An Honest Question. Page 3

I've just breezed through this thread, and as a fairly succesful writer, here' why i post so much in critique.

1 I many be good at writing some stuff (e.g. short and topical), other stuff I suck at (e.g. general, light news etc), and I can't get stuff on Tilt. I wanna know why, and I wanna know how to improve it. I also goto the London Writers meeting, and truly value feed back there.

2 Sitting in you're squalid writers pit banging stuff out, in the belief you're funny. Is to me the equivalent of having a wank, and hoping to get pregnant.

3 I'm not as funny as I'd like to think I am.

4 Anything good I post up, has already been posted all over the place, and often performed.

5 Good skits are not that valuable commodity. Look at many skit shows on broadcast media, they'd rather it they're own shit, than you're chocolate.

6 I know of at least 3 writers who've seen they're stuff improve markedly for good feedback. I'm one.

7 Prodcos will say yes or no, and pretty much that's it. I need to know of my stuff was realistically good enough before it goes out the door.

You really should've entered the Comedy College thing Seefacts. It's an amazing opportunity, believe me. These comps are a great way in. I won the BBC'S "Funny Hunt" talent search a couple of years ago and got tons of contacts through that.

Always worth a punt!

Quote: Griff @ April 18 2008, 12:07 PM BST

I'll judge the competition as a whole when it has an outcome.

I love this. The rest of us submit our work to Micheal Jacob to be judged.

Seefacts on the other hand is going to judge whether Micheal Jacob has done a good job.

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I'm sorry, what?

I'm not allowed to look at the college thing and see how it goes before deciding if I want to be involved?

It's an interesting idea, I want to see how it develops.

Why would I break off my own stride, and rush into something?

If it's very successful - and lets hope it is, because the BBC need some new writers - then that's only a good thing for new writers like us.

I'm happy doing what I'm doing, thanks.

Quote: Perry Nium @ April 18 2008, 12:09 PM BST

You really should've entered the Comedy College thing Seefacts. It's an amazing opportunity, believe me. These comps are a great way in. I won the BBC'S "Funny Hunt" talent search a couple of years ago and got tons of contacts through that.

Always worth a punt!

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If it'd come a month or so later, I may have.

Did you enter the College thing, or not?

Quote: Griff @ April 18 2008, 12:07 PM BST

I'll judge the competition as a whole when it has an outcome.

I love this. The rest of us submit our work to Micheal Jacob to be judged.

Seefacts on the other hand is going to judge whether Micheal Jacob has done a good job.

View original

LOL

Ah well I'm planning on entering Micheal Jacob, should be a worth a sitcom or two

Quote: Griff @ April 18 2008, 12:16 PM BST

I'm not allowed to look at the college thing and see how it goes before deciding if I want to be involved?

Yes of course you are. Can you see the difference between saying that (which is reasonable-sounding) and saying "I'll judge the competition as a whole when it has an outcome." (which makes you sound like a megalomaniac) ?

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Why?

I know someone who won a Beeb comp and got bugger all out of it.

I'd be very interested to know how the college is going to turn out, I'm going to keep an eye out as it progresses. Is that okay by you?

Why aren't the quotes working very well?

It doesn't matter how it turns out - if you get on it you get a commission, at the very least, to write a sitcom episode for the BBC!!!!! Guaranteed.

Seems pretty good to me.

Quote: Griff @ April 18 2008, 12:23 PM BST

I'd be very interested to know how the college is going to turn out, I'm going to keep an eye out as it progresses. Is that okay by you?

That's fine Seefacts. Make sure you keep us all up to date as you monitor the situation.

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I'm not entirely sure what your problem is?

Your shoulder appears to have more chips than McCain.

The other thing is, I'd almost guarantee the 6 winners will have a tad more under their belt than a few sketches on Tilt or anywhere else.

I know these sorts of 'debates' can turn into spats. I think the main problem is you were giving some strong comments along the lines of you can't be taught anything in comedy - which is self evidently wrong.

Did you enter the College thing, or not?

[/quote]Yeah, I did. 1200 applicants though - not a Fab Lolly in Hell's chance.
It's the best prize the Beeb have ever offered, a mentor, attachment to an existing show AND developing your own show. I'm not normally an envious bloke but holy crap, the final six are jammier than a...erm... jammy dodger. Or something.

jammier than a...erm... jammy dodger. Or something.

The M25 on a bank holiday.

You can use that mate, it's free, No, really.

Quote: Marc P @ April 18 2008, 12:31 PM BST

jammier than a...erm... jammy dodger. Or something.

The M25 on a bank holiday.

You can use that mate, it's free, No, really.

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Cheers, I shall!

Quote: Marc P @ April 18 2008, 12:27 PM BST

I know these sorts of 'debates' can turn into spats. I think the main problem is you were giving some strong comments along the lines of you can't be taught anything in comedy - which is self evidently wrong.

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No, that's not what I meant.

It's more that I don't think you NEED to be taught, as you can do it all yourself.

By watching and reading and paying attention to what's there, you'll do just fine.

I also think 'Comedy College' isn't quite true, 'Comedy paid your dues writing shed loads of sketches and already have a few contacts, so here's a work placement that you're obviously ready for otherwise you wouldn't have been picked' would have been a better bet.

If your sitcom isn't very, very good it won't get picked. I don't know how much learning will go on here, but 'College', I think, is the wrong term.

Marc P - according to your profile you've written quite a bit of stuff already, to me YOU are the kind of person they'll be after.

Quote: Perry Nium @ April 18 2008, 12:30 PM BST

Did you enter the College thing, or not?

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Yeah, I did. 1200 applicants though - not a Fab Lolly in Hell's chance.
It's the best prize the Beeb have ever offered, a mentor, attachment to an existing show AND developing your own show. I'm not normally an envious bloke but holy crap, the final six are jammier than a...erm... jammy dodger. Or something.
[/quote]

But you seem like the ideal person in that you're not on the bottom rung.

You've done sketches etc, so I bet you'll be in with a chance.

Good luck!

Quote: Griff @ April 18 2008, 12:30 PM BST

The other thing is, I'd almost guarantee the 6 winners will have a tad more under their belt than a few sketches on Tilt or anywhere else.

On that, we are agreed.

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Phew, thank god.

I took a couple of badly written shows to the Edinburgh festival once. Supposedly comedies. The second time worked a lot better because I had learned a lot from the first. One thing that someone told me that really helped was to try and get a big laugh within the first sixty seconds, if you do that then the audience is with you and laughing all the way. If you give them stuff to laugh at that is. It's a small example - but a good example that you can learn things. And this 'course' seems to be a learning by doing kinda thing so sounds pretty good. As Perry said its the best initiative/opportunity I've ever seen from the beeb in this area.

Quote: Marc P @ April 18 2008, 12:55 PM BST

I took a couple of badly written shows to the Edinburgh festival once. Supposedly comedies. The second time worked a lot better because I had learned a lot from the first. One thing that someone told me that really helped was to try and get a big laugh within the first sixty seconds, if you do that then the audience is with you and laughing all the way. If you give them stuff to laugh at that is. It's a small example - but a good example that you can learn things. And this 'course' seems to be a learning by doing kinda thing so sounds pretty good. As Perry said its the best initiative/opportunity I've ever seen from the beeb in this area.

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Yeah, it probably is the best thing.

But on a personal level it's come at the wrong time.

If it comes back next year, and I'm in a better position then who knows?

This Comedy College won't be the ONLY way to become a writer, so at this point I'm not too bothered that I didn't enter.

But we'll see.