*Clicks send and breathes out *
It's been a while since I blogged. That's because I've been buuuuuusy - juggling writing duties with working a desk job as usual. So... what's been up? Well, the outline for my M.I. High episode was well received by the executive at the production company but required a couple of more drafts to iron out a few kinks and get my ideas to fit within the format of the show.
After that, I had a period of waiting while it was sent off to the BBC for their notes - during which I took my first proper week of holiday in over a year and the first break since finishing my MA. Needless to say I got ill. It always happens - I have a high exhaustion threshold but when I slow down all my deferred sicknesses hit at once. I'll spare you the details but it was grim - my poor wife had to listen to me hallucinate for two days, and two months on I'm only just getting back to strength. There's a lesson there about sustainable lifestyles and one I'd really like to put into practice but sadly can't see happening for a while...
Between drafts on the outline, my agent set me up some meetings with the development heads of some London TV companies. A big part of being a TV writer is meeting up with such folks - in the hope they will want to buy one of your ideas or offer you a slot on one of the shows they are currently making. I really enjoyed scooting about the city - adapting different ideas depending on the tastes of those I talked with. A couple of people wanted me to write up some pitches for them which is a good sign so I've been crafting those between M.I. High work - which has been great and hopefully might lead to some offers of work in the new year. I have another few days of meetings planned for early 2012 as well so it'll be all go on that front.
Anyway, once the BBC got back to me I was given the OK to move onto my Scene by Scene - a breakdown of my story that this is like a blue print for the script - laying out the content of the scenes you want to include and a brief description of what would happen in each. I'd never been asked to write one before and my brain kept wanting to rush ahead and write loads of dialogue and action but that's not the purpose of the exercise; a SxS is to show that you can bring the story in to time/budget and alert the producers to any of your ideas that are unpractical or too expensive - as well as any story problems that got missed at the outlining stage. I've just completed my scene by scene which will be sent on to the execs at Kudos and CBBC in early Jan when they are back in the office and, hopefully, I'll be able to begin the script later in the month.
So... having hit that milestone on the second last day of the year, tonight seemed like a good time to take stock of 2011. It's been a crazy year - tough but better than I could have hoped. This time last year I was still doing my screenwriting MA - dreaming of finishing well and preparing myself to make the most of being a finalist in the Red Planet Prize. I was ready to spend a couple of years trying to secure an agent and get my first script commissioned so to be where I am just now is hard to get my head around. I have a long way to go until I have anything like a "career" as a writer but am in a better place than I could have imagined twelve months ago
I want to be honest with you about how hard life has been living on next to no money doing and 60 hour weeks for the past four years in order to get here, but not for a second do I want to complain. Yes, my successes this year have been down to hard work and taking opportunities but also down to good people having invested in me and being willing to take a risk on a new guy and I'm very grateful to the staff at Screen Academy Scotland and Kudos/Red Planet for giving me such a great start in things. 2012 will be about completing my M.I. High script and trying to secure more commissions so I can begin to build a future out of this.
Some highlights of 2011...
* Red Planet mentoring sessions. Attending workshops with Tony Jordan and development meetings with the execs of both companies - nerve wracking but amazing.
* Writing two scripts I'm really proud of, The Bright Lights and The Youth Movement, on my MA which have opened some great doors for me.
* Meeting and signing with my brilliant agent - I feel very looked after.
* Being offered my first TV writing credit for M.I. High - a dream come true. Storylining the series with the writing team and working with a really supportive producer and script editor have exceeded my expectations . Best job ever.
* Developing my short Fairground with a great director and producer.
* Being asked to write a trial script for River City - sadly the dates didn't work out but I've been asked to approach them when I'm freer so am looking forward to that.
* Graduating from my screenwriting MA with distinction.
* Writing and producing a (very) short film that I might just have some news about in the new year.
* Great times with mentors, family, friends and work pals. Realising more and more what really matters in life is time with people you love.
Somethings that have been tough in 2011 / could go better in 2012
* Not seeing enough of family and friends.
* Unemployment in my family - things have been quite tough for us.
* Illness and exhaustion - a big hope for 2012 is being able to live at a better pace.
* Not spending enough time on other creative pursuits - need to write more songs and rock out with muso friends more!
