Friday, August 20, 2010

The BBC are my ticket outta here.

I don't know if anyone else knew this but apparently the BBC will accept scripts from anyone, for radio, tv dram or film.

I think this may explain the current erm...lack of enganging material... (or shit....oh there I said it anyway) on the TV at the minute. From my point of view anyway. My sister is a big brotherer and MTVer but it's not my bag. I'd rather watch Stephen Fry wrestle a Komodo Dragon half naked covered in mud any day.

Although that sounds a lot gayer than that programme actually was.

Anyway, this is how believe it or not the script writer for Eastenders got his job. He started off just sending in scripts for radio until one eventually got accepted and he got his break.

This is all good news for me because I'd very much like to be the next Steven Spielberg one day. I thought I'd have to wait until the 3rd year of my degree to get the ball rolling but no as of now I shall start pestering the BBC and relentlessly sending in scripts for all kinds of things. Ideas is one thing I'm not at all short of it's just taking the time to sit down and write 60 or so pages of screen play.

In secret I have already written half a film about an obsessive compulsive part-time artist.

The good thing though for me is that I can use a lot of ideas I'd been keeping for animation and it also helps me focus on my storytelling. What better way to get feedback on such a thing from the BBC's supreme overlord of tv...scripts. I'm not sure what her job title is really.

Anyway if anybody cares to know what's going on in my head for some radio ideas heres a few I thought of earlier;

Villains - possibly a series focusing around a mastermind carrot named Ultra Carrot who hates monologuing. All the characters are vegitbles.

Toddle. - a short from a 3 year old's point of view.

Space Captain (Haven't thought of a name yet) - a space adventure.

Something like creature comforts but with plants in the garden.

These are alll mostly animation ideas as you can tell because they're stupid. But from what people tell me and what I've read these kinds of things are better for Radio because you don't have to create a set so you can let your imagination run free without worrying about a budget or how many nails you need.

For film, as suggested by the BBC Writersroom - (before I forget, check that out here) keep it inherintly 'British'.

So with that in mind;

Catch - An NFL wannabe who plays in the British amature league for Bristol or something.

Guitar Dad (based on my own Clapton-like Father) - Middle aged amature musicain tries to finally make it musically.

Jazz and Blues - a chick flick with a dark side. A little bit like the book Engleby by Sebastian Faulks.

"something that parodies the irrelevance and short-sightedness of modern British education"
For example, in French teaching us how to say Hippopitmus rather than being able to construct a meaningful sentance. I think I've said it about twice in English.

(This one I'm saving for when Hollywood calls) White Blood - First world war epic not entairly unlike Saving Private Ryan in style (Not story).

DARK - (after seeing The Descent I thought I HAVE to write something like these because for me as a claustrophic it was absolutly terrifying) A British Horror that follows the simple rule of Jaws and Alien, never reveal the montser. Set in a normal suburban house, the lights go off. The protagonist does the sensible things of turning the lights on and not running around screaming being stupid but it doesn't help him. I'd try and make it scary by making it believeable; everybody is afraid of the dark. And what's really scary is your imagination and familiar things like your possessions and house becoming alien and un-familiar.

(What I'm writing now) Outside In-Side Out - Part-Time Artist and Uni student with OCD and agoraphobia. Also using elements of Van Gogh's life and also the Impressionists, but taking all that and putting it in a modern University Town.

And finally, this idea I've animated before and use it quite lot because I love space.

BIG - Litterally the last man left on a planet. He's a space soldier. It's sort of Moon meets I Am Legend. Character also based loosly on Shrike from Mortal Engines (which is an epicly good book, if you don't beleive me here is the first sentance, the best first sentance ever in my opinion; It was a calm summer's day and London was chasing a small mining town across the plains of central Europe. - now tell me you're not intreguied!)

Anyway that's all I have to say.

I left my camera at my other house. Haha...that makes me sound SO posh. I left it at my house (where as write now I'm righting at my mum's house - yes I did that on purpose) so updates on how my comic book is progressing shall have to wait.

I've also changed it slightly. It's a robot who think's he's superman. But it's not a comedy, it's serious. Although from the nature of the story it is light hearted in places.

So if anyone has any contacts in the BBC that can speed this whole thing up then by all means introduce me, give me a phone number, anything is welcome.

I might post snippets from the script. If I feel I shan't be embarassd.