BCG Pro Newsletter |
Friday 15th October 2021 |
"Creativity doesn't need to be a Herculean event. But it does need consistent fostering." - Carla Johnson
See below for the date of our first meet-up, a reminder on how to pitch for £10,000 development funds, sitcom writing advice, and more.
Manchester on Tuesday 16th November
We're organising a social event in Manchester on Tuesday 16th November with sitcom writer and actor Phil Mealey (Early Doors, The Royle Family). A chance to meet fellow BCG Pro members, do some networking and hear some of Phil's insights. It's a free event for members; just press the 'register to attend' button.
BCG Pro Performance Awards
You have until the end of the month to submit a video for our competition for stage-based stand-ups, character comedians, sketch acts, etc. We'll be holding the live final in 2022. If you head to the entry page you can now see footage of our 2020 winner performing at the last final.
BCG Pro Sessions video: Kirstie Swain 
As part of our monthly BCG Pro Sessions strand, Kirstie Swain joined us on Zoom to answer questions about comedy writing, and it may just have been our most advice-packed edition yet. The chat included insights into forging a career as a writer, the highs and lows of TV development and much more. Catch up on the recording here.
Opportunities Hub
Short Com have opened a competition for film-length scripts (80-120 pages). If you're thinking of entering, see our Opportunities Hub listing for a code to get money off the entry fee. Also newsworthy: the Game Off short film competition is now free to enter (and they send you a copy of their game).
The Stand-Up Tune-Up, No.5: Matt Forde on making political comedy work
Political material can be risky with live audiences, but Matt Forde manages to bridge the big political divides - we asked him how.
Gold Christmas cracker joke competition 2021 opens
TV channel Gold's annual topical Christmas cracker joke competition is open for entries. Christmas may be a fair way off still, but you've actually only got until the end of Monday to submit a gag - time to think festive thoughts!
How to Structure Sitcom Scenes
Chris Head uses some excerpts from US comedy Friends to highlight the set-up / reveal / escalation / payoff structure of sitcom scenes.
Comedian's Comedian Podcast
Stand-ups Adam Rowe and Thanyia Moore are the latest guests on Stuart Goldsmith's podcast. The chat includes whether getting a laugh is more important than a moral or ethical stance.
The Secret Reviewer #31: Necessary Roughness
Should audiences pay to see a work in progress gig? That's the question our anonymous professional comedy critic is pondering with their usual openess in this latest column for us.
Sitcom Geeks
In a bit of a podcast crossover, James Cary and Dave Cary invite Stuart Goldsmith on to their show. They ponder the future of the Edinburgh Festival, and much more besides.
BCG Pro Gag-a-Week competition
'Protests' is our potentially topical topic this week. Think you've got an original one-liner about Insulate Britain (or any other protest)? A cash prize and social media glory could be yours.
Online comedy courses
Chris Head's great Zoom-based course Writing Your TV Comedy Script runs for five Wednesday nights from 3rd November. It's not too late to join the group. Other online offerings include radio sketch writing, sitcom and comedy drama writing tools, and an in-person stand-up course.
Wildseed Studios submission window closes 31st October
This is a repeat feature, but we wanted to make sure everyone had spotted the submission window for Wildseed Studios before it closes at the end of the month. It's a really great chance to get development support (and cash) for your idea. Read our interview with co-founder Miles Bullough for all the background information.
Making Horrible Histories: The Movie
The Horrible Histories film is on CBBC and iPlayer this Saturday 16th October, from 7:30pm. Check out our interview with director Dominic Brigstocke, in which he talked to us about what it's like to make a movie, and some of the challenges involved for a director.
Thanks for reading
We hope you found items of interest and use in the above. We're working on lots of things for BCG Pro at the moment, including rescheduling our Big Comedy Conference for April 2022, and collaborating on a very excitng new writing competition. Keep an eye on the platform, or see our next newsletter, for the news updates...
British Comedy Guide
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