Anyway - I should get off home. Have a wonderful New Year celebration and a great 2012!
Chris
Friday, 30 December 2011
Saturday, 8 October 2011
Begin the Begin
Yo.
It's been over a month since I last blogged and I've been on a big old learning curve working on my first TV commission. As the show won't be filmed, let alone screened, for a long time I can't give details about my episode but wanted to share some of the processes I'm going through and what I'm learning.
Work started last month when the production company got the team of writers down to London for a two day conference to work through the "big picture" for the new series. The programme has been on air for a while now but this year will see a load of new characters arriving and new stories kicking off. While a few tentative plans had already been made, a lot of information needed to be sorted out. Gathered were the writers, the producer, the script editor and the executives and together we worked out a lot of the over-arching details. It was great environment - everyone chipping in on where the show might go. While some didn't fly, it was encouraging to see a lot of my ideas taken into the mix and become part of the programme's DNA. At the end of our time we had a good sense of the way the show is going this year.
After the conference, we headed home to work on pitches for our individual episodes. We had a week to submit at least three 'story-of-the-week' ideas; single page rough outlines of adventures for our characters to face. I submitted seven (!) then met with the producer and script editor to discuss which one they wanted me to develop and was set to work turning that in to a full outline - of which I've now done five drafts in the last two weeks.
Writing the outline has been a good experience. I was encouraged in initial drafts to just explore the premise without worrying about practicalities of cast or budget. According to the producer my first version was "like a feature film" in scope (which is a note I seem to get a lot!) so I then focused on simplifying it and bringing it in to length. The next few versions were about me fitting the idea around the format of the show and the reality of the funds available - which I found challenging but totally worthwhile. Making so many changes in such a small space of time was pretty exhausting but also exhilarating; having to create and scrap and recreate large portions of the story every two days was a reminder of how creativity can work under pressure and how to be flexible with an idea while still retaining its essence.
My outline is now being sent to the executive producer at the production company for her notes. I'll then have a few days to make changes before it goes to the executive at the broadcaster. After that I'll hopefully start writing a scene by scene breakdown before moving on to scripting. There will be a few versions of this before my final draft which is due early next year.
Before all that starts though, I will be spending much of the next month writing a trail script for a soap opera which will be another big educational leap - getting my head out of kids TV land and into gritty inner city mode! Gonna be fun.
It's been over a month since I last blogged and I've been on a big old learning curve working on my first TV commission. As the show won't be filmed, let alone screened, for a long time I can't give details about my episode but wanted to share some of the processes I'm going through and what I'm learning.
Work started last month when the production company got the team of writers down to London for a two day conference to work through the "big picture" for the new series. The programme has been on air for a while now but this year will see a load of new characters arriving and new stories kicking off. While a few tentative plans had already been made, a lot of information needed to be sorted out. Gathered were the writers, the producer, the script editor and the executives and together we worked out a lot of the over-arching details. It was great environment - everyone chipping in on where the show might go. While some didn't fly, it was encouraging to see a lot of my ideas taken into the mix and become part of the programme's DNA. At the end of our time we had a good sense of the way the show is going this year.
After the conference, we headed home to work on pitches for our individual episodes. We had a week to submit at least three 'story-of-the-week' ideas; single page rough outlines of adventures for our characters to face. I submitted seven (!) then met with the producer and script editor to discuss which one they wanted me to develop and was set to work turning that in to a full outline - of which I've now done five drafts in the last two weeks.
Writing the outline has been a good experience. I was encouraged in initial drafts to just explore the premise without worrying about practicalities of cast or budget. According to the producer my first version was "like a feature film" in scope (which is a note I seem to get a lot!) so I then focused on simplifying it and bringing it in to length. The next few versions were about me fitting the idea around the format of the show and the reality of the funds available - which I found challenging but totally worthwhile. Making so many changes in such a small space of time was pretty exhausting but also exhilarating; having to create and scrap and recreate large portions of the story every two days was a reminder of how creativity can work under pressure and how to be flexible with an idea while still retaining its essence.
