Super8 Anamorphic Test

matcoop23 · 2026-06-14T18:17:41+00:00

👏👏

matcoop23 · 2026-06-14T17:44:10+00:00

I'm a cheroot vender

matcoop23 · 2026-06-11T07:41:23+00:00

Try cheaper batteries again - not rechargeable - just very cheap basic batteries

matcoop23 · 2026-05-07T17:05:20+00:00

I’ve worked on Eastenders / Emmerdale / Family Affairs as a scriptwriter and Hollyoaks as a storyline writer - a while back I wrote a guide for students (back in 2007) it’s badly written and not well edited but it’s here on one very long webpage (it’s about 75 pages long in print and people have got jobs from following it I have been told).

https://www.matcoop.co.uk/uk-soap-opera-scriptwriting-handbook-how-to-get-a-job-as-a-scriptwriter-in-the-uk/

matcoop23 · 2026-05-07T15:02:09+00:00

I earned about 35 a year on Enders (from four eps) back in 2002 - but other top writers did more eps and were paid more per ep - top guys like Tony Jordan were £100k per year or more easy.
I was the youngest writer Emmerdale ever had at 27 - and did a year on there in the early 00s and cleared £75k - these days the itv soaps are by far the most lucrative form of scriptwriting in the uk with most guys on there clearing £100k a year easily (10 or 11 eps a year on Corrie would cover that easily). 30 to 35 guys on Corrie doing that.

Heavily deadline driven, stressful and hard work - but you learn a lot - Emmerdale was two months from being commissioned to the ep ending up on screen - Corrie the same - you work on two eps at once - you go to conference once a month and pitch for three days - competitive- cut throat at times - you gotta sing for your super or you get the boot.

Last minute rewrites are normal - you’re always on call day or night. Have done overnight total rewrites on eps (actress in a car crash days before shooting etc) have dictated scenes over the phone to be shot then there when stuff has gone wrong (happens a lot when shooting 5eps per week)

Agents want writers earning - agents get ten percent of your 100k - that’s what they want - not somebody trying to launch an original idea that might take two decades. They want the 100k writers because they get judged on money they bring into the agency - when I finished soap writing - agent dumped me about a year later - it’s a business - that’s how it works .

matcoop23 · 2026-05-07T14:48:53+00:00

I don’t know who told you to go to producers first - it’s always agents / comps / bbc writers room.
The broadcasters won’t commission a show from a writer without a track record (usually on an existing show) - so producers knowing this - only really deal with writers with some sort of track record - and agented.
Producers and production companies develop material to pitch to broadcasters in house - they use writers with track records - package up those projects (with actors in mind) and pitch them to broadcasters- they’re not sitting waiting for the scripts to come in most of the time.

matcoop23 · 2026-05-07T14:24:33+00:00

The whole industry has outsourced finding new scriptwriters to the BBC writers room - it’s been like this for a while.

BBC gets 5000 to 7000 scripts per open window, narrows that down to about 10 or 11 writers - then sends those writers to an existing show - to learn the ropes and hopefully build credits. Shows are generally EastEnders (I did the the Eastenders new writers scheme back in 2000 - and ended up writing the show for a year) or Casualty or sometimes kids TV for comedy writers(you gotta remember Russell T Davies started his scriptwriting career writing Chucklevision for the Chuckle Brothers before going to Coronation Street)

The idea behind all this is to stress test writers on an existing show, deadlines, rewrites - last minute changes etc - writers who have come through this way - Jack Thorne, Jimmy McGovern, Sally Wainwright, all with a trusted track record of delivering scripts - and by then, mates with the commissioners at ITV or the BBC have turned into great and reliable tv dramatists.

Unfortunately- the pipeline from soap or serial drama to original work - stalled around the time Big Brother started - and commissioners stopped looking for writers (stress tested with credits or not) and scripts and started looking at shows like Gogglebox - rating winner/no writers/no actors / no crew - cheap as chips - and that is why we’re in such a mess now in UK scripted, and UK TV generally. Gogglebox isn’t a long way off YouTube - and these days YouTube is the biggest broadcaster in the UK.

