Make Your Characters Funny: Tools to Create Authentic Comedy in Your Television Script
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Webinar hosted by: Vijal Patel
Emmy-nominated and Peabody Award-Winning Writer, BLACK-ISH
Vijal Patel is an Emmy-nominated and Peabody Award-winning writer and executive producer who has written for many award-winning comedy series including ABC’s BLACK-ISH and THE MIDDLE. Vijal currently serves as writer and co-executive producer of the ABC comedy series SCHOOLED, starring Tim Meadows and AJ Michalka. He also writes and develops feature film projects for the powerhouse studio DreamWorks. Vijal has built his career on writing comedy and using it to explore race, family, religion, politics, and class struggle. Full Bio »
Webinar Summary
What is it about the most successful TV comedies that have allowed them to stand the test of time? Whether it’s ALL IN THE FAMILY, SEINFELD, PARKS AND RECREATION, or FLEABAG, it’s not the jokes that have made these shows so successful—as funny as they might be—it’s the characters. Distinct, hilarious, memorable and, above all, authentic characters are always the ingredient that will make a good TV comedy great. Whether you are working on your own comedy project or are hoping to write on an existing show, it’s crucial to have an understanding of what makes TV comedy characters great and how you can create your own Archie Bunkers and Leslie Knopes.
Crafting great comedic characters is not only important in creating a successful show; it’s also how you can get noticed. After all, with so many different types of comedies in the marketplace, it is becoming the toughest genre to break into. Writing great characters can separate your work from the rest and give you the kind of attention that solid jokes and a good sense of humor simply can’t muster on their own. This means it’s vital not only to have great characters, but to know how to make them shine on the page. The good news is there are strategies and actionable lessons you can use to elevate the characters in your own television comedy.
Vijal Patel is an Emmy-nominated and Peabody Award-winning writer and executive producer who has written for many award-winning comedy series including ABC’s BLACK-ISH and THE MIDDLE. Vijal currently serves as writer and co-executive producer of the ABC comedy series SCHOOLED, starring Tim Meadows and AJ Michalka. He also writes and develops feature film projects for the powerhouse studio DreamWorks. Vijal has built his career on writing comedy and using it to explore race, family, religion, politics, and class struggle.
In this exclusive Stage 32 on-demand webinar Vijal will teach you how to make your characters funny. He’ll go through the 2 most basic comedy archetypes and explain the difference between jokes and attitude humor. He’ll teach you how to differentiate your characters and ensure they’re unique and will guide you through both the “One Word” exercise and “Situation” exercise to help improve your characters, using examples from THE SIMPSONS, FLEABAG, BLACK-ISH, SEINFELD, and others. Vijal will then delve into how to make your characters feel authentic and how to write impactful character descriptions to ensure they pop on the page. Finally he will dive deep into how to write funny dialogue for your characters, including how to use humor, how to end the joke, metaphors, similes, and reactions. Vijal will leave you with a series of strategies and clear examples that you can bring back to your own project to make your characters, funnier, more memorable, and more authentic.
Praise for Vijal's Stage 32 Webinar:
" LOVED IT!!!!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! Vijal was very engaging, intelligent and helpful. He gave so much insight to the nuts and bolts of creating comedic characters that are authentic."
-Debbie C.
"Exactly what I needed to know"
-Shashank M.
"Great info, every moment jam packing with knowledge. Great perspective from a working writer."
-Ashton S.
What You'll Learn
- 2 Most Basic Comedy Archetypes
- Definition and Examples
- Jokes vs. Attitude Humor
- Joke Delivery
- Attitude Humor
- Examples
- How to Differentiate your Characters
- Are your characters unique from each other?
- How can you give a clear, comedic voice and attitude to your character?
- The “One Word” exercise
- Examples (SIMPSONS, UNBREAKABLE KIMMY SCHMIDT, FAMILY TIES, FLEABAG, PARKS & REC, VACATION, SEINFELD, BLACK-ISH)
- The “Situation” exercise
- Examples (SEINFELD)
- How Do You Make Your Characters Feel Authentic?
- The #1 source for characters and traits
- Diversity examples
- How to Write Impactful Character Descriptions
- Script character description examples
- Pitch document character description examples
- How to Write Funny Dialog
- Tips and examples
- How to end the joke
- How to use humor
- Metaphors and similes
- Reactions
- Examples
- Q&A with Vijal
About Your Instructor
Vijal Patel
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