Anyone write in vein of Airplane?

[Blade_Jones]

Does anyone write in the vein of Kentucky Fried Movie, Airplane, Soul Plane, Spinal Tap or other screwball comedies? I'm really good at writing individual scenes, but not as good at tying them all together with a story.

Also anyone write scenes for reality prank shows like Sledgehammer, Punk'd, Trigger Happy TV, Candid Camera, etc?

 

[barnaclelapse]

I've never tried to write anything along those lines intentionally, but a lot of those films are certainly a pretty big influence on my comedy writings.

Have you ever considered writing sketch comedy? It sounds like your talents and interests would be best suited in that area.

 

[Buddy Greenfield]

I have written comedy stuff, but not as power one liner driven as Airplane, or as disconnected yet connected as KFM, and have only dabbled in mockumentary style.

As far as prank stuff, I did season or so worth of “Put down the gun and stop crying, you’re on Hidden Camera Yardsale!”

-Thanks-

 

[MitchThompson]

Airplane' and shit

Well I did sort of try to write like Airplane more so with the idea that,"There's gotta be a jok every line" of course when I'd shown thi to people they said, "Too many jokes,not enough character!"..Well hey..It's a comedy

 

[Dreadylocks]

Well, a good comedy does have a laugh every beat. That does not necessarily mean a conventional 'joke' or 'one liner' every beat, but a laugh every beat.

Comedy is my favorite genre, but I have to say that I hate the Airplane! movies and the others like them (Silence of the Hams, etc). You've got to start with good characters and a good story, and then make it funny.

Or to quote the master:

There's one thing you've got to understand before you can direct comedy. Comedy is serious - deadly serious. Never, never try to be funny! The actors must be serious. Only the situation must be absurd. Funny is in the writing, not in the performing. If the situation isn't absurd, no amount of hoke will help. And another thing, the more serious the situation, the funnier the comedy can be. The greatest comedy plays against the greatest tragedy. Comedy is a red-rubber ball and if you throw it against a soft, funny wall, it will not come back. But if you throw it against the hard wall of ultimate reality, it will bounce back and be very lively, Vershteh, goy bastard? No offense. Very, very few people understand this.

-Mel Brooks
http://ysos.sammigirl.com/interviews/playboy1975.html
btw, the interview is a fantastic and informative read, it was hard not to post several excerpts.