2.Main Content
Genre Season: Comedy
Wed 26 November 2008
Haden Church & Giamatti in Sideways
This one day Comedy workshop is part of November's Genre Season a series of six workshops each dedicated to a different story type.
Designed for writers, producers and script editors, the Genre Season programme aims to get under the skin of the key film genres and dissect their inner workings. This isn't film studies but a practical development workshop that aims to equip participants with the insight and tools required to write original and satisfying genre films.
Comedy
How important is a ‘high concept’ when writing Comedy for the big screen? It might make the script easier to pitch and possibly sell, but will it help you write or develop the story? Anyone writing Comedy or developing it with a writer, needs to know the personal strengths of the writer and understand the different types of comic story-telling forms. We will look at the importance of conflict in comedy and the important role of escalation in feature comedies in particular as well as key techniques as: deception, empathy and distance, set-up and pay-off and running gags. We will also explore comic characters and how in features, perhaps more than in any other comedy formats, it is important to give your comic characters an arc.
PRE-COURSE VIEWING LIST
Shaun of the Dead (2004) dir. Edgar Wright scr. Edgar Wright & Simon Pegg
Sideways (2004) dir. Alexander Payne scr. Alexander Payne & Jim Taylor
Groundhog Day (1993) dir. Harold Ramis scr. Danny Rubin & Harold Ramis
Meet the Parents (2000) dir. Jay Roach scr. Jim Herzfeld & John Hamburg
Using clips, script excerpts, and by referring to the pre-course viewing above we will look in depth at:
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COURSE OUTLINE
10am-11.15am Why We Laugh:
How comedy works and the simple psychology behind many jokes. Choosing a subject for comedy and target for your humour. Honing comic perspective and developing a personal approach to your subject.
11.15 - 11.30 - Break
11.30am-1pm What Makes a Comic Protagonist:
The pitfalls of the disaster-prone hero as opposed to character complexity and comic flaw. 'Superpowers' and self-awareness: techniques to redeem the flawed character and the importance of 'arc'.
1pm-2pm Lunch
2pm-3.15pm Comedy Writing Techniques Part 1:
The importance of conflict, escalation and deception. Goal and motivation and how these can be used to maximise your story's impact. Empathy and distance as a means to creating jokes and engaging the audience with your protagonist.
3.15pm-3.30pm Break
3.30pm-4.30pm Comedy Writing Techniques Part 2:
Set-up and pay-offs; surprise and suspense; running gags; pace in comedy.
4.30pm-5pm Comedy Subgenres:
A brief introduction to comedy sub-genres, from fish-out-of-water and farce, to satire and black comedy, highlighting key differences comedy writers should be aware of.
This session is taught by Jonny Brown, an experienced screenwriter and script doctor.
The workshop takes place at BFI Southbank and runs from 10am - 5pm. The cost of attending this one-day workshop is £120 + VAT (total £141). Script Factory Members are eligible for a 10% discount, making the Members’ fee £108 + VAT (total £126.90).
Places are strictly limited to 20 participants, so please book early to avoid disappointment. To book by credit/debit card please call 0207 851 4890.
For further details on the other workshops making up our Genre Season click here