MrBiffo
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Digitiser: The Show - and More!
🕑 Added 2018-02-22 13:02:04 +0000 UTC Hello boys and girls. Been a while, so I thought I'd drop you a line.The last couple of weeks have been manic. I'm simultaneously writing on two CBBC shows - one of which I'm showrunning, so it means reading other writer's scripts and giving notes, going to auditions, watching casting videos, and other bits of general writerly housekeeping.
It's rather exciting to be honest; usually, I'm lead writer in name only (meaning I get to write the lion's share of the scripts, probably the series bible... and that's about it). I mean, all I do all day is sit in front of the computer and write, so it's still not remotely glamorous - though I enjoyed the day of auditions I attended - but it's nice to have a little more input into the overall direction and shape of a show for once.
I realised that this'll be the fourth CBBC show I've created or co-created, which I suppose is some sort of achievement, given how hard they are to get off the ground.
Of course, in addition to all this, I've also been putting together the Kickstarter for Digitiser: The Show.
Now... I'm very excited about it. Like, really excited. If my other jobs keep the roof over my head, this is the one - as with Found Footage - that keeps the roof over my heart.
Keep it to yourselves for now, but we've lined up some Big Name People to help us out with the pledge campaign. We've asked Will Overton - who created all those sublime Super Play covers years back - to reimagine Digitiser characters for a special edition DVD cover and poster. Also, lovely Horsenburger will be doing something similar in a teletext-style for a set of exclusive postcards. And YouTube sensation Ashens has given us ten signed copies of his terrible old games book, Attack Of The Flickering Skeletons, to give away.
That's just the tippy-tip of the iceberg, and I'm confident there'll be something in there for everyone, and every budget.
The show itself is slowly coalescing. We're slightly holding back on planning too much at this stage, because we obviously don't yet know what the budget is going to be. Once we get the final Kickstarter figure - assuming we get the minimum funding - we'll start doing some sums, put aside the amount we need to fulfil pledges, and then start drawing up plans.
The minimum we're asking for is still going to get you a show... but if we can get the upper end of what our partners (we've signed with a company specialising in retrogaming KS campaigns) think we might get, we're going to go all-out. This time, hopefully, without rocking my own bank balance...
In other news, I've finally gotten around to applying for a Digitiser trademark - having heard nothing when I tried (twice) to buy it officially off of Teletext many years ago. I'm pretty sure they never trademarked it, so it's up for grabs. Also, I purchased a bunch of Digitiser The Show domains.
That's all for now. If you haven't done so already, please sign up to the Digitiser: The Show newsletter form. I'll start sending news through that very soon.
Farewell!
Paul
Comments
I've always said that childrens' shows even since the early days seem like they're either written by a madman or someone on drugs. I think you just settled that matter for me? :)
Only if TM stands for, "Touch Me"
Chinny Hill
Does it mean we have to refer to it as Digitiserβ’?
Nick
Give it time.
David Walford
This news is unreasonably exciting. It's like witnessing the formation of a supergroup, but with less drug addictions.
Paul Rose (Mr Biffo)
1. Yep. First time I've had this degree of responsibility (albeit still shared with the executive producers). I have to say, I didn't like it at first. I was being too gentle with my notes (which are going through a script editor), though ultimately I've learned to put this aside for the sake of the show.
John Veness
Thanks for the update. 1, Re: your CBBC show, is this the first time you're a showrunner, and giving notes on other people's scripts? How are you finding being on the other side of that? 2, Re: Will Overton DVD cover, does that mean you'll be doing DVDs of Digitiser: The Show? I thought I read somewhere (can't find it now) that you didn't want to this time, given the expense of doing it for FF. 3, Good luck with the Digitiser trademark, and I hope the Ghost of Teletext doesn't stop you.
