Trials votes half counted

I love adding up the votes for the Sitcom Trials script selection. I've added up all the votes cast so far and, in all honesty, it's all to play for.



Having totted up the votes from GarryJLee, JohnHolt, SteveTracey, Simon Brandon, Eoin Carney, Elliot Stewart, Eleanor Green, Jennie Stephenson, Dan Sweryt & Trinder we have three scripts in the lead with +10 points, and two at the bottom of the table with -7 points, but every vote makes a difference so keep them coming.

The votes are as varied as always, for example one script has an equal number of Maybes and Nos, so lingers mid-table on 0, as does another with a mix of Yesses, Maybes and Nos, all of which cancel each other out. So far. It would just take 5 Yes votes for any script in the table to rise to the top (okay, a couple of scripts would need 8 or 9 Yes votes from where they stand at the moment, but nothing's impossible).

I'm away at a gig tonight and I really don't want my votes to influence any of the others that still have to come in, so I'll be posting mine along with the final totals tomorrow morning. (And because I'll be driving home in the morning, it might be midday before you see them all. A hint there that, anyone who can't get all their votes in before the midnight deadline might have a couple more hours reading time to play with).

Thanks to everyone who's joined in with this process so far.

Kev F Sutherland
Creator & Producer
The Sitcom Trials

Read the scripts in the files, post votes on the forum.

Sitcom Mission wants scripts for scratch night

The Sitcom Mission is looking for scripts. Declan writes: (via BCG Forums


Righto, so we're at the Priory Arms in Stockwell on June 20th.

http://www.theprioryarms.co.uk/contact.php

We'll be combining the networking evening with a new scratch night. You're invited to send in a script - either new or a previous entry - and we'll pick three at random to perform that night by professional actors as a rehearsed reading (you won't know until the night which three we're performing).

Simon and I will then give some feedback, the actors will give feedback, and, if there's time, we'll open it out to the floor.

We'll start the night at 7pm for networking, at 7.45 we'll have the three script readings and then finish with some more chat and networking. We need to charge £1 entry in order to pay for the room.

Deadline for scripts is June 13. Email them to info@sitcommission.com with the subject matter June 20 Sub-Mission. 

NB: There is still time to vote in the Sitcom Trials script selection, you have until Sunday morning. Details

Sincerest form of flattery - Amazon do sitcoms

One of the parts of the Sitcom Trials process that I've long enjoyed is our online peer-review method of selecting scripts. It's happening right now to select scripts for the forthcoming Eurovision Sitcom Contest, you are invited to vote.

So imagine my surprise when I read that "writers also have the option to submit scripts for public review, so other website users can made comments and revisions to make the sitcom a more collaborative project". Was this an article referring to us? I fear not. It was this, from Chortle:

Amazon to start making sitcoms

...and it's on the lookout for ideas

An unexpected new player has entered the sitcom business – internet retailer Amazon.

The company has invited writers to submit ideas and sample scripts for shows that could go into production for its on-demand video service Instant Play.

Amazon Studios is planning to option one idea per month to place on to its production slate, for which they will pay $10,000. If the show makes it to distribution, the creator is paid $55,000 plus five per cent royalties on any merchandising sales.

The company says: ‘We are looking for 22-minute narrative live action or animated primetime series you can't find anywhere else. ‘Generally speaking, we like character-driven ideas in well-defined worlds. We want shows that are smart, original, loud in concept and most of all, funny; think Archer or Curb Your Enthusiasm.

‘For live-action, we prefer shows with some level of serialisation. We are not looking for sketch, reality or talk shows. All scripts should be within the normal television standards for content and language.’

The quest for new sitcoms follows the success of a similar project for films, launched in 2010, which has led to 15 potential movies in development.

Entrants for the sitcom project must submit a pilot script and a brief document explaining the main characters, five or six episode ideas, and the storyline for the entire series. Click here for more information.

Writers also have the option to submit scripts for public review, so other website users can made comments and revisions to make the sitcom a more collaborative project.

It is, I guess, the sincerest form of flattery.