My outline is now being sent to the executive producer at the production company for her notes. I'll then have a few days to make changes before it goes to the executive at the broadcaster. After that I'll hopefully start writing a scene by scene breakdown before moving on to scripting. There will be a few versions of this before my final draft which is due early next year.
Before all that starts though, I will be spending much of the next month writing a trail script for a soap opera which will be another big educational leap - getting my head out of kids TV land and into gritty inner city mode! Gonna be fun.
Friday, 2 September 2011
First Gig
The last few weeks have been a bit of a whirlwind - as if finishing my MA and working in Edinburgh's mental festival season wasn't enough, two other big things have happened. On August 16th I secured both an agent and my first TV script commission! I kept both things quiet for a bit as documents etc. needed signed but I also needed time to get my head around what had happened. They've (just about) sunk in now...
I've been asked to write an episode of the brilliant CBBC spy drama M.I. High! I was a fan of the show already so am delighted. I'm being represented by Lucy Fawcett at Sheil Land Associates. If you want to offer me a job she's your port of call ;)
Both occurrences are huge milestones for me on the road to making a living out of writing for TV - and things I've long dreamt of. I've always known I could write but to have someone employ me and someone working to secure me further gigs is a big boost. It's now up to me to put in the effort and make the most of these opportunities. I've in no way 'made it' - this is the start of a steep learning curve and a lot of hard (but fun!) grafting. A big thanks to everyone who's helped me get this far and wished me well.
A few folks have asked me how it all came about:
I got a call out of the blue. Unknown to me, my spec Starfall had been passed to M.I. High's producer. That script was a finalist in the 2010 Red Planet Prize which was co-run by Kudos (the indie who make M.I. High) and they were looking for new writers to join their team. While Starfall was aimed at older teens, the producer and script editor felt my style fitted with their plans. I had to send them two other examples of my work and then pop down to London for a chat before being offered the job. As a new writer without any broadcast credits I then had to have my appointment approved by the execs at Kudos and CBBC, so I had a tense few weeks waiting until it was all agreed on the 16th (which is my God-Daughter's birthday so the day was filled with much cuteness as well as excitement).
My agent came about through an introduction from a screenwriter friend. We emailed for a few months and got on well. She really enjoyed a number of scripts I'd sent her and we had a face to face meeting in June. As I was still undertaking my MA, she suggested waiting until I had completed my studies before she took me on as a client but offered to represent me straight away if any jobs opened up before then - which is what happened. Having got the news of M.I. High I got in touch and we firmed up our arrangement.
So here I am. I've had the first few meetings for M.I. High and begun work on that. I'll still have to juggle my writing with my day-job but I'm used to doing that so there shouldn't be a problem. It's easy to work long hours if you're enjoying yourself - which I absolutely am!
I've been asked to write an episode of the brilliant CBBC spy drama M.I. High! I was a fan of the show already so am delighted. I'm being represented by Lucy Fawcett at Sheil Land Associates. If you want to offer me a job she's your port of call ;)
Both occurrences are huge milestones for me on the road to making a living out of writing for TV - and things I've long dreamt of. I've always known I could write but to have someone employ me and someone working to secure me further gigs is a big boost. It's now up to me to put in the effort and make the most of these opportunities. I've in no way 'made it' - this is the start of a steep learning curve and a lot of hard (but fun!) grafting. A big thanks to everyone who's helped me get this far and wished me well.
A few folks have asked me how it all came about:
I got a call out of the blue. Unknown to me, my spec Starfall had been passed to M.I. High's producer. That script was a finalist in the 2010 Red Planet Prize which was co-run by Kudos (the indie who make M.I. High) and they were looking for new writers to join their team. While Starfall was aimed at older teens, the producer and script editor felt my style fitted with their plans. I had to send them two other examples of my work and then pop down to London for a chat before being offered the job. As a new writer without any broadcast credits I then had to have my appointment approved by the execs at Kudos and CBBC, so I had a tense few weeks waiting until it was all agreed on the 16th (which is my God-Daughter's birthday so the day was filled with much cuteness as well as excitement).
My agent came about through an introduction from a screenwriter friend. We emailed for a few months and got on well. She really enjoyed a number of scripts I'd sent her and we had a face to face meeting in June. As I was still undertaking my MA, she suggested waiting until I had completed my studies before she took me on as a client but offered to represent me straight away if any jobs opened up before then - which is what happened. Having got the news of M.I. High I got in touch and we firmed up our arrangement.