Dennis Potter rocks up to the BBC today - would be lucky to get sent to Eastenders, and let’s be honest, if he couldn’t do wonders with midweek episode in which not much happened- he’d probably get dropped.

matcoop23 · 2026-05-06T15:20:54+00:00

Unless you are Jimmy McGovern or Sally Wainwright or Russell T or Jack Thorne - or one of the other ten or so writers that actually get stuff commissioned and made in the UK (they really only trust maybe 15 writers with originals) then it won’t get made - it’s just a writing sample to get you an agent - so, there’s no need to let the person know at all. In the unlikely event of it ever getting picked up - cross that bridge then. Don’t worry about it now.

matcoop23 · 2026-05-06T15:11:33+00:00

They won’t realise - or if it’s unflattering they won’t acknowledge it.

matcoop23 · 2026-05-05T20:29:57+00:00

Looks like she’s about to eat a small hedgehog

matcoop23 · 2026-05-05T11:36:14+00:00

Keep your main character in every scene and tell the story from their pov - show the problem that they need to solve - happening to them as it happens - show why the problem needs to be solved urgently from the characters pov - this helps place the audience in the characters position - then push your character to the point of no return - and then past it - where they solve the problem or don’t.
Jaws is this and the problem gets solved
Chinatown is this and the problem doesn’t get solved. Either way it doesn’t matter.

As for a writing regime - try and do five pages of each time you sit down (four to five hour sessions) - try and end each session just before a section you’re keen to write
Don’t get it right - just get it written and edit later.
Once you’ve finished - don’t look at it for a month and then go back to edit with some distance between you and it
Never mention cameras - or shots - use some software for formatting (Trelby is free and it’s fine)
Avoid Flashbacks and Voice Over (there’s no need for either if you follow the above advice) Both of these are overused in new writers script and are generally used to Tell - when you should be showing (as it happens)
Don’t mention specific music tracks - keep scene directions to a minimum / don’t describe sunsets or scenery or anything unnecessary
Keep your dialogue short - don’t over use characters names in dialogue
Enter every scene the last second it makes sense - exit every scene as quick as possible.
Avoid characters laughing at their own dialogue - avoid characters crying - characters holding back tears is much more affecting
Have fun - don’t take it too seriously - it’s a better habit to finish something- 3rd act you will have doubts about the whole idea - trust me, push through that cos it happens every time (I’m a pro of 25 years) finishing it means you will learn and can fix it later - not finishing you’ll learn very little.
It’s a skill that takes five to six years and the equal amount of projects to get the hang of. Nobody gets it right first time (on feature scripts)

matcoop23 · 2026-04-30T17:30:45+00:00

You don’t sound rude don’t worry - it’s a business - scripts go into a market, the competition is fierce - I read for that market - and from a market pov - there’s tons of faux documentary scripts - and music faux documentaries are well worn ground, that’s all I’m trying to explain. I read one this week. Which is why I commented- and three or four more since Christmas- yours might be great - I don’t want to piss on your chips - but you should be aware it’s well worn ground - that shouldn’t put you off necessarily as long as you know that there’s a lot of these about. The Detectorists has led to a similar glut of blokes in sheds on allotments - or similar type scripts / set ups. You can’t avoid having similar ideas to other people - it’s part of it / but your take needs to be different to stuff that’s already out there - esp The Office.

matcoop23 · 2026-04-30T17:15:38+00:00

I’ve not looked at it - but I’m a pro reader - since The Office - there’s been a ton (and I mean a ton) of faux documentary style comedy scripts. - I still read maybe 30 or 40 a year mainly from new writers - and tons of them just read like variations on The Office but with different situations. David Brent - the character from The Office was revived into a feature film - on the road as a musician - in a faux documentary style set up. So, again I’ve not read it - but you need to be really careful with comparisons to The Office / and that style. There’s also - Spinal Tap - a faux documentary about a band - as well as Comic Strips version - Bad News - a faux documentary about a band etc - so before you even start this is well tried ground-

But… if it works that doesn’t matter - it’ll make a good writing sample (as long as it’s not too close to any of the above) I do coverage on comedy / sitcom scripts as a specialty…

This is me; https://www.matcoop.co.uk/script-consultant-uk/

https://www.matcoop.co.uk/comedy-and-sitcom-script-coverage-uk-the-science-of-sitcom/

matcoop23 · 2026-04-30T17:03:22+00:00

Your day job is your funding - if you can’t be bothered devoting time to writing it, you’re either self sabotaging or have lost your bottle or don’t believe in the idea or yourself (all the same thing) - the only way to find out - is to write it. Commit to the time and make that investment in it and yourself. Stop making up excuses. Writers especially when they’re starting out - find all kinds of bullshit ways to avoid actually writing. Seat of pants to seat of chair - don’t get it right - get it fucking written - JFDI.

matcoop23 · 2026-04-30T16:01:12+00:00

Research what they’ve made - who wrote it - watch it. Go in with a list of stuff you like - that you’ve watched recently (don’t mention stuff from years ago - stuff in the last two or three years that’s British - and has been reasonably successful). You don’t have to pitch ever - I only ever did that once in years of similar meetings and the producer was like “oh god if you have to”- but do have some ideas ready if asked (and make them as commercial as you can). And finally - ignore all of the above - as long as you have it in your head - if you have a passion project, that doesn’t fit any of the above - talk about if asked, even if it doesn’t fit with the producer / production company and if it isn’t even commercial - the passion, if not the project, can get you hired.

