Now, this is a genre I have steered clear of because, basically, everyone tells me I am not funny!
I crack myself up all the time, but my humour does not travel beyond my own mind it seems.
So, when I was asked last week if I had any ideas for a SPY Feature from a Producer, I put my thinking cap on and pitched a couple of ideas.
He liked one more than the other, we had a call and he threw the curve ball "Make it funny"
Now, taking my cue from actor anecdotes, always say YES, no matter what, you can always learn to ride a horse, right - I said sure, I'll give it a go.
Draft complete, I sent it last night.
I'll let you know if he thought it was funny at all, let alone funny enough.
Simon
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Comedy is very different to everyone so it can certainly be hard to get it right. It's not something that you can force either, I think the best comedy comes from situations you place your characters in. It's best as a natural yet slightly over the top reaction to something either everyday that your audience can recognize or something more extreme that they can imagine themselves in.
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Very true. I used a combination of situation, visual and verbal comedy
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I'm drafting a dramedy (usually write historical drama) and watching a lot of comedy for inspiration. One takeaway - it's not always the lines we write that are humorous, but can also be the actor's delivery in combination with their appearance, the setting, etc. Ugh, so much to consider and try to include without too much directing inserted. But, it's also a lot of fun so I'm glad I tackled it.
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I tried to write a comedy once and boy, what a mistake that was! We did everything wrong you can, casted the actors before the script was even finished, did no rehearsals, tried to film everything in one weekend... at least we learnt how to NOT make a comedy!
Things that work on paper doesn't necessarily work on stage. Delivery is everything! If you have the wrong timing, the wrong feeling, the wrong actors and setting, you're so screwed! My advice: Watch some Making-ofs, learn from the best. Like Mel Brooks or the early Zucker-Abrahams-Zucker (forget their newer stuff, seriously!)
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And it's all in the delivery (which I suck at personally) so casting is key too
From my script: WE BOUGHT A BUSLINE...The policeman bangs his nightstick against the bars and all back away. As Teddy begins to relate his story, the motorcycle guys begin to snicker, then laugh, then hold their sides, then roll on the floor in hysterics. The policeman begins to wheeze; he holds his sides and bends over while he chokes with laughter.
Teddy speaks desperately and as quickly as possible, then accelerates his tempo and waves his hands wildly.
TEDDY
So we were in a focus group together, three hundred a shot, the guy fed us bugs, except we didn’t know what they were, so we beat him up and left with the money, and Mike here inherited three hundred fifty grand from his grandma, except she died, but she beat him with a cane, and he had to form a business with us, cause we hate each other, and they’re two girls too, except they’re in the women’s section, cause we’re guys, and we bought Sokolov’s Busline, except he trained us in Russian, which we don’t speak, even Raul, although he’s Jewish, who would’ve thought, so Fineberg left us there, with no idea how to make a roasted chicken breast, except I can remember everything, cause I have a photographic memory, so Veronika taught the others how to make the Oh RCB with a song, and that’s what we were practicing when the cops came in, except on the cheese one, we do Turkey in the Straw, but Raul taught us the hora for the Cheese Steak like this…
Teddy sings.
TEDDY
(cont.d)
B F , B F C S S, BFCSS, BFCSSS…twe …lve…three handfuls with sau…uce…and si…ix…half it with sauce, sauce, sauce… B F , B F C S S, BFCSS, BFCSSS…twe …lve…three handfuls with sau…uce…and si…ix…half it with sauce, sauce, sauce.
He starts to speak again.
TEDDY
(cont.d)
Anyway, we got arrested for singing in the Busline, which isn’t fair cause it’s ours, a partnership like I said, even with all these infidels, although they aren’t bad for unbelievers, but I don’t touch the food, I only do the paperwork.
He runs out of air. Even his crew members laugh hysterically and crawl on the floor. The fat cop lies on the ground, and pounds the floor with his nightstick. They all cry and laugh like maniacs at the same time.
Policeman 1 comes to the cell area and stands. He watches the show in disbelief.
POLICEMAN 1
What de hell?
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Funny is often an exaggeration of what is normal morphed into what is ridiculous.