Channel 4 Comedy Lab deadline 31.10.08 Page 2

Quote: Mandy Downes @ October 18 2008, 9:57 PM BST

Maybe am missing something obvious but when it says 'send your idea', presume that means script?! Or have they intentionally left it vague? I understand the added value of having a production company attached etc but I do believe funny on the page goes a long way. Any advice would be great. Many thanks.

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Send as much as you can; a one paragraph idea probably won't get you too far! If you don't have a prod. company, then you will need a really knockout script. A really knockout script that can be done on the cheap as well.

Quote: catskillz @ October 18 2008, 4:31 PM BST

Has anyone had a go at Comedy Lab before? If so, how soon do they get back to you?

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They almost certainly won't get back to you - particularly with feedback. They get thousands of submissions and it's their policy (so I've been told) not to give feedback to anyone - to save them from having to give it to everyone. And from past experience, they sometimes haven't even got back just to say 'no' either - so occasionally we've found out we haven't got in when the new line-up is announced

Quote: Mikey J @ October 18 2008, 4:53 PM BST

Is that the one where you need prod co backing?

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We've always gone through production companies and I think it's going to be nigh on impossible for anyone to get a submission accepted without any backing. The only people I think who could manage that would be performers that they already really want to work with (as, of course, the Comedy Labs are very much geared towards performers rather than writers).

Useful advice there.

Even from Bussell. ;-)

(Lub you and your stuff Dave, as you know!!!)

Quote: sootyj @ October 18 2008, 5:55 PM BST

I mean if I'm buying a pork pie, the guy with the pork pie has got more chancem than the one with a bag of flour and a pig.

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You say that. But if the pig were attractive..

When do they decide on the final six? What's the selection process?

No idea. Sent mine in yesterday. No production company backing but I've got more chance if I send something in (almost zero) than if I don't (zero)!

Dan

I have a pilot script.
Nothing else, lol.

But as swertyd says, you have more (almost zero) chance if you DO send something in.

Might send it in.

Quote: swerytd @ October 25 2008, 12:37 AM BST

No idea. Sent mine in yesterday. No production company backing but I've got more chance if I send something in (almost zero) than if I don't (zero)!

Dan

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So you sent the full pilot script to them, by email?

Is anyone just sending an idea or treatment, or are most people sending full episode scripts?

So you sent the full pilot script to them, by email?

Change of plan for me.
I'm not going to have time now, as my pilot needs some tweaking.

I would have sent it hardcopy by snailmail.

Is anyone just sending an idea or treatment, or are most people sending full episode scripts?

It says to send in whatever you can, but I reckon most people will have much more than just a treatment.
Most entrants will have scripts and recorded material.

As I said in another thread, my problem is that I was close to completing a 6-episode series, when this first came along, so I've found it hard to put all of my best bits into one episode.

Quote: al_gernon @ October 24 2008, 8:48 PM BST

When do they decide on the final six? What's the selection process?

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Should be just after Christmas, I think. I believe two commissioners shortlist and then they bring more people in and wittle it down to the final 6.

I wonder how many entries they get this year. Does anyone have figures for years previous?

I think there's usually about 100-200 backed by production companies. I don't know about other entries but it wouldn't suprise me if it ran in to the thousands.

Quote: Ladma @ October 27 2008, 12:37 PM BST

I think there's usually about 100-200 backed by production companies. I don't know about other entries but it wouldn't suprise me if it ran in to the thousands.

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100-200? That's actually a lot less than I suspected. Can I ask where you got that figure from?

Quote: David Bussell @ October 27 2008, 12:40 PM BST

100-200? That's actually a lot less than I suspected. Can I ask where you got that figure from?

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Jan Jung said that he thought there'd be around 150 production company backed entries.