back from the comedy fest

I’m back from the London Comedy Writers Festival with a head full of knowledge, pockets full of business cards and a smile on my face.

For me the festival was all about connecting with other writers and thanks to its friendly open atmosphere it was easy as. It was also helped by one of the most useful name tags/lanyards that I’ve seen at any festival thus far that made it easy to identify who you were talking to without looking like you were squinting at their middle shirt button or worse.

Griff Rhys Jones’ keynote speech delivered in spades with wry and inspiring tales of his time in the comedy biz and the other speakers that I saw were all engaging and generous with their time. The only criticism I would have is that sometimes the session moderators didn’t stick a hundred percent to brief and let sessions drift into cozy fire side chats, which while entertaining weren’t what I was expecting.

I have to say though, the festival organisers did their best to cram as much information, value and networking into the two day event. I’m incredibly happy that I went and felt like I made the most of the experience and I would happily recommend the festival to anyone thinking of going next year.

off to London Comedy Writers Festival

I’ll be at the off to the London Comedy Writers Festival this weekend, if you’re popping along feel free to say hello.

And seeing as you’re here you may as well:

• read about my current web comedy projects
• listen to my radio sketches
• watch my award-winning short film Domestic
• read about my background in tv production

Cheers and see you at the Festival.

misery bear at london comedy writers festival

This week I attended the first official session of the London Comedy Writers Festival on ‘Writing for the Web’ featuring Misery Bear creators Nath Saunders and Chris Hayward. A video of their talk will be available soon up on the LWF site and it’s definitely worth checking out.

Kudos to Nath and Chris. They deserve all the success they get because if you look at their company website, Worm Hotel,  you’ll see they’ve been jobbing writers for years now as well as active creators always trying new things and putting new work out there. They kept working at it, kept creating and didn’t wait for permission.

This was the great take away for everyone – nowadays there is nothing stopping anyone doing the same. Make something you’re passionate about, put it out there and who knows … you could have the next Misery Bear or Simon’s Cat on your hands.

I can’t make the other two free sessions leading up to the festival but I’m looking forward to geeking out on comedy and writing from the 8th to 10th April when the festival weekend is on.

If you’re popping along feel free to say hello!

things are looking up …

Right, so it’s a bit of laundry list but bear with me …

TJ’s new job

TJ has scored a new job in a newly set up development unit at BBC Wordwide. That’s right, she is now officially working for the government. I expect it won’t be long before she’s doing a 38 hour week, counting down the days til her long service leave and working in an office with a “please don’t abuse our staff” sign on the door!

Seriously though, she’s very excited about the job and it means that for the next twelve months we have some security. She had a great time heading up development in the digital unit at Fremantlemedia but we always said that coming to London was about taking advantage of opportunities that we couldn’t get back in Australia and this is the perfect example of one such opportunity.

little luxuries

As a result of TJ’s good fortune we can finally lash out on some little luxuries – temporary blinds from BlindInABox (it’s been probably ten years since we’ve slept in complete dark and God we’ve missed it); a multi-region DVD player courtesy of eBay (the Love Films subscription comes next); plus a casserole dish and stainless wok for some slow cooked wintery meals. It may not sound earth shattering but trust me these little things will make a big difference in our life.

writing

I’ve recently found a second writer’s group called Script Tank and it’s exactly the kind of group I’ve been looking for. It compliments The London Comedy Writers group perfectly as it is more focused on theatre, feature film and TV drama and has a strong membership base of professional and semi-pro writers, such as myself.

On the writing front I’m still working up some short material as well as several TV pilot scripts. When these scripts are ready I’ll have them read and critiqued at both these groups to help in my redrafting and polishing process. Getting a decent reading is vital – it allows you to hear now a script really sounds and to figure out what’s working and what isn’t. At the moment I’m confident that I should be well on the way to hitting my goal of completing three new original pieces of work this year.

work

Coming off the back of working on Freak, I recently took on a small paid gig Production Managing a short film (Unrequited Love) for writer/director Jade Syed-Bokhari of White Fire Films. We shot out at Black Park (near Pinewood Studios) under a beautiful old oak tree with Max Irons (Jeremy Irons son) on what turned out to be a perfect day. Sounds impressive? Well let me assure you filmmaking isn’t all glamour, a big part of my day was spent at the end of a pole waving a branch to create picturesque shadows in shot.

