Kirrin Island April 2014

Episode 6 of the Kirrin Island topical podcast is coming soon. We'll have more details on submissions etc. soon but it'll be very similar to Episode 5 which you can check out here: http://kirrinislandpodcast.com/wiring/episode-5-details/

As ever we hope to give feedback to all who submit sketches but here's some general comments us script editors have from previous episodes: http://kirrinislandpodcast.com/wiring/script-ed-notes/

Kirrin Island is topical but because of the turnaround we tend to focus on the bigger stories in the news that will still be relevant in about a month's time. For example, European elections, turmoil at Manchester United, Ukraine etc.

But one of the best ways to get a feel for the show is to listen to previous episodes here: http://www.KirrinIslandPodcast.com

That's all for now, more details soon.

Looking forward to it!

Quote: AndyGilder @ 24th April 2014, 7:46 PM BST

Looking forward to it!

Seconded. Got a gag in last time!

So here are the details for how to submit for episode 6. Let's start with the deadlines;
 
Sketches:
Wednesday 7th May - Deadline for first submission
[Although please do send them sooner if you can!]
Thursday 15th May - the latest one of the Script Editors will contact you about re-writes
Monday 19th May - Deadline for re-writes
 
One-Liners:
Monday 19th May - Deadline for all one-liners
[We may ask for one-liners via twitter after this date so please keep an eye on our account @LiveFromKI ]
 
How to submit
For this episode of Kirrin Island please e-mail your sketches and one-liners to:
LiveFromKirrinIsland@gmail.com
 
Each person can submit up to two sketches for the show. You can submit those two sketches either on one or two e-mails.
But please just send us your two best sketches.
 
Send each sketch as a separate document attached to an email with the title of the document being your name followed by the name of the sketch.
For example: Clem Fandango - Ringo's Bingo.doc
 
For sketches please ensure there is a header on each page that includes:
- Your name
- The title of your sketch
- Your e-mail address
 
In terms of formatting sketches, please format them in a similar manner to BBC radio sketch show. An example template (that can be copied) on Google Docs can be seen here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1zYOxGr9-hwKPfkmci9wXOXIohGC2NgKapIsZQfwBQL0/edit
If you can use this format, it would be really helpful as you won't believe the trouble it takes to cut and paste everything into a single show script late into the night!
 
Each person can submit up to an A4 page of one-liners. Please break your one-liners up into the three sections - Intros, Kwitter & Off The Island News as appropriate.
 
Send all your one-liners in one document attached to an e-mail. The title of the document being your name followed by 'OneLiners'
For example: Joey Switzerland - One Liners.doc
 
Please ensure that there is a header on your one-liner page that includes:
- Your name
- Your e-mail address
 
You can submit documents in either .doc or .docx format (as these are easier to edit).  Please avoid .pdf as these are a pain, as are .rtf documents. Again, please make sure your name and e-mail address is on your documents so we know who to credit. If we can't credit you we can't use your work!
 
Feedback & Re-writes
We would very much like to provide feedback to every writer who submits sketches. Our team has had multiple credits for Newsjack & many other BBC Radio shows and includes commissioned writers for these shows. So hopefully our feedback will be useful!
 
Our aim is for this episode that if you submit one or two sketches we'll provide some feedback on your writing, what we like about it and what we think could be improved. We should also say that given we all have day jobs if we're suddenly swamped with hundreds of entries we may have to renege on that promise. Please don't hate us if that happens but we'll try, as far as possible, to let you know what we think of your sketches.  Due to time constraints, the feedback collation happens after the whole recording process is complete, so you will be very unlikely to receive any feedback before the show is completed.  
 
Given the number of one-liners we receive we won't be providing feedback on them and we'd recommend the BCG Critique Forum if you'd like some feedback on those.
 
If we like your sketch, or at least something about your sketch, you will be asked to re-write it with advice from the script eds, in order to give you the best chance of a credit with words that you wrote.  It will in all likelihood be rewritten again in our writers' room (you will still be credited).  However, your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to give us very little to do bar laugh.  That is the ideal situation for us!
 
Deadlines are exceptionally tight so if we ask you to re-write a sketch you'll need to get it back to us in a day or so. If that's not possible please say and our team of writers will look at in.
 
Please note that not being asked for a re-write does not mean your stuff isn't in consideration for the show and, conversely, being asked for a re-write doesn't guarantee we'll use it. But we'd like to get you involved as much as possible in getting your sketch ready for the final show.
 
Topics to cover
Please check back here to see if there are any specific topics we need covered or which ones we feel we've already received good material on.
 
