Interview with comedy producer Chris Carey
Monday 6th September 2010
Here's an interview with Chris Carey, the co-producer of This is Jinsy, a surreal sitcom which started life on BBC Three as a pilot and is now moving to Sky for a full series...
You've just been commissioned to make eight episodes of This is Jinsy for Sky, how does it feel?
Incredibly exciting.
What's the process for writing an episode? Do you plot out first and then fill in, or start writing and see where it gets you?
Chris Bran and Justin Chubb (pictured) write and perform This is Jinsy. James Dean and I produce it and work closely with them of course, but the ideas and the scripting comes from them. We're still evolving as a team but what we're finding is that Chris and Justin will dream up their extraordinary scenarios and rough stories and then we'll all get together to go through them over the course of a few intensive storylining days until we're satisfied that the basic structure for the episodes is in place. Then Chris and Justin will go off and write their first draft. Then we'll give notes, they'll do a second draft and so on and so forth...
We also get invaluable clear sighted input from our Script Editor (the fabulous Emma Kennedy) and from our Commissioning Editors at Sky (Lucy Lumsden and Sam Ward). I think if me and James were too close to the actual writing then we'd lose our usefulness at being critical (not to mention that Chris and Justin would lock the door and not let us in...)
In the course of writing, things invariably change and evolve from the initial concept and storyline but I think you've got the most chance of success if you plan carefully. In my experience it's the very rare writer who just sits down and starts typing and sees where it gets them. It might sound like a wonderful romantic idea but I can't help thinking you're going to waste a hell of a lot of time that way... and very possibly end up with something that doesn't feel complete. And in the real world there are deadlines to meet and production schedules to keep to and broadcasters to keep happy so you can't usually afford to just 'see what happens'. You've got a draft to finish by a certain date and you've got to hit it or things start to unravel.
I'm glad to say that Chris and Justin are extremely easy to work with on that front. They understand what it takes to deliver... and I'm equally as glad that they see the benefit of having objective voices whose opinions they trust to offer constructive criticism of their work and help them make it stronger.
You made a pilot for BBC3, but then weren't commissioned, did you ever feel like giving up and what kept you going?
Naturally it was a massive blow when the BBC didn't go for the series. If you build yourself up and put all your hopes and hard work into something then it's never going to feel great when you get told 'no'. But I can honestly say that I don't think any of us ever felt like giving up. The fact they didn't go for it didn't alter our belief in This is Jinsy. And even if Sky hadn't picked up the show - which we're obviously thrilled to bits about - we'd have still plugged away. This is Jinsy is an idea so fresh, so complete and so distinctive it would definitely have found an audience one way or another - online, on stage, on radio, in books. The talent of Chris and Justin and the strength of this idea is just too strong to keep down, regardless of which individuals or companies decide it's not right for their channel.
How would you describe This is Jinsy?
The most mainstream comedy since 'Allo 'Allo and Robin's Nest. thisisjinsy.com might be a good place to start. Or there's loads of things on YouTube and Vimeo to look at.
Who and what were your comedy influences?
The British Manufacturing Industry, Sting and pretty much anyone who works in Financial Services.
And what about your influences in life in general?
Nick Clegg has had a profound effect on me this year. Not in a good way. And the cigarette advertising I was exposed to as a teenager has definitely not been helpful.
What advice would you give for new and up-and-coming writers?
Keep at it. Watch as much comedy as you can, see what other people do, how they tell stories, how they build characters, how they set-up and deliver gags. Read as many scripts as you can. Be really, really tough on your material and listen to the people whose opinions you trust, even if they're saying things that aren't always easy to hear. And re-write, re-write, re-write. Writing is re-writing (as someone much, much cleverer than me once said. And they're dead right.)
What advice would you give for up-and-coming producers?
Love writers. It's all about writers... It's also about performers and actors of course... and directors, DOPs, editors, designers, costume and make-up, sound recordists and everyone else in the unit... but fundamentally it's about writers. Without them there's nothing. So look after them and try and understand how nerve-wracking it is to show some-one your script... and I'm pretty sure it doesn't get any easier no matter how successful you become. My other piece of advice is to be patient, but tenacious. Tenacity is probably the most important attribute a producer can possess. That, and a stout pair of shoes.
To find out more about This is Jinsy see the BCG's guide to the show