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Off-Topic Questions Thread - closed. Open new threads for specific questions please.


KRS

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I'm going to be looking at what Masters course I'd like to apply for come October when Birkbeck opens applications for 2018/19. I'm currently averaging a high 2:1 as I reach the end of the second year of my BA Journalism course, talKing one or two percentage points below a first. So I'm confident I'll be able to get onto whatever course I eventually go for.

 

I really like the looks of the screenwriting course. But given I will be 32 years old if and when I complete any masters course, I'm wondering if I should be looking at something that would lead to a more standard career following completion? The journalism degree at least puts me in a position where I could feasibly go get a job in copywriting or PR or marketing if I cannot sustain myself trying to get journalist work published. With the screenwriting masters, whilst it will equip me with a really good grounding in screenwriting as well as coming out of it with a portfolio of completed scripts - features, shorts and TV - but obviously getting any kind of career in writing for screen is going to depend on a lot of factors other than that. Talent, for one.

 

Anyway. Has anyone ever had a masters in that subject and have any feedback or experiences post-course in selling scripts etc?

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Whenever Ken Clarke would come on the TV in the 80's and 90's, my dad would call him a "brass faced monkey". I've done done digging and there's very few examples of this phrase on the net except for some random quite old literature. Anyone have any idea what it means or where it comes from?

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I'm going to be looking at what Masters course I'd like to apply for come October when Birkbeck opens applications for 2018/19. I'm currently averaging a high 2:1 as I reach the end of the second year of my BA Journalism course, talKing one or two percentage points below a first. So I'm confident I'll be able to get onto whatever course I eventually go for.

 

I really like the looks of the screenwriting course. But given I will be 32 years old if and when I complete any masters course, I'm wondering if I should be looking at something that would lead to a more standard career following completion? The journalism degree at least puts me in a position where I could feasibly go get a job in copywriting or PR or marketing if I cannot sustain myself trying to get journalist work published. With the screenwriting masters, whilst it will equip me with a really good grounding in screenwriting as well as coming out of it with a portfolio of completed scripts - features, shorts and TV - but obviously getting any kind of career in writing for screen is going to depend on a lot of factors other than that. Talent, for one.

 

Anyway. Has anyone ever had a masters in that subject and have any feedback or experiences post-course in selling scripts etc?

I haven't done a huge amount with my Screenwriting MA, but that's more down to me and various other commitments and circumstances. It's a good course, but I wouldn't say you strictly NEED an MA to get into screenwriting. There are plenty of short courses that will teach you the basics and beyond, so it depends how seriously you take plans to get into it.

 

If you have a particular bit of Journalism you want to get into, specialise in maybe you might be better following that as an MA. Not knocking the MA in screenwriting, I loved it, but it's a lot of money for something that doesn't necessarily guarantee an income at the end unless you really want to learn all the theory. Maybe do a short course somewhere first and see how you find it first?

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Whenever Ken Clarke would come on the TV in the 80's and 90's, my dad would call him a "brass faced monkey". I've done done digging and there's very few examples of this phrase on the net except for some random quite old literature. Anyone have any idea what it means or where it comes from?

At a guess I would think it's a deriritave of brazen faced.

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Can anybody help me identify a song? I feel like I'm going bad trying to find it. I heard it the other day for the first time in years but Googling what I believe are the lyrics are bringing back no results.

 

It's an indie rock song, roughly 10 years old, similar sort of sound to the Kaiser Chiefs or Kasabian, that sort of thing. I'm absolutely certain the lyrics to the chorus go "...Saturday nights and Sunday mornings, good morning, good morning".

 

Does that ring a bell to anybody? I feel like I know it from a game, possibly a Madden game, but I'm not sure.

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Does sugar go off? We are moving our office and found some sugar in a box which we are now using in tea and coffee. The packaging is in Arabic so it must be from our old UAE office (no idea why someone brought it back here) but that office shut down in 2002. Im worried we are going to become mutants or something

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Does sugar go off? We are moving our office and found some sugar in a box which we are now using in tea and coffee. The packaging is in Arabic so it must be from our old UAE office (no idea why someone brought it back here) but that office shut down in 2002. Im worried we are going to become mutants or something

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Guys, HMRC question for freelancers/sole traders amongst you.

 

I've had a company mobile for the past few years, but now I'm moving jobs, will need to get myself one. 

Was wondering whether or not I could claim it as a business expense, but concerned I cant as, ultimately, there will be personal use too. 

The guidance is pretty straightforward whereby the phone will be explicitly for company use, but I can't clarify how it works where you're also making personal calls.

 

Any advice greatly appreciated.  Thanks in advance.

 

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John, Here's what you're looking for

 

https://www.gov.uk/expenses-if-youre-self-employed/overview

 

specifically,

 

"If you use something for both business and personal reasons

You can only claim allowable expenses for the business costs.

 

Example

Your mobile phone bills for the year total £200. Of this, you spend £130 on personal calls and £70 on business.

 

You can claim for £70 of business expenses."

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