Quote: Susie @ March 12 2011, 5:16 PM GMTI'm wondering if it might not be a bad idea to learn how to format a script for radio. I feel pretty confident about writing a TV script but know absolutely nothing about the other. Any suggestions for good books or other info to help?
P.S. Good luck for Monday everyone!
There are radio scripts on the Writersroom website.
Thanks Chips. I'll explore!
Quote: evertsen @ March 12 2011, 3:56 PM GMTI like the allegory of the motorbike. Really hit the spot this end!
I sometimes let him sit on it with the engine running. He's not allowed to touch the controls though.
Quote: Matthew Stott @ March 12 2011, 4:44 PM GMTThough really in some ways, it actually does, as Arrested Development perfectly describes the kind of characters and relationships that populate the show. I suppose he could always have titled it 'The My Stupid, Selfish Family Really Annoy Me, But I can't Quite Bring Myself To Abandon Them, Because Even Though I Think I'm Better Than Them, I'm Actually Just As Messed Up Show'.
I agree, I think its only a "bad title" on paper because you have to see the show to get the title rather then the other way around but for us lucky folk that have seen it the title is perfect. Yea the article was very tongue in cheek and I only brought up for discussions sake because I had never even thought that a title might have this kind of impact.
Plus anything that doesn't mention monday on this forum can't be bad. feels like playing russian roulette with a fully loaded gun and waiting for my turn, I know whats going to happen bit still just maybe...
Just imagine an empty chamber
Is anyone going to the London Comedy Writers Festival in April? Just been on the web site - it looks epic. I'm sold!
Yes, a few of us are: https://www.comedy.co.uk/forums/thread/20215/
Dan
Quote: Penge @ March 11 2011, 8:37 PM GMTOh come now, no need for apologies. We're all one big happy forum family here.
Until Monday, when all sorts of chaos will break out.
Thanks Penge. Let the chaos run....
Quote: Griff @ March 12 2011, 1:04 PM GMTCan I just say that my discussion of sitcom titles was not intended to get everyone worrying about their own titles or to cast aspersions on any titles of Mission entries. I just wondered which titles of real life sitcoms people thought were good.
Waiting for God.
Men Behaving Badly.
Hitch-hikers guide to the Galaxy? (I know it's the title of the book - it's a good book title too! Does it count as sitcom as it's a book adaptation?)
As an unknown writer I have found myself looking at tips from established writers and have paid attention to what producers/Commissioners want.
But at the end of the day if you followed everything that they requested then the best you could do would be to replicate the very type of stuff you find yourself moaning about in the first place.
Those with the power in the entertainment industry delegate far too much and more often than not a seasoned persons views on life is read by an intern wearing an iPod as they read.
I'm not old but I'm not stupid either, some of the dialogue you hear on certain sitcoms is so poor that it makes you fume because you know for an absolute fact you have rejected/ deleted better whilst writing.
Now that the subject of titles has come about, if someone wants to commission my work I couldn't care less if they wanted to change the title.!
They probably only do it so they can roll their eyes to their boss and say "I had to change it around a bit"
However the reality is that if they are paying the piper then they call the tune, until you develop your own reputation.
My point is that if anyone of any substance in the industry was prepared to actually produce my work, but wanted to change the title I wouldn't have a problem and would hope that they were more savvy than me in that respect.
I can't however think of an instance were a refusal to change the title became a deal breaker.
Having belief in your work is vital and maintaining your integrity is crucial but you have to be willing to bend a great deal until you earn the right to stand up straight as a recognised writer.
I imagine it's a bit like extras. You get your work commissioned, great, but because you're unknown then they get to play around with it much more than you'd like and they've got you over a barrel because you don't have enough standing to tell them to shove it up their arse.
As for titles, I just consider mine to be working titles, it's the last thing I worry about and I'm more concerned about putting together a script that reads decently (obviously I need to work harder at that 
)
Recurring annoyances?
Writers who confuse 'there', 'they're' and 'their'. And writers who use 'disinterested' without knowing what it actually means.
After a thousand scripts you'd turn into Lynne Truss, too.
Quote: simon wright @ March 13 2011, 9:21 AM GMTRecurring annoyances?
Writers who confuse 'there', 'they're' and 'their'. And writers who use 'disinterested' without knowing what it actually means.
After a thousand scripts you'd turn into Lynne Truss, too.
Actually, uninterested originally meant 'impartial', and disinterested meant 'indifferent'. They then migrated to gain each other's meanings.
In other words... disinterested can legitimately be used to mean 'indifferent', in much the same way you can talk about an uninterested party (meaning impartial).
Unless you're talking about a totally different misunderstanding of disinterested.
Quote: simon wright @ March 13 2011, 9:21 AM GMTRecurring annoyances?
Writers who confuse 'there', 'they're' and 'their'. And writers who use 'disinterested' without knowing what it actually means.
After a thousand scripts you'd turn into Lynne Truss, too.
I know what you mean but sometimes I even do it myself and I can't think why I've done it afterwards. That's where proper editing comes in though.
I forever have arguments with my wife about use of apostrophe then get confused myself at one in the morning
Quote: Antrax @ March 13 2011, 9:40 AM GMTActually, uninterested originally meant 'impartial', and disinterested meant 'indifferent'. They then migrated to gain each other's meanings.
I may be ancient, but I don't live in the period when uninterested meant 'impartial'. I'm reading scripts in 2011 when misusing the word jolts you out of the world that the writer is trying to create.
The word 'nice' has undergone several changes. Using it now usually means that you can't be bothered to think of a more precise one.
Returning to earlier discussions, of ideas being similar to each other and the danger of having your sitcom concept ripped off:
http://chortle.co.uk/news/2011/03/12/12937/bad_sports%3F
Bad sports?
BBC accused of ripping off Olympics comedy
Read more: http://chortle.co.uk/news/2011/03/12/12937/bad_sports%3F#ixzz1GTLhlR48