Quote: JSmash @ March 20 2013, 2:49 PM GMTCheers for the feedback to the feedback question guys.
Last question on feedback for you to give some feedback on. If I pay for the feedback before the 28th can I still submit my script on the extended deadline and receive the detailed feedback?
Yes
(Save your money, folks.)
I can only give an opinion as someone who is relatively new to writing... I've had feedback more than once and it's been brilliant. What's most difficult as a new writer ( for me at least ) is to be able to stand back from that script and look at it objectively... I'm sure that gets a little easier the more you write but that, it seems to me, is what you're buying - experience.
If, like me, you get one line in that feedback that gives you an " Oh god, yeah " moment that shows up something that might be obvious to lots of you, it's worth the price to not be continually making the same mistakes in subsequent things you write. The rest of the feedback which is also very helpful and clear is a bonus.
What surprises me, regardless of how experienced you may be, is that people will enter year after year and never get feedback! Why on earth would anyone enter each year without taking the opportunity of finding out what the two blokes who'll decide the winner like/don't like about your particular style of writing?!
There may be some who don't need feedback, who already know everything ( or think they do ) for those people: why are you entering competitions when all these people are beating a path to your door to pay you to write?!... I assume that must be the case.
I have been on their one-day sitcom course and I have received (purchased) written criticism from both of them and I've received feedback on one of my sitcoms at the 'old' readthrough stage of the competition. I've also discussed, with Simon particularly, a lot about sitcom and he certainly knows his comedy onions, as does Declan.
They know what they are doing and provide a valuable feedback service in an area where there isn't much available, I've found.
Dan
Quote: simon wright @ March 20 2013, 1:03 PM GMTWe've never been asked that before.
The comedy commissioners who have backed us for years have never asked it.
The production companies who have backed us (financially in Hat Trick's case) have never asked it.
Nor have any of the TV directors and radio producers we've dealt with.
None of the professional writers we've dealt with have asked it either.And before a certain poster makes his favourite cut-and-paste 'you haven't answered the question' comment; I just have.
Wow, what an unfriendly and belittling response.
Quote: Declan @ March 20 2013, 1:12 PM GMTHi AJGO
I'll let Simon answer for himself, but my credentials are for this competition. I've read nearly 3000 script entries and seen the same mistakes appearing time and time again. I've compared my notes to notes on the same scripts from production company development execs and I've picked up the same issues that they have.
One thing I've learnt over the past few years is that there is no right and wrong in media production, only opinion plus budget. The last thing that I will ever say is that my opinion is more right or wrong than anyone else's. As far as this stage of this competition goes, it is more valid than all other opinions apart from one. When it comes to picking the final winner, it has no merit whatsoever.
I hope that doesn't come over as being defensive, it isn't meant to be! There are plenty of people working in comedy commissioning who don't have a passion for comedy, as esteemed radio producer Adam Bromley will testify https://www.comedy.co.uk/sitcom_mission/blog/25/ and I can offer a passion as well as the experience of giving feedback to hundreds of scripts over the past few years.
Have I worked for a production company on a TV or radio sitcom? No. Have I worked with a production company on a sitcom that then gets pitched to TV and radio? Yes. Have I promoted an author who then gets his/her sitcom script commissioned by BBC radio? Yes. Do we have the support and backing of development producers in the industry and seen as a recognised part of the sitcom development process? Yes.
I hope that helps
Cheers, Declan
Thanks Declan, that was rather more the helpful and professional reply I was hoping for. Much appreciated.
It's a good cop , bad cop thing.
You'll find that in the feedback.
Talking of professionalism, is it just me that's noticed the Sitcommission has now changed its rules midstream in every year of its existence? Just me? Oh.
Quote: AJGO @ March 20 2013, 4:28 PM GMTWow, what an unfriendly and belittling response.
Thanks Declan, that was rather more the helpful and professional reply I was hoping for. Much appreciated.
I agree. It was a fair question so for Simon to respond in that way is bizarre. £40 or £60 is a lot of money so why not ask what the credentials are of the person you are paying? It was a 'if these important people don't ask for it why would little old you need it?' response.
Declan answered the question perfectly.
Quote: Lazzard @ March 20 2013, 4:33 PM GMTIt's a good cop , bad cop thing.
You'll find that in the feedback.
Don't make excuses for him. His 'answer' to AJGO's question was shocking. Lean on these 2 guys a little and their paper castle collapses.
Guys, we'd love to chat about this, and we never try to offend anyone, but we're a little tired of having this conversation every year. There are certain people who aren't interested in progressing their careers or enjoying the process and only interested in winding us up. If we end up barking at the wrong people, we're truly sorry. But please see things from our POV too.
We pride ourselves on the fact that we aim to have integrity in everything we do. The number of people who have responded to back us up is testament to that.
We only wish some posters on here would have the same level of integrity.
I entered this competition last year and received feedback from both Simon and Declan (think it cost £40 or thereabouts).
I found both pieces detailed, concise and above all, useful. If I were to have used a professional script reading service this could easily have cost double what they're asking. In everything I've written since then I've used the advice I was given in that piece of feedback. The result: my work has improved. So in my view the investment has really paid off.
I know it's difficult to commit up to £60 to something like this. I scrimped and saved over the course of a couple of months so I could afford to enter last year, but it was absolutely worth it.
By charging to enter, they're cutting out the time wasters who think 'it's free so I'll make them read my 15 pages of drivel', which allows Simon and Declan to give each script more time and attention. And it's not like all of the money they earn is profit: they have to pay for actors to do the read throughs, venue hire, marketing costs etc. And then I'm sure they have families to feed too.
Bottom line: if you don't like it, don't enter. But if you're serious about your career and if you've got a piece of work that you're proud of and meets the competition criteria then there are much worse places to put your money.
Quote: Badge @ March 20 2013, 4:36 PM GMTTalking of professionalism, is it just me that's noticed the Sitcommission has now changed its rules midstream in every year of its existence? Just me? Oh.
We have indeed changed the rules. Every time we learn better ways of doing things we change the old ways.
Quote: simon wright @ March 20 2013, 5:21 PM GMTWe have indeed changed the rules. Every time we learn better ways of doing things we change the old ways.
I hope you read the scripts more carefully than you did my post! (actually I'm sure you will).
Quote: don rushmore @ March 20 2013, 4:48 PM GMTDon't make excuses for him. His 'answer' to AJGO's question was shocking. Lean on these 2 guys a little and their paper castle collapses.
I shall not be swayed into sharing your opinion, old thing (opinions to which you are perfectly entitled,BTW).
My experience with this competition was thoroughly good - but then I got through the first round.
And, actually, I thought the original question was pretty rude.
But perhaps I should quit defending them - the less people that enter the better, as far as I'm concerned!
Quote: Lazzard @ March 20 2013, 7:00 PM GMTAnd, actually, I thought the original question was pretty rude.
That certainly wasn't my intention.
I know it's vulgar to go on about money so I apologise, but as someone with very little of it who is also very committed to improving their craft and developing their career, I thought it both reasonable and sensible to see if there were any links to help me better work out if what I'm aiming to improve on and achieve in my work is compatible with the sort of outlooks, tastes, and experiences that the people who I'd be paying have.
I think it's rather rude to post that you think I was pretty rude in an answer to another poster. It's probably quite rude of me to not let that pass by and post this response. What a dreadful vortex of rudeness this is.