is anyone there right now? I created an account, named a script and then changed the script name etc. Now I want to upload my (different) script. I log in and system tells me to pay for the other script...with no option to enter a different title, log line etc. What do I do?????
Quote: Merri @ 2nd April 2017, 11:18 PMis anyone there right now? I created an account, named a script and then changed the script name etc. Now I want to upload my (different) script. I log in and system tells me to pay for the other script...with no option to enter a different title, log line etc. What do I do?????
Hi Merri
Sorry you're having troubles.
Can you email us the new script to [email protected] and we'll see if we can upload it from this end. And send us the new log line as well.
Cheers, Declan
Sorry for the panic...i managed to figure it out. I paid and then it took me to a page where I could change all the details including the title and logline (in case anyone else if having the same problem.) I've uploaded my scripts. Goodnight!
Struggling a bit to get my script down to 15 pages -just wondering if that's typical of entries in previous years? The Silver Bullet feedback was really detailed/constructive and very eye-opening in terms of what worked/what didn't so this helped a lot. Somehow, despite cutting/adapting lots of bits that no longer work, my latest draft has gone full Escher and ended up at the 17-page mark...
Quote: kate to the party @ 4th April 2017, 3:49 PMStruggling a bit to get my script down to 15 pages -just wondering if that's typical of entries in previous years? The Silver Bullet feedback was really detailed/constructive and very eye-opening in terms of what worked/what didn't so this helped a lot. Somehow, despite cutting/adapting lots of bits that no longer work, my latest draft has gone full Escher and ended up at the 17-page mark...
Hi Kate
Glad the Silver Bullet feedback was useful (sort of)!
First, have you read the script out loud to find out what time it's coming in at? Fifteen pages is an estimate, we're more concerned with time than page numbers.
Second, try looking at each character's through lines individually and see if there's anything unnecessary that can be cut. If there's anything that takes away from the clarity, it can go. Also, scene description should be concise like poetry.
Third, James Huntrods, 2015's winner, told us that he started each new draft by reading the previous one then stripping out anything that wasn't brilliant and using that as a starting point for his next draft. It certainly frees the pages up!
Hope that helps
Declan
Quote: Declan @ 4th April 2017, 5:01 PMHi Kate
Glad the Silver Bullet feedback was useful (sort of)!
First, have you read the script out loud to find out what time it's coming in at? Fifteen pages is an estimate, we're more concerned with time than page numbers.
Second, try looking at each character's through lines individually and see if there's anything unnecessary that can be cut. If there's anything that takes away from the clarity, it can go. Also, scene description should be concise like poetry.
Third, James Huntrods, 2015's winner, told us that he started each new draft by reading the previous one then stripping out anything that wasn't brilliant and using that as a starting point for his next draft. It certainly frees the pages up!
Hope that helps
Declan
Thanks Declan! I like James' thing about stripping out the previous draft -will definitely give this (& your other suggestions) a go!
Quote: kate to the party @ 4th April 2017, 5:22 PMThanks Declan! I like James' thing about stripping out the previous draft -will definitely give this (& your other suggestions) a go!
Have a look at our Blog Archive. There's fantastic advice there from writers, commissioners, script editors and producers. If only entrants would read the blogs before sending a script in, they'd save themselves a lot of disappointment.
And we wouldn't have to keep writing the same things in our feedback.
You've asked for advice on improvements to your set up. How about changing the judges? No, really. At present it's like having every cup final with the same ref. If there are teams with styles that ref doesn't take to then they're naturally less likely to win.
I don't know of any other major comp which doesn't change at least some of its judges every year and I strongly believe it's in the interests of fairness and inclusiveness to do so. At present it looks to me like entrants have to shape their whole sitcom script on advice given by the same two people with the same taste in sitcoms every year, and therefore the same narrow parameters exist making it hard for scripts with different parameters or styles not to the judges' taste to ever win. Cheers.
Quote: Alfred J Kipper @ 24th April 2017, 2:08 PMYou've asked for advice on improvements to your set up. How about changing the judges? No, really. At present it's like having every cup final with the same ref. If there are teams with styles that ref doesn't take to then they're naturally less likely to win.
I don't know of any other major comp which doesn't change at least some of its judges every year and I strongly believe it's in the interests of fairness and inclusiveness to do so. At present it looks to me like entrants have to shape their whole sitcom script on advice given by the same two people with the same taste in sitcoms every year, and therefore the same narrow parameters exist making it hard for scripts with different parameters or styles not to the judges' taste to ever win. Cheers.
Hi Alfred
Good to hear from you and thanks for your feedback.
Well, we're not the final judges, those are people far above us in the sitcom industry world (last year it was Head of Comedy at ITV, Saskia Schuster; BBC Commissioning Editor, Chris Sussman; Sky Comedy's Tulisha Ghelani; BBC Comedy's Alex Moody and Comedy Central's Head of Development Matt Tiller).
So yes, we're the gatekeepers, but not the judges. In the past, we've longlisted 32 scripts and had fully rehearsed sitcoms in an FA Cup-style play-off which was lots of fun but not sustainable. We had audience votes and industry judge votes and in the end we decided that it was our heads that went above the parapets so we wanted to take greater control of what we showcased to the industry. The last thing we want is consensus by committee and we take responsibility for what we develop and share with the industry.
At the public showcases, we give the audience feedback forms and take their considerations into account, as well as the opinions of the actors that have read the scripts out loud. And we're considering bringing in an industry panel of development officers to read 12 scripts and get their feedback on them before we decide which 8 we're going to long list.
Also, we have a pretty catholic taste in sitcoms and aren't wedded to one particular style or definition, and are always looking for writers that play with and adapt sitcom conventions and push those boundaries.
Hope that helps.
Cheers, Declan
DEADLINE EXTENSION ALERT!!!
Due to the Bank Holiday Monday, we're extending the deadline by one day.
So the closing time and date is now 23.59 on Monday 1 May 2017.
Sorry if you planned on doing something else with your Bank Holiday Monday and now have an excuse not to put the shelves up in the spare bedroom.
Hi guys,
We are supposed to put our name on the cover page, right? Or is it supposed to be anonymous?
If I received feedback and revised accordingly, should I make this clear on the cover page?
Thanks for reply
Quote: Merri @ 30th April 2017, 10:53 AMHi guys,
We are supposed to put our name on the cover page, right? Or is it supposed to be anonymous?
If I received feedback and revised accordingly, should I make this clear on the cover page?
Thanks for reply
Hi Merri
Name, email and mobile number on the cover page is fine.
And if you just put 'Name of Sitcom, version 2' or 'Name of Sitcom, draft 2' then we'll know that you've uploaded the rewrite.
Hope that helps
Cheers, Declan
For my final draft do I simply reply back to my last feedback email, or do I need to re-upload it on here?
Quote: La Ze @ 30th April 2017, 2:31 PMFor my final draft do I simply reply back to my last feedback email, or do I need to re-upload it on here?
Upload it to the website please. We'll be downloading all the scripts from there on Tuesday, so your most recent one is the one we'll be reading.
All done. Fingers crossed!