This episode of Kirrin Island will have a 'current' air to it, rather than 'topical', to increase the longevity of the podcast.  Think 'zeitgeisty' (whatever that really means).  This will avoid them getting stale quickly and, as we are now able to animate a few of the more successful sketches, there is a chance that your sketch may be animated and posted to YouTube.
 
There are a bunch of regular characters we use, but these are not mandatory.  We would love more recurring female characters.
 
If you can think of a new character great, just put them in a sketch to show us it can work.
 
One-liners.
We use three formats for these:

The first is for the show intro. We have a host who welcomes people to the Island each episode and in it they describe recent events there. Remember these need to be about Kirrin Island, although the stories may sound very familiar:

"At Kirrin Island Airport body scanners have been scrapped. Now if we want to see pictures of unsuspecting holidaymakers naked we'll have to look in French Magazines"

The second is a stream of comments from the island Kwitter social media site. It's great if these 'Kweets' have an (in)appropriate #hashtag at the end that gets an extra laugh. The best ones reflect the type of person/character saying them rather than just being a straight-up gag so always flag up what type of person is saying them if it matters.

"I don't actually think the world is going to end next Friday, but if anyone knows any girls who do ... "

The third is Off The Island news. What do the characters of Kirrin Island make of world events?

"Nick Ross has made a 34m profit from his house. I suppose it must have gone through many reconstructions."

The cast.
Assume our cast will be 2 males and 2 females. We may be able to squeeze in more parts but four will be the limit for most sketches. Our cast can do most accents and some impressions: Schwarzenegger, Prince Phillip, Morgan Freeman, Elvis and who knows who else. However we can't guarantee a full range so better to ask us first or instead write your sketch using Kirrin Island inhabitants.

SKETCHES
Everything you need to know about impressing us with your sketch is here: http://kirrinislandpodcast.com/wiring/script-ed-notes/

Ooooh! Exciting! :D

To give you a flavour of what we're after here's some stories that may well be covered in the next episode of Kirrin Island. They probably won't all be covered, there will be stuff covered outside them but they'll give you a steer of what we're after:

Moyes sacked / new Man U manager
European Elections
UKIP posters
Cameron doing 'Christianity'
Ukraine issue
Potential energy problems with Russia / Ukraine
Kate & Wills Australia tour
Coulson & Brooks on trial
Bankers' Bonuses
Cornish become an ethnic minority
Jamaica Inn sound problems
Scottish Independence (No campaign going badly)
Drinking less / less violent crime
Max Clifford
Good Morning Britain
Celeb group selfie obsession post-Oscars

I should say there's a few stories in there you may wish to tread carefully on (e.g. civil war / disasters). That's not to say we won't cover them but we don't want to make fun of a tragedy in which hundreds and thousands of people died.

There's also some stories that have been around FOREVER in there e.g. Banker's Bonuses so if you do wish to write a sketch about them please be original. Those story have been covered in lots of different ways so is there a new way you can cover it.

Anyway hopefully that should help spark something off so stop reading this and go write!

How is show with a soft touch approach like KI, going to handle any subject as tragic as the South Korean ferry disaster?

Quote: sootyj @ 1st May 2014, 4:49 PM BST

How is show with a soft touch approach like KI, going to handle any subject as tragic as the South Korean ferry disaster?

As I said tread carefully. There was an excellent example on Newsjack this series of a sketch about tensions in Crimea. The sketch didn't cover the fighting there but had the premise of the Cold War reforming like a 1980s band reforming for a set of stadium gigs. An excellent sketch and a good way to handle a difficult topic.

Someone out there might have an equally good take on one of the more difficult stories but I'll admit I wouldn't cover the ferry disaster if it was me submitting 2 sketches.

As one of the other script eds, I can safely say that any sketch on the disasters will get a straight "no" from me regardless of how original it is.

Thanks Stephen, very useful. I'm working on a couple, one of which is very different to your list, and one that is similar. :)

Quote: sootyj @ 1st May 2014, 4:49 PM BST

How is show with a soft touch approach like KI, going to handle any subject as tragic as the South Korean ferry disaster?

That's a fair challenge and in all honesty a sketch of that sort is less likely rather than more likely to make any final edit when I have to make certain I'm comfortable with taste and tone.

As Stephen says it can be done, with great skill, but probably worth writers spending time on so many of the other interesting stories out there.

Can you hear Peter Cook spinning in his grave?

Quote: Paul Wimsett @ 1st May 2014, 7:37 PM BST

Can you hear Peter Cook spinning in his grave?

How would he have tackled such a tragedy then?

Quote: Marc P @ 1st May 2014, 10:14 PM BST

How would he have tackled such a tragedy then?

Spun in his grave?

Possibly. I've seen his stuff with. Dudley Moore and enjoyed the film with old cars and Terry Thomas. Don't remember him doing Danny Boyle type stuff?