The Sitcom Trials present: THE EUROVISION SITCOM CONTEST

Thu May 24
The Camden Head
100 Camden High Street London NW1 0LU
8pm - 10pm £3

The Sitcom Mission's grand final 2012 - result

Sitcom Mission 2012 winner announced

Saturday 5th May 2012 @ 1:45pm

Former stand-up comedian Snez Naik has won The Sitcom Mission 2012, the international UK-based writing competition sponsored by Hat Trick Productions.

His sitcom, Yo Valet, beat over 400 other entries to claim the £5000 prize. The comedy centres on two put-upon valet parking attendants, Steve and Don, who work at a five star London hotel owned by a wealthy young Prince (pictured).

Naik says: "The idea for Yo Valet came to me during a toilet break at a Sitcom Mission writing workshop. Now it has won, my mind is blown. I want to thank my bladder for being so weak and Declan and Simon for the workshop. Without all three this would never have happened. I want to thank the cast; they were brilliant. Finally, I would like to dedicate the award to every single person who entered The Sitcom Mission this year. To any of you that have ever doubted your ability, three words. Don't give up."

Yo Valet was one of 16 entries showcased live this year, with the finals taking place over the previous week at The New Diorama Theatre in London. The other entries to make it through to the grand final were Medicine to Follow, written by seasoned TV and radio writers Steve Keyworth and Mark Clompus, The Staff by former Empire editor Emma Cochrane, and Keep Off The Grass by newcomer Sarah Christou.

The Grand Final was judged by some of Britain's leading comedy commissioners. The panel (pictured) featured Sky's Lucy Lumsden, the BBC's Gregor Sharp, ITV's Myfanwy Moore, Comedy Central's Sarah Farrell and Hat Trick Productions' Paul Schlesinger.

The Best Actor award went to Hemi Yeroham for his portrayal of Prince Khalifa, the hotel owner in Yo Valet, whilst Elicia Daly was named Best Actress for her portrayal as the slightly unhinged Nurse Florence in Medicine to Follow.

Simon Wright and Declan Hill, the producers of the competition, comment: "We're absolutely delighted for Snez and his wonderfully funny script. You have to be brave to write a sitcom about a hen-pecked hotel owner and his put-upon staff, but his characters are original, fun, witty and warm. It was a strong year, and we'd like to congratulate all of the Grand Finalists for setting the bar high. We'd also like to thank the other 400 writers who entered, all of the actors who brought the characters to life, the judges for their time and support, and especially Jimmy Mulville and his brilliant team of Anna Silver, Sarah Cartwright and Paul Cohen at Hat Trick Productions for backing us once more."

The Sitcom Mission competition will run again in 2013, with registration open later this year. For more information on The Sitcom Mission and the finalists visit The Sitcom Mission website

The Sitcom Trials (the show from which The Sitcom Mission sprang in 2009) continues with shows in London on May 24, Bristol June 29th and Manchester July 20th. Details at sitcomtrials.co.uk

Eurovision Sitcom Contest - time to vote

The scripts have been entered in the Eurovision Sitcom Contest, the deadline for entries has passed, and now it is time for you to vote. Yes you. If you're reading this, then we want to have your input in choosing which of these scripts should be performed at the show in London on May 24th 2012.



The Eurovision Song Contest is a special edition of The Sitcom Trials which, if you're unfamiliar with it, is the long-running stage and TV show in which we present brand new situation comedies and the audience vote for their favourite and only see the ending of the winner. Past partcipants in the Sitcom Trials include Miranda Hart, Land Girls writer Roland Moore, Neil Mullarkey & the Comedy Store Players, Perrier Winner Laura Solon and many more. Now we have to select the scripts that will be tested on stage next*

Have we found the new Episodes? The new Extras? The new Ever Decreasing Circles? You decide.

This is how it works. You, dear reader, are invited to go to the Eurovision folder in the Sits Vac files where you will find 18 scripts (it will be necessary to join the SitsVac egroup in order to access the files, this is free and all entrants past and present have already done so). We would like you to read as many of these scripts as you can (you don't need to read all of them) then review (in a Twitter-length review) and vote on whether they should be included in the live show. Vote YES, MAYBE or NO.

