Is There A Draft In Here?
Sunday 25th July 2010
For some time now we've invited industry judges to pick which of the sitcoms we showcase should go through to the next round. These are people involved in directing and producing sitcoms and their opinions are always worth having.
So we ask them why they'd pick this sitcom over that one. And, since we're keen to help our writers, we always ask if they have any particular advice they'd like to pass on. One very successful producer who had seen the same script performed twice (completely unchanged) said "don't they realise that a script may have to pass through as many as 19 or 20 drafts?"
Even though the structure of The Sitcom Mission (where successful sitcoms have been performed more than once) invites changes, writers hardly ever make them. It's as if, having got over the hurdle of the first round that they consider their script perfect, which it manifestly isn't. On TV, once a studio sitcom is performed before a live audience it's fixed forever. With The Sitcom Mission, writers have a couple of weeks between shows to tweak their script before it's shown again. What a luxury! Jokes that didn't work can be tightened. Relationships that were clear to the writer, director and actors but which left an audience puzzled can be clarified. Pages that proved laughter-free can be gagged up.
Because of this, we've decided to change the format of The Sitcom Mission. We've got script editors on board and are going to spend four months developing the work - re-write, re-write, re-write - before it goes anywhere near a stage. Because we long-listed 32 sitcoms and showcased 16 this year, we spent longer booking rehearsal rooms and doing admin than we did developing the scripts. And without well-developed scripts, we haven't got a show.
We're now happy to see episode one as your initial entry, because if you're chosen for our long list we'll be asking for another two episodes to choose from and develop. It's all a part of the filtering process - working out who wants the prize the most, who's got the best product and spending time working on that product to make it the best we possibly can.
One technique I read about for doing different drafts involves looking at each draft from a different character's perspective. Do one draft focussing entirely on Basil, another on Polly, another on Manuel etc. Putting a single character under the spotlight helps make sure that their voice is consistent, and their motivations clear. It's easy to forget about a character when other characters in a scene take off. Actors hate having nothing to do and focussing on one character at a time will help you make sure that no-one in a scene has been forgotten.
Another (massive) advantage of doing multiple drafts is that it frees you from the paralysing need to get it right the first time. Imagine being told that you were only allowed one driving lesson and that after that you were going to be let loose in rush hour traffic. You wouldn't learn a thing. Those 19 or 20 drafts that our judge mentioned are like driving lessons. A little better every time.
The Sitcom Mission will be returning in 2011 - more information on the entry dates & requirements will be posted on this website nearer the time.