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Why are you looking for original comedic material? || So, what exactly are you looking for? || I have a three-person scene. Or a ten-minute scene. Or something else outside of the realm of the two-person, four-minute comedic scene. Should I still submit it? || Okay, wait. You're going to EDIT my work?!? || This release looks scary. Can you break it down a little bit? || How will I know if my scene has been received? Or selected? |
| Why are you looking for original comedic material? |
| We knew, when we decided to create
this cool showcase, that we would be looking for scenes that folks aren't tired of seeing. Seriously,
every single showcase has at least one scene that makes the industry
roll its collective eyes. We've seen it SO many times by now that there
is no WAY the actors performing it are gonna get a fair shake. And
that's simply not fair. We don't care how brilliantly you think you can
do an Oscar-winning scene. No matter how much you rock, we will always
compare it to the original... and you're simply not gonna measure up.
Why put the actors through that extra level of scrutiny, when we're
here in the most densely-populated haven for screenwriters on the
planet? Let's go for the originals! They're out there! So, in April 2007, the Cricket Feet Casting Actors Showcase launched with a cast of 35 actors in 17 comedic scenes. Representatives from agencies, management firms, and casting offices filled the Promenade Playhouse for three nights of fast-paced laughs (and dinner and drinks too)! We had a nice mix of original and road-tested comedic scenes, and the "originals" consistently got better comments from the industry feedback forms. That's not because the other scenes didn't rock, but because there was something really nice about seeing original works brought to life for the first time. For our July 2007 showcase, using all original material turned out to be not only a huge success but also a wonderful opportunity for our writers--whose talents were showcased right along with our fabulous actors' comedic skills! We did it again for our November 2007 showcase, and now, as we continue our showcases beyond our first year, we're maintaining an open, ongoing call for comedic writers to submit original material. Yippee! We are specifically seeking two-person comedic scenes that come in at around four-minutes. We are not offering any pay at this point, but you do retain all rights to your original material and may feel free to sell and resell it to as many buyers as you can find! (Meanwhile, if you do happen to hear from a literary agent or other cool industry contact who saw your work at our showcase, we do hope you'll let us know, so we can celebrate with you!) Please note: All submissions MUST be accompanied by the two-page scene info and writers' release (PDF) linked here. DEADLINE for scene submissions for the 2009 showcase production term will be announced after the first of the year. Material received after the deadline will be held for future showcase consideration. Thanks so much for your interest! We look forward to reading your work! |
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| So, what exactly are you looking for? |
| In
general,
we're looking for the aforementioned two-person, four-minute, comedic
scenes. We like variety, so we expect to populate our showcase with
scenes representing romantic comedy, slapstick comedy, formulaic
sitcom, outlandish comedy, dark comedy, high-brow comedy, blue comedy,
you name it! We're not heavily into one style over another. Just
looking for the best scenes to suit our current cast, having the best
overall mix of types of scenes, using material that needs the least
amount of editing or tweaks, and representing a bunch of cool writers. We absolutely DO NOT want any scenes about "the industry" or actors. Why? Well, consider our audience. We're looking at entertaining a room full of agents, managers, casting directors, producers, and directors who have all spent the day dealing with "industry issues." If I'm a CD whose last calls of the day were to close a really difficult deal with an agent who has had a rough day, the LAST thing I want to see when I'm out scouting new actors is a scene from Entourage. I don't care how funny it is. I'm not gonna love those actors if the biggest headache of my day comes crashing back while I'm watching their scene. |
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| I have a three-person scene. Or a ten-minute scene. Or something else outside of the realm of the two-person, four-minute comedic scene. Should I still submit it? |
| Yeah!
You
betcha! One of our best
scenes from our very first showcase was originally a four-person scene
taking place in a coffee shop. We loved the core premise so much that
we edited the scene into a two-person scene taking place in bed after a
one-night stand! It was brilliant. Everyone loved it. (Yes, even the
scene's original writer.) So, don't let the fact that your scene is a little too long for "showcase production" or that it's based on more characters than we typically would put in a scene together in a "showcase format" stop you from submitting it. We have a team of editorial ninjas that love writing punch-up. If we like the piece, we'll make it work. |
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| Okay, wait. You're going to EDIT my work?!? |
| Yep.
If
you're a writer whose original work has ever been produced by someone other
than, well, YOU, then you already know that's a part of the deal. If
you've been to a network sitcom taping, you've seen how lines get
rewritten, added, deleted on the fly, during the rehearsal process.
Hey, comedy is subjective! And an audience may really get 90% of your jokes but miss the
rest. And if we see an opportunity to tweak a line or change a beat in
order to get the most out of the overall scene, we're gonna do it.
Also, most scenes weren't written for "showcase production,"
originally. So, they may really work in the context of an entire
episode of a spec script or a one-act play or a full-length feature
film. But we're looking at BRIEF experiences with these characters, and
there is no back-story on
which to base some deep comedic set-ups. If it's not coming through in
the wee bit of time we're spending with these characters, we're gonna
punch it up somehow. And that can happen at ANY point during our production process! That's why we specifically seek actors with writing, improv, and sketch comedy experience. That's why we hire directors who have been hired to work as writers too. There is a lot of wonderful stuff that can come through the collaborative, creative process when you're open to shifts and tweaks. Hell, that's how network sitcom writers' rooms thrive. It's all being workshopped in a snarky group of creative people. And then the best stuff is what makes it to the final product. If your ego won't stand for that, then please don't submit your work to us. One thing we can guarantee--before we even read it--is that there will be edits. Every single scene we've showcased thus far has had at least one line adjustment at some point. It's not personal. It's essential. And it means we LIKE what you've done so far. That's a GOOD thing. |
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| This release looks scary. Can you break it down a little bit? |
| Sure!
You're granting us "non-exclusive rights" to produce your scene as a
part of our showcase. "Non-exclusive" means that you can continue to
sell and resell your work to as many other folks as want to buy it
(y'know, 'til THEY make you sign an exclusive deal) and you never have
to list it as having been affiliated with the Cricket Feet Showcase or
Cricket Feet, Inc. (although you're certainly welcome to do so, if the
hype would help you out)! You are certifying that you are the sole owner of the rights to this material (including copyright for the content and original characters--or that you have permission to base your work on characters for which copyright is owned elsewhere) so that, if someone comes after us for doing your scene because it was originally a Saturday Night Live sketch, we can send 'em your way for that fun experience. You're letting us produce this scene--but you're also acknowledging that we don't HAVE to produce it--and if we happen to tape the showcase and provide a DVD of it to some network exec who then wants to turn your scene into a sitcom, you'll still be able to make that deal free and clear! We do hope you thank us for having helped that launch along, but you don't have to do so. We're not paying you for the material. We can edit it. You can't sue us, but if you try to do so, you have to pay all of our legal fees for dealing with your suit. And you're not planning to do anything that breaches the spirit of the agreement. Nor are we. And if we want to amend the terms of the agreement, we all have to come together in writing to do that. (So, anything you've been promised verbally ain't gonna cut it.) Basically, this is like every other "unsolicited material submission release form" out there. But cooler. |
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| How will I know if my scene has been received? Or selected? |
| When
we
receive your submission (complete with two-page submission and release
form via fax or email), we'll countersign the release form and email a
copy of it to the email address you specified in your submission
form--or fax, if that's what you prefer). So, that's how you'll know we
have received it. Check back for information about our notification timeline for our April 2009 showcase. You will hear
from us either way. Thank you
in advance for your submission and your support of our
all-original, all-comedy, all-rockstar showcase! |
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