I am actually a published technical writer & technical editor as well.
I just don't write comedy.
Any wannabe sitcom writer with only one good idea ain't gonna make it anyway, which I why I suggested use your second best idea with these guys. After all you are not gonna do much else with it and if they don't use it, nothing has changed you could still develop it and submit through the usual thin channels.
The thing is , Bill, what you'd be doing is providing these people with stuff they can pitch - for nothing, zero risk, zero cost.
The only time you should do that is if the connection with the producer brings with it so much kudos/contacts that it's worth doing it for nowt.
The irony is, any producer with said clout wouldn't dream of making such a one-sided offer to a writer.
It's also designed to ensnare people with no experience (anyone with experience will avoid like the plague) - ensuring the company will come up against little resistance when they offer them a deal - with no nasty agent to read the small print.
One can only imagine how wretched that contract will be.
I'm mainly a screenplay man, but have had a couple of sit-coms optioned.
Nether relationship turned out that well - the difference being my work was only locked up for 9 months and 12 months respectively and I came out of it £4k better off.
>One can only imagine how wretched that contract will be.
But you are only guessing what the contract might be and yet you for instance have (I presume) two model contracts which you can present to these guys (if they show an interest) and say.. These are my terms.
Quote: billwill @ March 30 2013, 3:11 PM GMT>One can only imagine how wretched that contract will be.
But you are only guessing what the contract might say.
True.
They may actually be offering very generous contracts and the attitude they display in their call for submissions is just a front.
It's a slightly academic argument as I have no intention of getting involved - so don't want to fall out over it!
It's just there is a newer, prevailing attitude that one should be grateful for being asked to send work in, and that to expect fair treatment/payment somehow shows a lack of commitment or desire.
When in fact all it shows is a lack of professionalism.
Thanks for all of your posts, I've only just read them all, following my original post a few weeks ago.
I have no intention of ripping anyone off or trying to get something for nothing. My plan is simply to shortlist three great ideas and pitch them to a few networks.
If the idea is great but the writing is not brilliant then I need flexibility to buy the concept and have my writers take the idea further. If you're not comfortable with this then feel free not to submit any ideas. If the idea is great as well as the writing then I will look to work with you to take the idea through to completion.
The contract that will be issued won't be designed to screw anyone over. My commitment is to get a sitcom commissioned, financial gain is really not a big issue for me and I will be very flexible with the terms that are set. My main goal out of all of this is to get the company it's first sitcom credit, on which I can build on for future productions.
The company (previously Skinny Wrist Productions) mainly did PR Production work, through which we did a lot of work for the likes of Fox, Universal and Warner (sometimes via other PA agencies, sometimes direct) promoting theatrical releases and releases on DVD/Blu-Ray. This in turn has given the company a great list of contacts and a strong access to talent.
The main writer that I have on board has worked with the late and great John Sullivan on a couple of major BBC productions.
The plan for this is to short list three ideas, flag them up with a few of my commissioning contacts to see which one bites. Next to develop the chosen idea, then attach names through casting, attach a producer & director and then pitch.
I think that I've answered most points/concerns that have been listed but feel free to flag up any further points that you would like me to answer.
Is there a deadline for sending scripts?
I sent something over to day and got an acknowledgement so you might as well give it a bash Otterfox.
The deadline is 17:00 on 3rd May 2013 (this Friday). So if you'd like your script to be considered please send it through by then.
I would just advise people to be direct and ask questions. There's a lot of bullshitters around and you have to investigate anybody (if they are not an established company) before you start sending them off your ideas. At worse they could steal them and at best the company could just be some chancer sitting in his bedroom.
For a start some people say they have a company, giving the suggestion that they are a working company that is making a profit and that they have an office with people working for them. In fact anybody can set up a company in their own bedroom and anybody can make a website.
There is nothing wrong with that but a carefully worded ad can sometimes suggest that it is something slightly different and is therefore in my opinion misleading.
To be honest if somebody genuinely had top sitcom writers working for them and they had a lot of industry contacts the last place they would be posting would be here. Why would they need to?
It's a good idea to listen to people who know what there talking about and have had genuine professional experience and Lazzard knows what he's talking about, have a look at his profile and check out the very real experience he has had. If he's in doubt about this you should listen very carefully. Well, actually that's a polite way of saying you'd be mad not to listen to him!
Lazzard is a landscape gardener!
I don't get it?
Quote: Seriously Funny @ April 29 2013, 10:54 AM BSTIf the idea is great but the writing is not brilliant then I need flexibility to buy the concept and have my writers take the idea further.
Are you going to be acting in it too?
Quote: Rexer @ April 30 2013, 11:36 AM BSTI don't get it?
A landscape gardener doesn't just mow lawns, they design the layout and everything. I think hedges shaped into things is called topiary but not necessarily part of a Landscape Gardeners arsenal.
If you have any doubts then feel free to search for our PR Production content on YouTube, most of it is under our previous company name of Skinny Wrist. I think the job we did for Universal was the biggest PR production job that we did.
Even the best sitcom writers in the business pitch projects which don't get commissioned. This is why we're not relying on the writers ideas alone. We'll be investing a lot of our time, effort and energy into the project we choose to move ahead with, which is why we've opened this up to take submissions from non-commissioned writers.
Nope, you've still lost me!
Nope, won't be acting in it. We'll be attaching names to the chosen project before pitching.