Another BBC Scheme launched

Up on Writersroom today- it's drama but think we can assume that a bit of comedy drama always goes down well so have a look-

http://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/opportunity/sharps.shtml

Cheers for the heads up - 30 minute dramas are thin on the ground aren't they, not including soaps, so it's an awkward format but good for all those ideas that are 'good' but not bursting with comic potential, which I seem to be full of lately.

Yes, thin line between comedy & tragedy & all that. Good idea to flex ones muscles in other directions &, let's face it, comedy writers are hopelessly depressed most of the time so shouldn't be too much of a leap!

Thanks for the link!

Actually if nothing else this has taught me a valuable lesson in worrying too much about the 'rules' of comedy - I've been struggling with sitcom scripts so long that I just sat down to take a crack at this, writing something I thought was a good idea that didn't necessarily have much scope for comedy, and not only have I found it incredibly easy (worked out a 30 minute plot in the bath and wrote the first scene in half an hour) but it's actually turned out pretty funny.

I've been so busy stressing that my sitcom characters have fatal flaws and a 'trapped' situation and circular plotline, when you take those constraints away and just write what you think is interesting, if you naturally find funny things interesting the jokes sort of fall out of you whether you want them or not. Don't know if anyone else would find that helpful but it's been a minor revelation to me.

Looks good. Thanks.

I may dust off my Scriptfrenzy.

Quote: willie garvin @ May 2 2008, 10:36 PM BST

Actually if nothing else this has taught me a valuable lesson in worrying too much about the 'rules' of comedy - I've been struggling with sitcom scripts so long that I just sat down to take a crack at this, writing something I thought was a good idea that didn't necessarily have much scope for comedy, and not only have I found it incredibly easy (worked out a 30 minute plot in the bath and wrote the first scene in half an hour) but it's actually turned out pretty funny.

I've been so busy stressing that my sitcom characters have fatal flaws and a 'trapped' situation and circular plotline, when you take those constraints away and just write what you think is interesting, if you naturally find funny things interesting the jokes sort of fall out of you whether you want them or not. Don't know if anyone else would find that helpful but it's been a minor revelation to me.

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I totally agree... it's when I allow my mind to go blank that the best ideas seem to flood in... I sometimes wonder if ideas are floating around in the ether, and you just have to tune in to pick one up - explaining why sometimes novel ideas are thought of simultaneously.

There, that's my philosophising done for the day.

Quote: Stylo @ May 2 2008, 11:15 PM BST

I totally agree... it's when I allow my mind to go blank that the best ideas seem to flood in... I sometimes wonder if ideas are floating around in the ether, and you just have to tune in to pick one up - explaining why sometimes novel ideas are thought of simultaneously.

View original

You make a good point. If even novel ideas are being thought of simultaneously then how often are the average or bad ideas being thought of?

The writersroom are going to get loads of scripts and they reckon they can judge them all in a relatively short period of time. They read the first ten pages but in reality you can tell from the first page if a script is worth reading or not.

I reckon there is one way to avoid that early cull and that's in the pre-writing stage.

1. Thinking about your idea and mulling it over for a while
2. Thinking about the best characters to use for that idea and ensuring they are psychologically true
3. Thinking about the story and structure

That way your idea and story are more likely to be unique and interesting.

The dialogue stage is the least important and with all competitions I'm relying on people who rush to write dialogue and then send it off without re-writing. If you pre-write and re-write then you are automatically in the top 10%.

I'm not saying good dialogue isn't important but it comes from good characters and a good story.

Thanks for that info, Looks good, and I think I have just the thing, a little piece I've been working on just fits the bill.

The theme is 'Health of the nation'. What the hell is that supposed to mean?

- Cue lots of scripts about fat working class kids, eating junk food. -

I've written a 30 minute script for this but there are only 20 pages because there are about ten minutes of visual scenes in additon to dialogue ones. The directions/descriptions of which don't take up a lot of pages.
How do you go about this? If I say nowt and they receive 20 pages, they may dump it because they think it's not long enough [they reckon a page per minute] but if I explain, they may not accept 'letters' with the scripts

10 minutes of visual / non-dialogue scenes in a half hour programme? Way, way too much. For a thirty minute piece you need to keep the visual to an absolute minimum and pack in as much dialogue/story as you can.

But surely there's no 'rule' on that. If the visual is action packed and tense, then it should be acceptable as part of a story. besides, this comp says surprise 'em. be imaginative...so I have been
How many times do we hear...don't tell...show?

Well why not just go the whole hogg then and do a silent drama?

Seriously, you should need more than 20 pages of dialogue. It will come across as a short film...not a good look for a half hour show.

Ok, imagine this....not in the one I've referred to above.

Supposing there's a scene whereby cowboys are waiting for rustlers, they've set a trap. The scene starts where it shows the cowboys crouching behind bush or whatever. The camera pans onto the cattle for a moment or two. The rustlers come in sight. The cowboys wait until two rustlers have tied rope around two cow's necks, then they strike. One rustler is shot and the other runs for his life but the direction in which he runs is another trap and he gets blown up. All that without dialogue....just as an example. Why would that not be acceptable within the bounds of the whole story? [I just made that up ]