So here I am. I've had the first few meetings for M.I. High and begun work on that. I'll still have to juggle my writing with my day-job but I'm used to doing that so there shouldn't be a problem. It's easy to work long hours if you're enjoying yourself - which I absolutely am!
Saturday, 20 August 2011
After the End
... and breathe!
Yesterday saw me hand in my final assignment for my screenwriting MA. Two years of juggling study with a full time job are over - I'm pretty exhausted. I expected yesterday to come with a wave of elation but it didn't really hit home until about midnight - I made it! If I never write another essay in my life I'll shed no tears!
Tomorrow work starts on my next project but today is a day for taking stock. Sleep deprivation aside, the MA was a fantastic experience - a good mix of script writing assignments, academic theory and industry workshops. My writing has improved from doing the course but so has my stamina and ability to deliver multiple projects on time - which are vital skills for anyone wanting to be a screenwriter. My understanding of the film and TV industry has come on leaps and bounds and the course has given me the confidence to get myself out into the world and start trying to find work (there have been a few developments in this area but more about them in a future blog).
I've added my major project - which is the most significant component of the MA - to my CV page. It's called The Youth Movement and it' s a 2x75 minute TV drama - of which I wrote part one and did a treatment for part two. It is a dystopian thriller set in a future UK devastated by global warming. It's the most ambitious piece I've written so far, in length but also in scale and theme. It's a project I want to continue to develop and refine once I get feedback from my tutors but I am pleased with how it currently stands. I gave it my all and I think that shows.
August 2011 seemed a very long way off back in September '09 when I started out on the course. I've grown a lot since then and want to keep that up - learning and getting better as I begin to work out in the real world. Here goes...
Yesterday saw me hand in my final assignment for my screenwriting MA. Two years of juggling study with a full time job are over - I'm pretty exhausted. I expected yesterday to come with a wave of elation but it didn't really hit home until about midnight - I made it! If I never write another essay in my life I'll shed no tears!
Tomorrow work starts on my next project but today is a day for taking stock. Sleep deprivation aside, the MA was a fantastic experience - a good mix of script writing assignments, academic theory and industry workshops. My writing has improved from doing the course but so has my stamina and ability to deliver multiple projects on time - which are vital skills for anyone wanting to be a screenwriter. My understanding of the film and TV industry has come on leaps and bounds and the course has given me the confidence to get myself out into the world and start trying to find work (there have been a few developments in this area but more about them in a future blog).
I've added my major project - which is the most significant component of the MA - to my CV page. It's called The Youth Movement and it' s a 2x75 minute TV drama - of which I wrote part one and did a treatment for part two. It is a dystopian thriller set in a future UK devastated by global warming. It's the most ambitious piece I've written so far, in length but also in scale and theme. It's a project I want to continue to develop and refine once I get feedback from my tutors but I am pleased with how it currently stands. I gave it my all and I think that shows.
August 2011 seemed a very long way off back in September '09 when I started out on the course. I've grown a lot since then and want to keep that up - learning and getting better as I begin to work out in the real world. Here goes...
Sunday, 31 July 2011
In Conversation
I've under two weeks until my final MA project is due. August 2011 seemed ridiculously far off when I started back in September 2009 but now its bearing down upon me. Time flies when you're having fun (and too busy to eat or sleep).
Work on it is going OK – I got my third draft done last week but still have to write up a treatment and do a polish on the script. It's been a tough old process and I don't think I could have worked any harder than I have – I've really given it my all. It's difficult when this close to something to be objective but I like it at least.
Something I've learnt from this process is the power of conversation in helping a writer work through their story. On this project I've really enjoyed chatting with friends and mentors about various drafts and working though their issues with the script. I've discovered I respond really well to conversations – that they instantly spark great solutions where I'd previously been stuck. Even in disagreeing with someones critique, new ideas seem to take shape easier for me than when I'm just sat at home on my own.
As part of these conversations I've been embracing the art of listening to suggestions. Good scripting is as much about editing and assembling ideas as it is about generating material. The funniest line in my new script was suggested by a friend. My ego doesn't like this fact but I'm OK with it – it was my choice to include it and the script is better as a result. Writing is about making creative choices and the more we have available to us the better.