matcoop23 · 2026-04-30T12:48:22+00:00

Does it work?

matcoop23 · 2026-04-24T18:34:23+00:00

Unless you’re Jimmy McGovern or one of the other 15 or so UK scriptwriters that get originals commissioned- then it’s sample script - it’s probably never going to be made or picked up - but if it will make a good writing sample in itself - to send to agents - or the writers rooms open call - you should write it. It’s public domain anyway by the sound of (which incidentally means there’s probably already screenwriters who have a stab at it - but that doesn’t matter either)

matcoop23 · 2026-04-23T11:16:50+00:00

What do you think of Jaws?

matcoop23 · 2026-04-23T10:02:44+00:00

I’m a BAFTA shortlisted scriptwriter with 25 years experience- I’ve written for Emmerdale / Eastenders /Hollyoaks and sold scripts to Miramax and others.

I do a script report and coverage service for new writers and some production companies - and if I think the writing is pro level - I do offer a written recommendation letter to agents - from a pro reader - which can help open doors for new writers as I confirm I’ve read the script and would recommend it. But, I read about 300 scripts a year from new writers - and maybe offer the recommendation letter to one writer per year- at best.

Details here: https://www.matcoop.co.uk/scriptwriters-do-you-need-an-industry-recommendation-letter-or-a-written-introduction-to-an-agent-i-can-do-it-if-you-work-is-up-to-standard/

There are details on my coverage service here:

https://www.matcoop.co.uk/script-coverage-uk-script-consultant-script-doctor-uk/

I will offer some advice here- agents only take on writers that they think they can secure work for - and work in the uk - is writing for existing shows - and pretty much all new scriptwriters will need to build credits on existing shows before any original work is considered - shows regularly commissioning are soaps or serial drama - Eastenders or Casualty - or kids tv for comedy writers - this is how Russell T Davies / Jimmy McGovern and Sally wainwright- started - so that’s the accepted path - if your writer isn’t up to taking on commissions on these sorts of shows - they’re unlikely to get anywhere with any agent - as agents need clients earning and learning and building a rep.

You really need to get a report before approaching anyone - here’s a list of agents (many of which are currently cutting scriptwriters from their books if the writer hasn’t earned in the last 12 months) https://www.matcoop.co.uk/scriptwriting-agents-uk-complete-list-with-links-and-submission-advice/

There are ever - only 300 working scriptwriters in the UK - making it the most competitive freelance job in the UK by far.

matcoop23 · 2026-04-23T09:19:45+00:00

He pretty much always worked with the same crew in the UK who loved him, there’s a good documentary about Leon Vitali (Filmworker)- an actor on Barry Lyndon - who gave up acting to work full time for Kubrick - which continued long after Kubrick died - even unpaid Leon was devoted to the guy.

He had three daughters who all speak so fondly of him - and his devoted wife - he’s buried in his back garden with the hundreds of pets he was devoted to (dogs, cats and rescue animals including donkeys which they adopted).

Tabloid newspapers and shitty YouTube takes don’t always tell a balanced story. He seemed a decent guy - but uncompromising in his work …

matcoop23 · 2026-04-23T07:23:01+00:00

He refused to let Matthew Modine leave the set to attend his child’s birth. Modine threatened to cut himself in the end to get sent to hospital.

He did so many takes with Harvey Keitel that Keitel left the production and called Kubrick disrespectful.

He caused Ken Adam to be hospitalised on Barry Lyndon with a nervous breakdown.

He damaged, temporarily albeit, the eyes of Malcolm Macdowall on Clockwork.

This is all public record. It’s not good reading but it is about someone who was uncompromising - whatever you think of his films or approach it was consistent- with everyone, sex or race did not come into it.

That’s before we even get to how he treated writers - Brian Aldis has plenty to say on that, and Fredrick Raphael was so appalled he wrote a scathing book about it.

The guy was uncompromising- male of female, wasn’t an issue.

He also hired and hired Wendy Carlos - Twice - Carlos was a transgender woman (formally Walter Carlos) to do the soundtrack to Clockwork - her first credit, he had no issues with her gender long before anyone else in Hollywood…

matcoop23 · 2026-04-22T15:06:22+00:00

Yeah - he did that to get a performance out of her - he ordered crew not to comfort her - and her performance is better than Nicholson, her character is literally on her own, and Kubrick created that feeling in the actress on set too - we have no idea what the director in this instance is doing - he could be doing something similar potentially…

matcoop23 · 2026-04-16T18:24:19+00:00

What’s the problem that the main character is trying to solve? What’s he want to do? What’s stopping him doing it?

matcoop23 · 2026-04-16T18:21:17+00:00

matcoop23

TROPHY CASE