I'm about to have my sitcom pilot performed by a team of actors in a closed reading. I'm trusting that hearing the script read out loud will highlight any weaknesses in the dialogue before I begin submitting to agents/producers.
Have any others gone through this process and did it bear fruit?
I’ve had a lot of my stuff performed at script in hand evenings. Hearing and seeing it acted out is invaluable. It really does highlight any weaknesses. And good luck Dave.
Yep, twice. Once by an amateur lot (which helped loads) and then a couple of scenes by 'proper' actor-types. Both brought a lot to the scripts and got extra laughs where there weren't any, due to performance. Thoroughly worthwhile and they got the scripts too, no need for any descriptions beforehand (which suggested we'd done our job correctly as scriptwriters, as all the feelings were obviously coming across in the writing).
Dan
Seeing it performed is weird and it shows you how something so static on the page can suddenly become something new each time it's performed.
How did you get hold of the opportunity?
I had a reading for a film script and it was incredibly nerve wracking before hand, just in case it was shit. In fact, one of the actors, the leading female actor in fact, said she thought it would be shit. Once they got into it though, it was really enjoyable and it wasn't too bad at all. Thankfully the actor in question only told me after that she thought it would be shit or I'd have probably left there and then and cried all the way home from Edinburgh to the midlands. As it turned out, we all went to the pub afterwards and I stayed on so late I had to run fo my plane. Which was a novel experience. The running, not the plane.
I get loads of my stuff read at my Scriptwriting Group. It's always useful because you realise it's not funny.
Thanks for sharing, guys.
The place I'm having it read is the ICA Lab. It's a members only thing but I made friends with a girl at the WGGB who got me in.
Powerful sweet.