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hmmm..where to begin??

Right I'm going to try and write my first script..and although I'm still young and inexperienced I feel that I have a good idea on my hands.

I'm from England and I want to make a sitcom. Well at the moment I'll just write it and then when I become experienced enough to film it then I will (Or I'll sell it on)

The main idea is for a sitcom. I want to do it in the same style as "Spaced" which is directed by Edgar Wright and writen by two of the Co-stars of the show, one being Simon Pegg who is also the star (and Co-writer) of the Rom-zom-com "Shaun of the dead"

I'm guesing quite a few of you are American so you may not know what I am on about but I've soley taken alot of my ideas (not copied but using the same style.)

To make it easier for myself and making it more of a joy to write I've decided to write the sitcom using references to my own life and to things that I like.

The main idea for this sitcom is that a young man, living in London has hit an all time low. He's started to lose trust from his friends and family for being unreliable,lazy and basically a failure. He has a love for comics and in a way it is one reason for his downfall. He has become such a fan of these comics that he has started to forget too much about his REAL life and is spending his hard earned money and time on comics and the things he likes rather then his friends and family.

Through the course of the run of the sitcom the main character has to figure out where his responsibilities lie and get to grips with life. Whilst over coming realistic and unrealistic problems the main character has to make a choice. He either gets to grips with his life or he throws it all away..

That is the MAIN synopsis of my sitcom. It is a first idea but I like it. I will expand on this idea and I have a few scenes in mind. Using my knowledge on famous films and comic references I'm going to make sure that I include the use of these scenes. But even though I will focus on comedy I'll try and make a balance between comedy and the real issues that we are dealing with as well.

So, what do you guys think for a first timer?
 
Yea... spaced... and shaun of the dead - Which was a terrible film. You can't get a friggin TV style on film! Anyway...

Sounds like you're on the right rails...

For a first timer I'd say - get it written, not right.

As in... just bash it all out into a first draft, don't worry about specifics, just keep writing and then go back to it. Drafting is the best way!
 
Shot Renegade said:
Yea... spaced... and shaun of the dead - Which was a terrible film. You can't get a friggin TV style on film! Anyway...

Sounds like you're on the right rails...

For a first timer I'd say - get it written, not right.

As in... just bash it all out into a first draft, don't worry about specifics, just keep writing and then go back to it. Drafting is the best way!

I liked Shaun of the dead. Not as great as Spaced, but i guess everyone in entitled to their own opinions :D

Yeah I plan to start writing soon.

I have a Spider-man dream sequence, a Taxi Driver homage dream sequence and an Evil Dead homage in mind as well :D
 
Copyright

Hi

Good luck with the sitcom. It's one of the hardest areas to break into. Having had two very, very close attempts in the UK, can I pass on a couple of suggestions.

You can't copyright an idea, so by posting your idea in public you've just given the whole thing away. Anyone or any company can now take your idea and write it themselves and there would be nothing you could do about it. So, in future have more confidence in your ideas and keep them to yourself.

The second suggestion is one I picked up when talking to Richard Curtis a few years back. When he first wrote Blackadder with Ben Elton it was rejected 26 times by the BBC before being commissioned, each time it came back with notes and they rewrote it.
Richard told me that he always writes all six episodes of a new sitcom, not just the first episode and then submits the funniest. In his opinion most first episodes aren't that funny, because they have to establish the characters and the situation.
(Oh, I don't always hang around with the rich and famous, I was at the Edinburgh Film Festival and he was standing by himself at the bar. it's amazing what you can learn for the price of a pint!)

Another thing that might help you is a book called the Comic Toolbox by John Vorhaus isbn 1-879505215

Just one more thing, if you speak to any commisioning editor they will tell you that after a sucessful sitcom they get flooded with sitcoms written in the same style. 95% of what comes through the door will be yet another "Spaced/Dwarf/Royle Family" clone. However, most commissioning editors are looking for a sucessful vehicle for a "name" that they want to work with and your chances of sitcom sucess are higher if you can work out who that "name" is and write a vehicle for them.

Finally, if you are serious about selling this, then you are stand almost no chance unless you get an agent. Most unsolicted scripts for sitcoms are returned "unread."
 
I mean that just my basic idea it may change :)

I thought you could copy-right something by sendting it to yourself in the post?

I know it is going to hard but I'm only 16 years old so I've gotta alot of time to get prepared and get experience :)
 
spiderfan_4eva said:
I thought you could copy-right something by sendting it to yourself in the post?

A postmark would never hold up in court. You could easily change the contents at any time by mailing yourself an unsealed envelope.
 
Thanks for the help guys :D

I mean I'm only 16 years old and I'm sure all you guys are probably alot older then me and have alot of experience.

Do you know the best type of experience I could endure. I mean at the moment I do not own any equipment due to lack of money but is there any experience I could do to become better.

Watching films?

certain books to read?

etc.
 
I recently bought a book "Digital Movie Making " second Edition by Scott Billups. It has taught me a LOT of things to do and not to do, that i would've simply overlooked had i not read it. I'd recommend it...
 
Clive met Richard Curtis?! :shock:

I've been a big fan of his ever since "The Young Ones" came out... that and "Comic Strip presents..." (Five Go Mad in Dorset \:D/ )

The Brits have the best comedy shows, hands-down. My latest fav is "The Fast Show". Kills me every time I see it.
 
Yea the fast show really is rather funny.
Though I love those sort of mockumentary fly-on-the-wall spoofs like The Office, Im Alan Partridge (actually, anything Steve Coogan takes part in).
Im also into Peter Kays Phoenix Nights, thats great.
 
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