Each year, all the writers meet in a writer's retreat and come up with the ideas for the whole year. Head Writer David Merkin, from Get A Life , assigns about 15 writers to the various episodes. They write the scenes and rewrite. They rewrite on Friday and again on Monday. Then they do pencil tests on the animation, and rewrite.
Rewrites continue even after the returns from Korea come back.
On his feelings about episodes, Silverman said the he staff was disappointed with Homer the Vigilante , because of the flat ending. It had a better ending that ended up on the cutting room floor. Scheduling is very tight, and the studio is closed so the artists cannot get their materials out. On Matt Groening's involvement, Silverman described it as extensive. Groening is at all writing sessions, all animatic tests, all color sessions.