Next week will see me have the final few conversations before my hand in – am looking forward to what ideas get thrown up which get this script to the stage when I can let it go (and get some rest!).
Thursday, 30 June 2011
The Calm Before the Storm
June has flown by - extra busyness at my day job and several script deadlines saw to that (also a very fun wedding and an AWESOME Bon Jovi gig - so it's not all been work!)
The first draft proper of my MA project was a few days slower in coming than I'd have liked - just the intricacies of writing a 2 part thriller tripping me up a bit. Still, it was good milestone to reach (when it came) and I now have a good basis to work from.
Since then I've been taking a slight pause - still working but at a slower pace; finishing a pitch for a new TV show (a real world pitch at that!) and working on a treatment for part #2 of my project - giving myself a pseudo-break to allow myself time to see this project with fresh eyes and gather feedback.
I have a couple of meetings this weekend where I'll get some reactions to draft one. From then on its a race to the finish line and my August 12th final hand in date. I'm back on schedule with the timeline I've set myself but these next six or so weeks will be hard - this project is more ambitious than anything I've attempted before; not just professionally but personally in terms of how much of myself I'm putting into the story. I'm proud not to have taken an easy option and chosen to do something that will push me but it means I'm going to be living this 24/7 for July and into August if I'm to get it done...
Which sounds bleak - but there is something massively cathartic about being so focused on getting an idea out of your head and into the world - especially an idea that is so close to your heart and which has been cooking inside you for 5 years. It might be a tough old slog but its joyous to be so close to finishing something you've lived with for so long.
Ask me if I still feel that way in a few weeks... *deep breath*... Here goes...
The first draft proper of my MA project was a few days slower in coming than I'd have liked - just the intricacies of writing a 2 part thriller tripping me up a bit. Still, it was good milestone to reach (when it came) and I now have a good basis to work from.
Since then I've been taking a slight pause - still working but at a slower pace; finishing a pitch for a new TV show (a real world pitch at that!) and working on a treatment for part #2 of my project - giving myself a pseudo-break to allow myself time to see this project with fresh eyes and gather feedback.
I have a couple of meetings this weekend where I'll get some reactions to draft one. From then on its a race to the finish line and my August 12th final hand in date. I'm back on schedule with the timeline I've set myself but these next six or so weeks will be hard - this project is more ambitious than anything I've attempted before; not just professionally but personally in terms of how much of myself I'm putting into the story. I'm proud not to have taken an easy option and chosen to do something that will push me but it means I'm going to be living this 24/7 for July and into August if I'm to get it done...
Which sounds bleak - but there is something massively cathartic about being so focused on getting an idea out of your head and into the world - especially an idea that is so close to your heart and which has been cooking inside you for 5 years. It might be a tough old slog but its joyous to be so close to finishing something you've lived with for so long.
Ask me if I still feel that way in a few weeks... *deep breath*... Here goes...
Monday, 30 May 2011
The Long and Winding Road...
Bup-pa-bup-pa-pa!
Feels like I'm on a bit of a marathon stretch right now - what with finishing The Bright Lights and going straight into my final MA project. Add to that rewriting my short Fairground plus working on a couple of pitches for some TV companies and the amount of work between now and August 12th when I hand in my 90 minute script (+ the treatment for the next episode) is looks pretty daunting - so it helps to break things up into smaller goals.
Today I completed my initial pass at the new script - I'm not even calling it a first draft yet, there are too many bits I know need fixed for me to call it that. However, I was determined to get to this stage by the end of May and I've made it - which feels good. I now have a week to polish it up to proper 1st draft standard as I've promised my tutor a copy of it within the first week of June.
The journey from treatment to nearly-first-draft has been really interesting. My treatment had been well received and I think it makes for an exciting read. However 2 x 90 minutes is not a length I've written to before - all my previous work has been an hour or under - and so transposing the treatment into a script threw up some interesting problems. What worked in prose was wrongly paced in the screenplay and overly expositional - with condensed bursts of action and then long sections where nothing happened bar info dumping. I could see these problems emerging as I wrote but - frustrating as they were - I made myself plow on to get the whole thing down on paper before I got into tinkering with the specifics.