Please post these reviews and votes to either of these places:
The Sits Vac Message Board
or The British Comedy Guide Forum (Sitcom Trials thread)

They will then be totted up like so:
A YES is worth 2 points,
a MAYBE is worth 1 points,
and a NO is worth minus 1 point.
So it doesn't matter if you don't manage to read every script, your votes will affect the scripts you have read, and will leave unmarked those that you can't open or can't get round to.

Please, if possible, upload your votes and reviews in one go, rather than posting them script-by-script, and do not just give a list of votes without reviews. We need to see your reviews to a) help the writer benefit from this process and b) prove you actually read the scripts. If you have any questions about the Eurovision Sitcom Contest or The Sitcom Trials you can ask at The Sits Vac Forum, The British Comedy Guide Forum, or Facebook

Deadline for your reviews and votes is Saturday May 12th, after which they will be totalled up and the line-up for the show decided. You can see examples of previous voting (and the discussion that follows) here and here. Happy voting. The scripts in contention are:

A Long Way To AzerBaijan
A Thong For Europe
A Weekend With Wogan
All The Fun Of The Fair
Art For Arts Sake
Audition
Band On The Run
Checking Out
Cooper Introduction
Doodlebugs
Euromurder
Labasci Washington
Linda
Make Up Dave
Meat
Moonstricken
Outgoings
Rogue State
Sing Your Life
The Eurovision Boycott
The Peoples Flag
Think Tank

*NB We are selecting three of the sitcoms that will be performed on the night. Two of the international entries are being written and produced independently of this process, by teams representing European countries. These will be revealed on the night.

PS: The theme of this show is Eurovision so, when making the final selection, I will be paying particular attention to which scripts have addressed the theme. If there is any final adjudication in the case of close voting, that will be up to me, and the theme will be taken into consideration.

Kev F Sutherland
Creator & producer, The Sitcom Trials

The Sitcom Trials present: THE EUROVISION SITCOM CONTEST

Thu May 24 2012
The Camden Head
100 Camden High Street London NW1 0LU
8pm - 10pm £3

Announcing The Eurovision Sitcom Contest May 24th

Calling all comedy writers, actors and comedians - May 24th in London sees the first ever Eurovision Sitcom Contest and you are invited to enter.


The High Life's Eurovision episode. Just be funnier than this and you're onto a winner

As with our regular show The Sitcom Trials, we will be showcasing five mini sitcoms (live on stage at The Camden Head in London) and letting the audience vote for which one they like best. And for this show the added twist is we want sitcoms with a European or Eurovision theme.

A couple of the scripts will be performed by writer-performer teams who are working on their work independently, and in the spirit of the Sitcom Trials' mission to showcase new writing talent, we are now putting out the call for fresh sitcom scripts. From you.

If you want the chance of having your sitcom showcased in the Eurovision Sitcom Contest, all you need to do is write 10 minutes of situation comedy, with a Eurovision theme. There's a Sitcom Trials format to write to (see below) but most importantly we want it funny and we'll try and do it justice.

Deadline for script entries is Sat 5 May. Then the deadline for voting (where readers and writers get to help choose the scripts) is Sun 13 May. You upload your scripts to the SitsVac files. First read The Brief below for guidelines.

If you have any questions about the Eurovision Sitcom Contest or The Sitcom Trials you can ask at
The Sits Vac Forum
The British Comedy Guide Forum
or Facebook

The Sitcom Trials present: THE EUROVISION SITCOM CONTEST

Thu May 24
The Camden Head
100 Camden High Street London NW1 0LU
8pm - 10pm £3

THE BRIEF for submission to The Sitcom Trials


The Sitcom Trials wants situation comedy scripts that a small group of actors can perform in a live environment with minimal stage in front of an audience, who will hopefully laugh. Ideally these sitcoms will be so marvellous that the TV & radio industry representatives in the audience will snap them up immediately.

THE FORMAT:

Your script must have a first 'half' of no more than 8 minutes This first half should end in a cliffhanger, or something that leaves the audience wanting more.

