British Comedy Guide

2525 Page 2

I would rather go with the first ideas I have and as it's so speculative ie. a long shot , I'd rather not burst a gut doing it to maybe,just maybe get 18 quid or 36 quid.Hack something out quickly.As usual I would take anything any producers say with a large pinch of salt . You don't really know what the agenda is.Maybe there's only space for 5 or 6 non-com writers material.Why not get your ideas down quickly? When you see it written down, indeed if you can actually finish it , you know if it's worth a try?That's my logic , anyway.Also , if you give it another few weeks they'll be sick of reading any sketches by then.Cheers.

I would rather go with the first ideas I have and as it's so speculative ie. a long shot , I'd rather not burst a gut doing it to maybe,just maybe get 18 quid or 36 quid.Hack something out quickly.As usual I would take anything any producers say with a large pinch of salt . You don't really know what the agenda is.Maybe there's only space for 5 or 6 non-com writers material.Why not get your ideas down quickly? When you see it written down, indeed if you can actually finish it , you know if it's worth a try?That's my logic , anyway.Also , if you give it another few weeks they'll be sick of reading any sketches by then.Cheers.

Lucky you, all out of the way now :)

There was Grrr! on BBC Radio Scotland about 5 or 6 years ago. That was by Angel Eye Productions but there were only two episodes.

Dan

Call me sceptical.You're sceptical!But it could be desperation.

Quote: Tim Azure @ August 12 2013, 6:27 PM BST

It's unusual for a non BBC produced radio show to ask for open commissions isn't it?

Yup much cheaper to hire someone to write a. Script than read it

And I suspect a lot more enjoyable

Quote: Jaicee @ August 12 2013, 10:32 AM BST

I'd rather not burst a gut doing it to maybe,just maybe get 18 quid or 36 quid.Hack something out quickly.

What level of remuneration would you require to do your best, then?

Guy offered me an option in Glasgow and offered £300 for a year of owning the rights and apologised for the "paltry" sum and said "you'd basically be writing for nothing". I obviously nodded in agreement but thought "Christ! I'm being offered money!Whoopee!" The commissioned writers are paid in advance to start writing before they switch on their laptop.Nobody at 2525 is doing any of us a favour by letting us submit stuff. They will make money from these shows.The point I'm trying to make is - how much per hour are you prepared to work for to do anything.With this we're putting in varying amounts of time depending how OCD we are about our "art".I reckon I've put in about 3 or 4 hours at the most on these sketches.Whether they are good , bad or indifferent is a purely subjective decision by someone at John Stanley.It's show business not show kindness.All the best.

Quote: Jaicee @ August 14 2013, 10:40 AM BST

The point I'm trying to make is - how much per hour are you prepared to work for to do anything.With this we're putting in varying amounts of time depending how OCD we are about our "art".I reckon I've put in about 3 or 4 hours at the most on these sketches.Whether they are good , bad or indifferent is a purely subjective decision by someone at John Stanley.It's show business not show kindness.All the best.

<3

This was a while back, Tim.It was a lesson learned.Even if you're optioned there's no guarantee a broadcaster will be interested.A producer is just taking a punt on your idea.

In all the griping people seemed to have missed the open invitation to send other work in to the production company.
It's on the 'About' page of the OP's link.
Those unsolicited scripts just became 'solicited'.
Have at it.

Quote: Jaicee @ August 12 2013, 10:32 AM BST

I would rather go with the first ideas I have and as it's so speculative ie. a long shot , I'd rather not burst a gut doing it to maybe,just maybe get 18 quid or 36 quid.Hack something out quickly.As usual I would take anything any producers say with a large pinch of salt . You don't really know what the agenda is.Maybe there's only space for 5 or 6 non-com writers material.Why not get your ideas down quickly? When you see it written down, indeed if you can actually finish it , you know if it's worth a try?That's my logic , anyway.Also , if you give it another few weeks they'll be sick of reading any sketches by then.Cheers.

I find this to be a very strange attitude. I would submit to this for free if I thought I would get something I wrote performed on Radio 4. The best of luck with your submissions.

You're a pretty good writer will
Have at it, you could write about the north getting colour TV in the 26th century

Quote: sootyj @ August 14 2013, 7:51 PM BST

You're a pretty good writer will
Have at it, you could write about the north getting colour TV in the 26th century

:O do you really think we will have it by then?

Quote: Will Cam @ August 14 2013, 6:59 PM BST

I find this to be a very strange attitude. I would submit to this for free if I thought I would get something I wrote performed on Radio 4. The best of luck with your submissions.

Likewise - this isn't my job (some might say thankfully, otherwise I'd be starving on the streets). As someone who writes and submits stuff in his spare time, to get a piece picked up by a reputable production company and broadcast on Radio 4 would be an achievement enough without the money.

I'm going to try and get something sorted for this.

Can kind of see where some of the griping is coming from, but the idea of 'only' being paid £36 or so for a sketch doesn't really bother me. In the vast majority of writing careers, the non-commissioned or early career worker will be paid f**k all. Try getting into journalism, copywriting or short stories or something. I think scriptwriting is fairer than those career choices.

Also, £36 per minute (or per 31 secs rather) is higher than the Writers Guild minimum rates for beginner writers (admittedly with the BBC, not a private production company) http://www.writersguild.org.uk/images/stories/wggb-docs/RDA%202011%20rates%20.pdf

I wouldn't be entering this for the money because I have a day job, but even if I were I wouldn't be that pissed off to be honest! I might be hopelessly naive on how much I should expect to be paid, though...I've only had one small commission and I got a lot more than I was expecting. Perhaps I need to raise my standards!

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