Now I'm at that stage, I've had a chance to see the project as a whole and I think I can see a way ahead - to a first draft anyway. After that my plan is to take a few weeks off this script to allow time to get some feedback and perspective while giving some attention to the other projects jostling for attention:
Fairground now has a director - the very talented Eva Riely who I'm delighted to be working with. Eva is on the European Engage and DigiCult schemes so its safe to safe she is going places. The film is being produced by the wonderful Lynsey Stewart and is taking shape nicely as we work to hone the project towards its shoot. It's great to be working with such good people and I'm so looking forward to seeing the film become a reality.
Also - I am due to submit a proposal for a new TV show to a couple of Indies. I pitched them an idea last month and they are keen to know more so I have to put together a document which sells the idea and briefly details the characters and the style of the programme. I've done these sorts of pitches for my writing MA but this is my first crack in the real world - I'm nervous but thankfully the development execs at both companies are good people and want to work with me to nail the format.
And after that - back to the MA project..! OK - so my 'break' is quite a busman's holiday but a change is as good as a rest. I always knew trying to break into being a screenwriter would be hard work and taking on an MA while working a full time day job doubly so - so I can't complain. Just got to keep my head down, create more bite sized goals and manage my workload. I promise come the end of the MA to take a proper weeks holiday!
ps - check out the Q&A I did this month with Cameo Curio for their 'Month of Marks' event - a really inspiring collection of reflections on creativity from folks around Edinburgh.
Feels like I'm on a bit of a marathon stretch right now - what with finishing The Bright Lights and going straight into my final MA project. Add to that rewriting my short Fairground plus working on a couple of pitches for some TV companies and the amount of work between now and August 12th when I hand in my 90 minute script (+ the treatment for the next episode) is looks pretty daunting - so it helps to break things up into smaller goals.
Today I completed my initial pass at the new script - I'm not even calling it a first draft yet, there are too many bits I know need fixed for me to call it that. However, I was determined to get to this stage by the end of May and I've made it - which feels good. I now have a week to polish it up to proper 1st draft standard as I've promised my tutor a copy of it within the first week of June.
The journey from treatment to nearly-first-draft has been really interesting. My treatment had been well received and I think it makes for an exciting read. However 2 x 90 minutes is not a length I've written to before - all my previous work has been an hour or under - and so transposing the treatment into a script threw up some interesting problems. What worked in prose was wrongly paced in the screenplay and overly expositional - with condensed bursts of action and then long sections where nothing happened bar info dumping. I could see these problems emerging as I wrote but - frustrating as they were - I made myself plow on to get the whole thing down on paper before I got into tinkering with the specifics.
Now I'm at that stage, I've had a chance to see the project as a whole and I think I can see a way ahead - to a first draft anyway. After that my plan is to take a few weeks off this script to allow time to get some feedback and perspective while giving some attention to the other projects jostling for attention:
Fairground now has a director - the very talented Eva Riely who I'm delighted to be working with. Eva is on the European Engage and DigiCult schemes so its safe to safe she is going places. The film is being produced by the wonderful Lynsey Stewart and is taking shape nicely as we work to hone the project towards its shoot. It's great to be working with such good people and I'm so looking forward to seeing the film become a reality.
Also - I am due to submit a proposal for a new TV show to a couple of Indies. I pitched them an idea last month and they are keen to know more so I have to put together a document which sells the idea and briefly details the characters and the style of the programme. I've done these sorts of pitches for my writing MA but this is my first crack in the real world - I'm nervous but thankfully the development execs at both companies are good people and want to work with me to nail the format.
And after that - back to the MA project..! OK - so my 'break' is quite a busman's holiday but a change is as good as a rest. I always knew trying to break into being a screenwriter would be hard work and taking on an MA while working a full time day job doubly so - so I can't complain. Just got to keep my head down, create more bite sized goals and manage my workload. I promise come the end of the MA to take a proper weeks holiday!
ps - check out the Q&A I did this month with Cameo Curio for their 'Month of Marks' event - a really inspiring collection of reflections on creativity from folks around Edinburgh.
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