It turned out to be a great experience as I got to apply my eight odd years of experience to the job and got to draw on some people and resources that I acquired from working on Freak, which meant that things ran smoothly and we got everything in the can in under ten hours.

networking

Over the past couple of months I’ve been to several film and TV networking nights – there’s always something desperate and dateless about these events. Two thirds of the people are guarantee to be actors and composers while the other third is likely to be people looking to meet someone who can give them a gig. So it’s a lot of people all looking from the same thing … from each other! Not the best recipe for success. Despite this, I have to say though that I did meet some interesting people who hopefully I can keep in touch with and work with at a later date.

moving forward

I’m now hoping to take on some more paid short film production managing/producing gigs to get some money in and also to keep building my network. The more gigs like this I do the more I will learn and the larger my network will grow – which can only be a good thing, both in terms of leading to some full-time paid work and also when I’m ready to start shooting some of my own material. That’s the plan anyway, Ill let you know how I go.

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gainfully employed … for five weeks!

As per my last post, I’ve been working on a Fremantlemedia web drama called Freak and have been extended to the end of the shoot. We’ve just shot our third week and have two more weeks to go.

I’ve been enjoying it and making good contacts and my work has been noticed. The good thing is, because it’s a small team I’m getting to do a lot of different things like assisting the AD, Props and camera crew. It’s long hours but that comes with the territory.

I’ll update my blog with more details when I’m done and have some more time on my hands. Thanks again for all your support, it’s been great.

a change of plans

Well, all my big plans (see my last post) for last week got shot to hell on Tuesday morning when I got a call from Fremantlemedia asking if I’d come and help out running and driving on a web drama they are producing called Freak. As a result I didn’t get to my writer’s group to hear my sketch read and critiqued, I didn’t get to my networking night and I didn’t go to the theatre but you know what, I did get paid this week, which more than makes up for it.

I’d rather be working than not and despite not being what I usually do it has been a good week. It’s a small crew and they needed an extra person to be able to drive a van out to set every morning with camera, costume and unit gear, be an on-set runner and then drive the van back to the office again at the end of the day. The days have been long and there is always prep and post stuff to do at the top and tail of every day but everyone is working long hours on this gig so I can’t really complain.

The crew have been lovely and were very happy to have an extra pair of hands on board. This past week we were shooting all location stuff around East London and thanks to the third AD’s Tom Tom (GPS) I managed to get to and from every location okay. I was a little nervous at first driving around London (as I haven’t before) but it’s been alright. Most drivers are sensible, there are plenty of lights everywhere so you are always stopping and starting and traffic doesn’t move very fast when you’re driving through the city.

I’m working on Monday and then have to wait and see if they need me for the rest of the shoot. It’s been a good experience (you always learn something on every gig you do) and great opportunity to make some more contacts, which is a big bonus. I’d be more than happy to work the rest of the four odd weeks they have left but will have to wait and see what they decide. Fingers crossed.

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busy busy busy

I’m busier than ever this week. I started submitting material for the new BBC Radio 7 topical comedy show Newsjack. They provide a great opportunity for new writers to submit material for consideration and so I have made a commitment to submit something every week for the next six weeks that it’s on air. Will I get something up? I don’t know but the routine of writing and submitting stuff will be a good experience. From experience, it will take a couple of weeks to get into a groove and get the feel of the show so here’s hoping that towards the end of Newsjack’s run I hit the mark and get something on the wireless!

I’ve got a sketch being read tonight at the London Comedy Writers group. A slot opened up and was perfect timing for me as I had a sketch that I was wrestling with and needed some feedback on. I wouldn’t say that I’m naturally a comedic writer but after my experience working on and writing on the side for NEWStopia I’m preapred to give it a go and learn as I go at this stage.

Wednesday I’m off to another networking night – this one is called People in Media. I was put onto it by someone I met up with through Shooting People – an ex LA DOP who, like me, is here in London trying to get a leg up.

Then finally on Thursday I’m off to see The Moon The Moon at the Southwark Playhouse.

I’ve still got my web series and a few other things that I’m developing but at the moment I’m enjoying working on some shorter pieces of works, switching between them and actually getting something finished – which is all getting me closer towards my goals for this year.

It’s great to be so busy and while I’m still hunting for work the best thing I can do at this stage. It’s much better than sitting around at home (or the British Library) trolling job sites!

advanced arts network meeting

Last night I was invited along to an Advance Arts Networking meeting. Advance is a global network of Australian ex-pats who are living abroad. It features “chapters” across many different industries, not just the arts, and operates as a means for Aussies to network and also to sing their praises to the global community. The meeting I attended was dedicated towards Australians working in the Arts in London.

