Kayleigh Llewellyn talks synchronised swimming, screenwriting and winning BAFTA Rocliffe's 2012 comedy writers competition in her second blog...
Before last week, the most important meeting I'd ever been to was the try outs for a Synchronised Swimming class, aged 11. You'll be pleased to learn that I was accepted in to the team. But tragically, due to having dimensions similar to that of a ball of uncooked dough, it was an ill-fated match. I was axed from the team for crimes against grace and poise, and had to eat double the amount of Sherbet Dip Dabs to deal with the rejection. However, the meetings Matt and I have attended since winning BAFTA Rocliffe have almost entirely been nothing like that! For starters, I wasn't wearing a bathing suit.
So far, we've met with two commissioners and a production company. We started out pretty nervous, but as it transpired, it was unnecessary. I can't speak for the whole industry, but certainly the people we've met with couldn't have gone more out of their way to put us at ease.
Before the meetings, we set time aside to research both the individuals we were meeting, and their respective channels/companies. It's good to be familiar with their body of work. All the better if you can watch some of their shows as well, it helps to be able to discuss their work with complete sincerity, instead of trying to blag it.
It's also important that you know how you want to pitch your show. What audience will it appeal to? What channel and time slot do you think it would work best on? Why is it relevant? If you don’t believe in your script and know where it should be headed – why should they? It’s also an important time for us to ask questions. What will the production company do for us? Where do they see the project? When will they have an answer?
Technicalities aside, we tried to relax and be ourselves. As much as you might be desperate to get your script made, it's important that you get on well with the person, and that you trust them. Ensure you share a single vision, and if that's not the case, then maybe they are not the right people for you. That doesn’t mean you can’t disagree on certain aspects, or debate about a character – but if the chemistry isn’t right, if they just don’t get it, then the chances are it’s not going to make it to screen the way you originally envisioned.
With lots of positive feedback and interest in GREY we head into our next round of meetings with renewed confidence. It’s so much better when you’re out there doing it for yourself, rather than waiting for the phone to ring…
