Bad news - looks like my entry for the BBC's Sharps initiative didn't make it to the final 25. The chosen few have been invited to a one-day workshop, while the other 575 await their 'thanks but no thanks' email. We can expect comments about the high standard of scripts, impossible choices, etc. All most people want now is an indication whether they made it to a second read. If you don't make the cut, platitudes are like squeezing lemon juice on a wound.
Good news - I have a script I'm really proud of. It's not without flaws [not convincing by Sophie's dialogue, some of the action text is still too herky-jerky for my liking], but I reckon The Woman Who Screamed Butterflies has got potential. Never get made of course, but with some polishing it'll make a grand addition to my portfolio of original material. I might even enter it in a competition or two over the next twelve months, cash permitting. Let it be seen.
Bad news - Wimbledon's started, an unhelpful distraction for a sports lover like me. there being no Kiwi players in the drawer [at least, none that I'm aware of], I'll be supporting all the Brits instead. That means I could be distracted until Thursday or even Friday, given the Plucky Brit Loser[©] tradition at Wimbledon. Far better for me if all sports events took place outside business hours, I'd get more work done. Discipline, that's what I need.
Good news - had a lovely weekend visiting nieces and nephews. Even caught the sun a bit yesterday, so I've migrated from blue to pasty white on the forehead. My current crop of Comedy Facial Hair proved a hit with the youngest in-law. Even survived another trip through Terminal 5 at Heathrow, although the plane did sit round for an hour once it was loaded due to high winds somewhere. Wales, perhaps. Still, home before midnight. Bonus.
And finally - congratulations to all those whose Sharps scripts got them an invite to London for next Monday. And for the vast majority of entrants who didn't, time to move on. You should already have started work on your next script. Stick your Sharps entry in the drawer for a month or two, forget about it for a while. Come back to it in September when the passage of time has endowed you with some objectivity. You'll be amazed. For now, onwards!
5 comments:
Why do you reckon your Sharps entry won't get made?
There's no market for 30-minute films or one-off TV dramas of that length - but stretching the story to 60 or 90 minutes would be ruinous. Plus the script requires CGI or animated elements, neither of which are cheap in the 30-minute context. I believe it's a good portfolio piece, but has little chance for development beyond that - IMHO.
Of course - I forgot that Sharps was looking for entries of that length as I didn't even think of entering and I always tend to think of shorts as being about 10 minutes long or less.
Ah well.
Commiserations. I didn't get the magic email either but am happy that I've added a good piece to my portfolio. Already started on the next one.
Same here. I felt my script had a fighting chance of getting through. Now it didn't, it's one for the portfolio. Maybe give it a couple more passes.
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