Dealing with Suggestions

Please share similar occurrences/advice you may have.

People find out I write comedy, or come across my videos, and suggest ideas to me ALL THE TIME. 99% of the time, these ideas are not funny and/or not my style at all.

I enjoy bouncing ideas around with people I'm working with, but these are from people that are nothing to do with show businesses, if you will. The worst I've had to deal with, was an entire script idea from a (crazy) woman. The ideas weren't funny, and basically she just wanted me to do kinky, weird stuff on camera. That's another story.

Things like "Hey, you should make a video where it's a guy, and he's like...high or something." Yes. Brilliant. Great. You're the next Jacques Tati. I don't even know why I bother attempting to make comedy with great minds like yours breaking down the comedy barriers.

The best I have come up with, is to smile and nod. Occasionally I say, "Yeah, that could maybe work," then not do it at all. BUT, every so often I get a sticky one. After I say it could work, they keep looking at me. Then, the dreaded words, "....So are you gonna make it?"

I hope I'm not alone in this, or sounding like a jerk, but I wanted to vent. What are your methods of escape?

I only dabble in writing, but I get the same thing when I'm exhibiting paintings. The 'smile and nod' usually does it, but sometimes I enthusiastically tell them they should take up painting themselves, thereby implying to their suggestible ego that their work is so good that I couldn't do justice to it, whilst knowing in my mind that what I've really just told them was to f**k off.

Well do you ever get any positive comments? Maybe your work is just not funny.

Ha ha, Nogget that's a good idea. I've sort of done that occasionally. And at Chappers, yes I get a considerable amount of positive feedback. I think you missed the point here...

Quote: Andy D @ 23rd April 2015, 8:41 PM BST

Ha ha, Nogget that's a good idea. I've sort of done that occasionally. And at Chappers, yes I get a considerable amount of positive feedback. I think you missed the point here...

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Well you hadn't mentioned the positive feedback. I thought maybe you were just not funny.

So in that case just smile and say thanks but no thanks.

The tricky thing is when those dumb suggestions come from the guy who's paying you or is the gatekeeper to getting stuff produced.
That's when you need the skills.

Quote: Andy D @ 23rd April 2015, 10:46 AM BST

I hope I'm not alone in this, or sounding like a jerk, but I wanted to vent. What are your methods of escape?

View original

Well, there are many different types of comedy, right?
So why not suggest that the proposal just isn't the sort of material you could do justice (in spite of its inherent brilliance, of course)?
After all, you'd not expect Woody Allen to do a Mr Bean number, or Billy Connelly to write a sitcom.

@Lazzard--Yeah, I've had that happen as well, on a lot of projects when I was in school. "Make something creative. And by that, I mean I'll tell you exactly what do to, and make it as restrictive as possible." Suggestions from the "boss man," can be the worst.

@Gussie Fink Nottle--That's true, Gussie. Though I would love to see Woody Allen do a Mr. Bean number....

In an unrelated note, how are the newts?

Tell them to post it in critique.

Phone the police.

(NOT to be taken literally...)