Quote: bushbaby @ April 20 2011, 7:15 PM BSTI'm beginning to get it, nobody but nobody gets my humour, everyone thinks I am being serious. No wonder my sitcoms don't get anywhere
So I'm a nobody huh, huh? Ok fair point! 
The Sitcom Mission 2011 Page 115
I just want to throw out a massive congratulations to those who haven't put on half a stone over this weekend.
What's in it for the organisers of things like this and The Sitcom Trials? Do they make money out of it? Do they make valuable contacts? Or is it just for the love of comedy?
Any news one when we get our script-reading mp3's?
Sorry, don't wtant to press you guys - I know there's lots of exciting stuff going on, but I'm really keen to hear how ours sounds.
Thanks.
Hi guys
We've recorded all the scripts and Simon's edited them down, so they should be with you next week or so.
As for what we get out of it...
Eight friends, 1200 enemies!
Huge amounts of satisfaction when it goes right.
If anyone wants to attend our Introduction to Sitcom Writing workshop on Saturday May 7 in London, here's details:
Cool, thanks Declan.
Quote: Ben @ April 25 2011, 2:03 PM BSTWhat's in it for the organisers of things like this and The Sitcom Trials? Do they make money out of it? Do they make valuable contacts? Or is it just for the love of comedy?
There is great potential in these shows, it all depends what you want them to achieve. As people may be fed up of me saying, I started the Sitcom Trials as a vehicle for my own sitcom writing, wanting to collaborate with performers and fellow writers and to subject my writing to the same audience test that my stand-up comedy was getting. Showcasing our work in a competitive format kept the audience involved, and keeping a run of regular shows, developing team-written episodes of some sitcoms and subsequent episodes of many, enabled us to develop sitcoms that would become increasingly saleable. Within the first year we had had two shows made as pilots by BBC Radio, then went on to take shows to the Edinburgh Fringe, culminating in an 8 week TV series on ITV.
Unfortunately for me, producing the Sitcom Trials as a format on stage and developing it for TV, detracted from my actual comedy writing and I ended up getting only one episode written by me on screen, and that appeared under a pseudonym because of the fear of a vested interest. A number of the writers on the show have gone on to work on TV quite succesfully, while I moved into The Scottish Falsetto Sock Puppet Theatre and my comics work.
I stopped the Trials in 2006 because the Socks were providing the success that the Trials weren't, but it seems Declan & Simon's revival of it, and its development into the Sitcom Mission has seen the idea's fortunes revive.
As a producer of the Sitcom Trials I was a frustrated writer, though I enjoyed getting the format onto TV and loved presenting it. Had it gone on to greater TV success as a format, and I'd become the Simon Cowell of sitcom, I'm sure I'd be delighted. And I will be happy to be remembered as the creator of the format, which remains a brilliant idea of which I'm immensely proud. If I could make that pay money I'd do it more often.
That's the question answered from my perspective, hope it helps.
Kev F http://sitcomtrials.co.uk
(Scripts welcomed, deadline June)
Quote: Kev F @ April 26 2011, 10:10 PM BSTI ended up getting only one episode written by me on screen, and that appeared under a pseudonym because of the fear of a vested interest.
Was that with the televised sitcom trials or another team written show?
Quote: Kev F @ April 26 2011, 10:10 PM BSTThere is great potential in these shows, it all depends what you want them to achieve. As people may be fed up of me saying, I started the Sitcom Trials as a vehicle for my own sitcom writing, wanting to collaborate with performers and fellow writers and to subject my writing to the same audience test that my stand-up comedy was getting. Showcasing our work in a competitive format kept the audience involved, and keeping a run of regular shows, developing team-written episodes of some sitcoms and subsequent episodes of many, enabled us to develop sitcoms that would become increasingly saleable. Within the first year we had had two shows made as pilots by BBC Radio, then went on to take shows to the Edinburgh Fringe, culminating in an 8 week TV series on ITV.
Unfortunately for me, producing the Sitcom Trials as a format on stage and developing it for TV, detracted from my actual comedy writing and I ended up getting only one episode written by me on screen, and that appeared under a pseudonym because of the fear of a vested interest. A number of the writers on the show have gone on to work on TV quite succesfully, while I moved into The Scottish Falsetto Sock Puppet Theatre and my comics work.
I stopped the Trials in 2006 because the Socks were providing the success that the Trials weren't, but it seems Declan & Simon's revival of it, and its development into the Sitcom Mission has seen the idea's fortunes revive.
As a producer of the Sitcom Trials I was a frustrated writer, though I enjoyed getting the format onto TV and loved presenting it. Had it gone on to greater TV success as a format, and I'd become the Simon Cowell of sitcom, I'm sure I'd be delighted. And I will be happy to be remembered as the creator of the format, which remains a brilliant idea of which I'm immensely proud. If I could make that pay money I'd do it more often.
That's the question answered from my perspective, hope it helps.
Kev F http://sitcomtrials.co.uk
(Scripts welcomed, deadline June)
Aw, you deserve success Kev
Quote: Ben @ April 25 2011, 2:03 PM BSTWhat's in it for the organisers of things like this and The Sitcom Trials? Do they make money out of it? Do they make valuable contacts? Or is it just for the love of comedy?
For what it's worth, I did it (the last full-sized Sitcom Trials) because I wanted to give other people the chance to enjoy the same opportunity to see their work being performed on stage in front of a real audience by real actors, that I had been afforded by the Trials in its various forms over the years, and because I loved comedy in all it's forms.
Now I've done it, I no longer like other people... or comedy
Quote: Frantically @ April 25 2011, 11:43 PM BSTAny news one when we get our script-reading mp3's?
Sorry, don't wtant to press you guys - I know there's lots of exciting stuff going on, but I'm really keen to hear how ours sounds.
Thanks.
The CDs were posted this morning. Better than mp3 quality by the way.
Simon
Quote: simon wright @ April 27 2011, 3:55 PM BSTThe CDs were posted this morning. Better than mp3 quality by the way.
Simon
Can't wait
Thanks for the answers, Kev and Simon!
Just received my CD from the script reading service. Straight off, I must say I'm absolutely delighted with it and can say the service really does do what it sets out to achieve. The actors were marvellous and the performance showed clearly that a great degree of attention was given to the script prior to recording and the voices of my characters were interpreted just how I intended.
I must say I'm more than satisfied with the value of this service, especially considering the amount of work that must have been done to produce the final product.
I've never heard my work performed before and am chuffed to bits to have done so now. The review element of the CD was very detailed and has totally transformed my understanding of how to approach writing in the future. As has been said, to hear the actors views on your work is incredibly informative and a very real insight into the art and mechanics of what I am striving for.
Many thanks, Declan and Simon.
not received mine yet, guess it'll be Saturday now