Quote: steve by any other name @ March 1, 2008, 11:31 AM

That all sounds positive Seefacts, well done indeed.

I don't know how long your script is at present, but my advice on trimming it down would be to take out what you think can go, and then take out a whole lot more. It helps, in my experience, to have someone less attached to it to oversee the process if you can trust anyone.

I was recently asked to trim my 67 pages down and I returned 53 pages after changing from 12pt to 11pt font lost 4 pages (as it had been suggested that the large font may be a reason that it took only about 30 mins to read but ran to so many pages) and much soul searching and sacrifice lost me another 9.

I was then given a copy highlighting suggestions as to what else could be removed and, to my horror, it was a lot of my favourite jokes. I dutifully hacked it down to 45 pages to discover that it was actually much better. Despite the loss of jokes, most of which were at the end of a scene after the 'business' had been done and we're added to make the laughter count as high as possible, clearly at the expense of the story.

So, be ruthless and you'll end up with a tighter all together better script. But it is a painful process.

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The format change has cut it down a lot, and it's a lot easier taking bits out when you know it's still going to get read/pitched.

Before I'd be agonizing about the best jokes I was told 'they can go in episode 2' so that's a relief.
 

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Daleks are shit.
 

Being a sad writer type person I bought the script book for Four Weddings and read it from cover to cover, including the out takes in the appendices at the back.

Years later, one of those deleted scenes turned up in Love Actually. At the time I thought 'you lazy...', but now, I can completely understand.
 

I know you don't want to give much away, but what sort of sitcom is it? A trad sitcom or something more contemporary?
 

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Das ist nicht eine booben.
 

Quote: Winterlight @ March 1, 2008, 2:45 PM

I know you don't want to give much away, but what sort of sitcom is it? A trad sitcom or something more contemporary?

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Trad.

They seemed pleasantly surprised when I told them I wrote audience stuff.
 

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Daleks are shit.
 

Perhaps they're sensing a change in the market.
 

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Das ist nicht eine booben.
 

Quote: Winterlight @ March 1, 2008, 2:55 PM

Perhaps they're sensing a change in the market.

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As I've said, I was told pre-watershed for BBC1 and post for 2.

If the first part of the . . . noughties . . . was naturalistic, the last is audience.

I was told there's never a better time to be pitching broader audience based shows. I think I've potentially broken through at an ideal time.
 

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Daleks are shit.
 

Well Done Seefacts mate! And hope to see it on the television soon!
 

Well done Seefacts. Bloody marvellous. Just goes to prove that talent and initiative is all you need.

Have they spoke about filming a taster or will it pitched on script alone?
 

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"Don't believe a word until your name's on the contract and they've started filming. And then only half-believe it."
 

Quote: Perry Nium @ March 1, 2008, 4:29 PM

Well done Seefacts. Bloody marvellous. Just goes to prove that talent and initiative is all you need.

Have they spoke about filming a taster or will it pitched on script alone?

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Not sure yet.

A live audience read was mentioned, so that could be possibility.

Hopefully all should become clear over the next 4 weeks.
 

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Daleks are shit.
 

Yays!

How old are you please, Mr. Seefacts?
 

Quote: zooo @ March 1, 2008, 4:32 PM

Yays!

How old are you please, Mr. Seefacts?

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I'm 71.

Ha, not really.

I've just turned 23.
 

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Daleks are shit.
 

I just wanted to make all the old people who haven't had a meeting with a producer yet feel really inferior.

But it's backfired.


 

Quote: zooo @ March 1, 2008, 4:34 PM

I just wanted to make all the old people who haven't had a meeting with a producer yet feel really inferior.

But it's backfired.

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Sorry . . .

I'm 71, don't you know.
 

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Daleks are shit.
 

That's better!
 

Quote: Seefacts @ March 1, 2008, 4:33 PM

I've just turned 23.

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Suddenly my good cheer dried up.
 

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