It must then have a final scene of 2 or 3 minutes long. This will be performed only if your sitcom is the winner on the night

Your script must have NO MORE THAN 4 CHARACTERS. Ideally 2 boys 2 girls. If you can write a script with just 2 or 3 characters, all the better.

The sitcoms we are to test out in our regular pub theatre shows with an eye to them being developed for TV must be
PERFORMABLE LIVE (ie no filmed or location inserts)
ON ONE MINIMAL SET.

Think in terms of a radio script.

WRITER-PERFORMERS - INCLUDE YOUTUBE DEMO

We are particularly interested to hear from writer-performers, especially those with an on-stage track record (eg Edinburgh) who would present their own sitcom as a self contained package. To demonstrate your live potential we would need to see a video, ideally a link to a YouTube video, which we can judge alongside the script. Please include the video link as part of the script.

UPLOAD SCRIPTS TO THE FILES:

Upload your entries to the appropriate folder in the files section of the egroup: http://tv.groups.yahoo.com/group/SitsVac/files/

Deadline for script entries - see latest SitsVac egroup notice or sitcomtrials.co.uk.
Deadline for reviewing and voting for scripts - see as above.

VOTING

All members of the SitsVac egroup, you included, will be invited to read, review, and vote on all scripts in contention. Vote YES, MAYBE or NO as to each one's potential and add a short one paragraph review. Send reviews including Yes/Maybe/No votes either to the Sits Vac message board. or to the British Comedy Guide Forum.

Writers are welcome to vote on their own scripts.

Votes are then totalled thus; Yes = 2 points, Maybe = 1 point, No = minus -1 point. This way we draw up a shortlist for a script reading, from which we select the items to go into the stage show.

Any questions, ask the egroup so we can all benefit from the answers.

Happy scribbling

Kev F Sutherland
Producer and Presenter
THE SITCOM TRIALS
http://sitcomtrials.co.uk

Sitcom Trials review by Martin Lejeune

Here's a nice find, a review of Friday's Bristol Sitcom Trials by film maker Martin Lejeune:

Last night I had the pleasure of being in the audience of the Bristol Sitcom Trials. A project that takes script submissions and whittles down the five best to be performed live on stage. The scripts had to be 10 minutes long with a cliff hanger and a five minute resolution. We saw the ten minute scenes and then voted on which sitcom got to show its final scene.

It was a really fun evening and not just a great opportunity for people to amuse me but for writers to get peer feedback on their work. There are so many writing competitions out there offering fantastic development deals or fabulous cash prizes but very rarely do they bother to give feedback on why your script didn’t make it. Unfortunately I only found out about the competition the day before it closed when I was two thirds of the way into writing my pilot script.

So the five sitcoms -

“Shock Treatment” by Richard Dowling
Dr S. Lime is a Bond quoting therapist who takes on an apprentice who questions his working practices. It’s always hard to be the first out the gate and the cast did a good job some great moments like the doctor flicking fag ash on a patient wanting to give up smoking.

“The Tragic Life of Roger Bulwark” by Luke Cedar
This started out terribly clichéd with the titular Roger wanting to ask a girl out but manage to rise above it when he suspects the girl may be behind a robbery being investigated. Oh and he has an imaginary friend.

“Whitecoats” by Katie Boyles

Two pharmacy workers bicker about how much pride to take in their work. Probably the most ‘SitCom’ of the lot with it being very character and dialogue focused.

“Games Night” by Ed Campbell
A women gets very competitive when her brother comes over to play monopoly and her husband realises he knows the brothers date. I couldn’t help feeling it was a set up I’d seen before with competitive siblings and would have liked to have seen more time given to the secondary characters.

“Making Heavy Weather” by Eddie Robson & Julie Bower

A scientist and a repair woman are assigned to a space station that controls earths weather have to deal with a religious fanatic who thinks it should be left to god alone. I have to say this was my personal favourite by a country mile. The two women in the leads had instantly defined characters the snooty scientist with delusions of grandeur and  the IT girl who has to put up with her constant bitching. The grounded characters allowed the over the top story and setting to really work. 

Here is a compilation of the entries and the winner in video form:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSKXQ632i1o