote: Tina Lockett @ May 4, 2007, 2:30 PM

What is

For more information or to book a place on the workshop please call 0845 021 4000 £99 Saturday 26th may

View original

I rang and booked 40 places. One for each of my personalities. If it aint very good tho, my angry personality danniball will eat you.

How much?! I ain't made of money, son.

£99, now thats what I call commercial comedy

Tina left one item off the post.

Making money from your script:
Brad gives specific instructions on how to present and market a workshop at £99 per head.

Who is Brad Ashton?
Brad Ashton is 76 and hasn't written any TV since Little and Large in 1978.

Quote: ContainsNuts @ May 5, 2007, 8:45 AM

Who is Brad Ashton?
Brad Ashton is 76 and hasn't written any TV since Little and Large in 1978.

View original

Sorry but reading that really made me Laugh Out Loud. Is that really true?

He came and did a talk a couple of years ago at my local writing group.

Quite interesting for £3 - but a terrible syrup. I couldn't take my eyes off it.

http://www1.totallyjewish.com/entertainment/features_and_reviews/?content_id=1958

TotallyJewish.com - for todays young hip Jews.

£99 is a good price for a workshop - check out Pepperstock, etc. And the guy has a track record.
However, if you've already written stuff, I think the best value around is getting a script consultant in on an individual basis.

Brad is a friend of mine and one of the few people who actually know what they are talking about. He helped me tremendously when I was younger, and he wrote for many, many people, including the Marx Brothers. I think he also worked with Sid Caesar.

I'm not saying this is a brilliant deal, what I am saying is that if you are going to invest in something you will genuinely find useful, then this is something you should seriously consider.

A while ago, the Overseas market suddenly stopped buying from writers in the UK because they thought they had their own, better writers. As it happens, several of their shows crashed and burned as a result. The problem was that their writers, although cheaper, were not as good as some of the ones we have here. I also think the gambit was to reduce the amount of detritis they reciebed from certain less than promising 'talents', who then, thinking the easy money had been withdrawn, melted away, leaving us, the people who can actually do the job and do it well, to earn our living.

Half the battle is reputation and people knowing they can rely on you. If you send in something you are not confident in, then the chances are the person reading it will not be confident or interested in it either. Quality is the key. Don't send in stuff which you have any qualms about.

That being said, I made an error of watching man/woman and was amazed at how much material had just been lifted from the Internet and played out as sketches. This is either sloppy or arrogant by the producers. Fortunately, most producers are up to the job of spotting direct 'lifts' and then mark cards accordingly.

I am one of these peeps that reckon word of mouth is by far the best advertisment ever. I will gladly part with my hard earned dosh for something that has been recomended to me by someone I know. Other than that I am afraid the tinternet has made me cynical.
At the end of the day, if you are that good at giving courses you dont need to advertise on sites like this. Your booked up well in advance.
I may be being a mental but thats how i feel.