I was invited along by one of the organisers who saw my film, Domestic, up on Shooting People. I can’t tell you how nice it was to be surrounded by Australian voices and by people who say what they mean! It didn’t necessarily make me home sick but did remind we how we Aussies are different from the English (we’re not just their poor convict cousins) and that we have a real “can-do” spirit and drive (as opposed to the English “That’s not my job” mentality) that can see us thrive and succeed when given the chance.

After the meet we adjourn to a gallery to check out an Australian exhibition and spent our time bitching about the English and shared stories about our first experiences here in London. The one thing I found consistent amongst everyone was that they all were still loving life in London. Most had been here for 10-20 years and like me came over seeking bigger and better work opportunities. Everyone I met had whole-heartedly embraced the London lifestyle whilst managing to maintain their Australianess.

I’m happy to say that I can rack this up as another successful networking event (I met several film/TV/media types there) and I found it to be a wonderfully encouraging and positive experience. I’ve got some other new networking events to attend next week and I’m well on the way to getting some more writing done.

My short, Domestic, has climed up the leaderboard at Shooting People for the month of May, which is exciting. The bigger benefit though has been that it has connected me with some fellow indie London writers and filmmakers and led to the rash of invites to new networking events.

My digital project that I have been working on for a couple of years now has got some traction again. It’s still a while off before there is anything significant to report but it’s good to see that it’s still alive. Developing projects is like a life lesson in patience, something I’m not very good at!

Overall June is promising to be a good month and I look forward to keeping you all posted.

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writing update – week #2

So I’m into my second week of “doing things differently” and I’m happy to say that things are going well. I feel like I’ve had somewhat of a personal turn around even if I haven’t had a professional one yet. I feel happier, more creative and far less stressed.

I had a sketch read recently at the London Comedy Writers group and it went down a treat. It also helped to break the ice and I had a good chat with several of the writers afterward. Writers, especially comedy writers, are often misfits by nature and this bunch are no different, which makes them great fun to hang out with and also very welcoming of a fellow kindred spirit!

On the networking front, I recently signed up to Shooting People, an indie filmmakers social network and put my short film Domestic up there as well as an introductory notice in their bulletin. I had a great response to the short and have three people already that I’m going to meet up in the coming weeks for “coffee and a chat”. These “chats” may not lead to work but I’m happy all the same to be getting out and meeting people. Shooting People seems to be a very positive and proactive network and I’m happy to say it was 30 Pounds well spent.

Moving forward I’m committing to getting two sketches written as well as several episodes of a web series that I have been mulling over. I’m aiming to develop the scripts with the help of my writers group and then later with my mate Lawrence and some actors. The plan then is to get material shot during August and hopefully up online by September.

I contacted someone at Channel 4 this week (via twitter) and found out that the successful eight projects for their Coming Up scheme will be announced by the end of June. So that means my pitch is likely to be still in the running, which is a relief. After not hearing anything for a couple of weeks I was starting to get worried. I’m quite happy now to put it out of my mind but reserve the right to turn into a basketcase the last week of June!

I’ll be sure to keep you updated with my progress and I’m looking forward to some more fun and hopefully success coming my way in the months ahead.

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writing update

I went to my first London Comedy Writers Group on Tuesday and quite liked it. It’s a very friendly well run group made up of a mix of hobbyists and amateur/am-pro writers. On the night I went there was somewhere between 15-20 people there to listen to  two sketches and a draft of a half hour sitcom be read. One of the sketches was submitted by someone completely new to the group and to comedy writing and she was given just as much support and respect as everyone else in the group, which was good to see.

This coming Tuesday is Sketchageddon, where fifteen sketches will be read and critiqued. I’ve got one in there, which is a bit nerve racking but I’m looking forward to it more than anything. I’m also looking forward to hearing the variety of material that the other writers come up with. I’ve committed to attending the group for at least 3-4 meetings to see how it goes.

This week TJ, Lawrence and I also did another day of Z1 DV camera training, this time by ourselves. We hired a camera from a local guy and spent the day practicing our shooting and trying out different techniques. It was great to re-enforce what we had learnt and we all now feel confident in our abilities.

I’m back on the saddle and writing again. I’m working on ten-page comedy script that I hope to later take to my writer’s group to get feedback. I’m pretty sure I haven’t been selected by the BBC’s Writers Academy, which to be honest isn’t a surprise. The standard is very high and I wasn’t overly confident in my submission.

I’m currently waiting to hear what projects get selected for Channel 4’s Coming Up scheme. I have no idea when the decision will be made, so it’s a bit maddening at the moment. It’s the one submission I did during April that I feel confident and proud of. Apart from that I might one other project that might be developing further but I don’t want to jinx it just yet, so I’m going to keep it under my hat for now.

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