We go on roughly a page a minute but you want the script a little longer so there’s room to chuck out things for pace and quality in the edit.”Ī Channel 4 “half-hour” is slightly shorter – generally, it needs to be a 30-page script. Shane Allen, Controller at BBC Comedy Commissioning, advises: “For a BBC half-hour – around 36 pages. For example, if you loved BBC’s hilarious awkward mockumentary People Just Do Nothing, you can listen and learn from the show’s creator/performers here. Reading scripts, particularly in the genre you’re planning to write in, will help you get to grips with the different formal elements – scene headings, transitions, stage direction etc.”Īnother bountiful free resource is BAFTA’s Soundcloud where you can hear interviews with award-winning writer/performers, or you can find video masterclasses under the Guru tab on the website. Gregor Sharp, BBC commissioning editor and writer on multiple comedy series including Two Doors Down, recommends: “There are a few simple things that are really worth doing and cost nothing. There’s a myriad of resources, so tool up and learn how to do this.” One great guide is Save the Cat!: The Only Book on Screenwriting You’ll Ever Need by Blake Sydner. McDermott says: “If you don’t know how to structure scripts, you can find that out in five minutes. How Can I Make it as an Actor in the UK? Where can I do my research? And Michaela Coel was inspired by her own experiences to create the sidesplittingly funny Chewing Gum, or the phenomenal drama I May Destroy You. For example, Jamie Demetriou with Stath Lets Flats wrote about an eccentric Greek Cypriot family perhaps not entirely dissimilar to his own and Samson Kayo with Sliced scribbled down his bizarre personal anecdotes working for a London pizza delivery company. Time and time again we hear: “Write what you know.” If we look at many acclaimed writer/performers, their work is testimony to this rule being the case. Then, what makes a show unique is the characters.” It really is just people doing what I’m doing – parenting, work, family, daily obstacles. What should I write about?įiona McDermott, former head of Channel 4 Comedy, explains: “In comedy, we’re not changing the world. Phoebe Waller-Bridge had been jotting down ideas and anecdotes for years before she started properly penning Fleabag. Maybe that strange comment you heard in the queue might be uttered by one of your characters later. Then carry a journal or keep a note on your phone so you’re ready to save any useful thoughts or observations as they occur. If you don’t feel inspired, just go for 15 minutes – you’d be surprised what can come out of it. You can start by getting into a practice known as “morning pages.” Build up your discipline and get into a routine of logging something down every day. Pictured – Michaela Coel in I May Destroy YouĪs an actor, it feels like you are always being told by friends, casting directors, and career advisors alike, that “you need to start making your own content,” or to “write your own story.” But where on earth do you start? We spoke with the BBC and Channel 4 for their top tips and resources to help launch your writing adventure.
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