We've made two poducast so far and are really happy with the sound of the show but wonder if anyone has any advice for redrafting scripts before the recording process. We really want to tighten up our work and make it funnier (don't we all?) so how do you approach this in your own work?
There are two of us who edit the scripts together so we're trying to work on one document that we pass back and forth. Any advice welcome.
Thanks
First step is to always read over what you type.
No, it really is a poducast...
D'oh
I guess some sort of table read with a few trusted critics in attendance.
Make a rough recording of it so you can play it back.
As it's a podcast, it's now how it reads on paper but how it works read out loud.
Subdivide it into jokes/bits/sequences - then go through each one making sure it's as good as it can be.
Be ruthless with stuff that isn't quite working.
I can't claim a lot of experience but I think Lazzard makes some good points.
(Like the podcast btw)
In my experience seeing my work performed and/or trying to perform it, things which look flat on the page sometimes come to life in performance and things which were terribly clever and funny on the page turn out to be just terrible when you hear them.
I'd say the ideal would be to hear your performers read the material out, then having enough time to rewrite or rework it before actually recording. If you don't have your performers to hand you can ask the writers to read it out, but bear in mind there is often a reason why writers don't perform!
Make sure you've always put the funny bit at the end of the line.
Thanks for your thoughts, all apreciated.
As the actors are volunteers it's very difficualt to get a read through before we record - it's hard enough to find a time when we can all get together just for the recording - but will try to get it read out loud before we get to that stage.
My writing partner and I are doing everything via email at the moment, so we've spent more time on rewrites for our next episode and cut sketches down to make them shorter and hopefully funnier.
David, glad you like the first couple of episodes so far, another coming soon...