Comedy script "must have's"

[coffee]

I'm always thinking of the fundamentals of things and got to thinking of comedy scripts!

So, what do you guys think are the "must have's"?

The first for me is a snappy lead character! Or perhaps a sappy one? lol

 

[Nique Zoolio]

A famous theory about what makes something funny is fear.
eg - knock knock jokes are funny because we are afraid of having those names.
bad jokes are funny because we are afraid of being bad joke makers
it has to be a particular type of fear though. eg - being raped is not funny.
it has to be something known as 'safe-fear'.
eg - the Producers. Its first half depends upon characters. The Hitler auditions. The German writer - crazy, crazy cats. We are fearful of being in that situation. But it is a safe fear as they would not really do anything to us.

What do you think? I think that you can analyse anything into being funny really, and come up with a vague theory like this one in the process. I find the idea of

Spoiler

you reading this in the dark

hilarious - and that is truly frightening.

 

[RJA]

Wings

Nothing much.

Just found this site trying to search google for...hmmm, I've already forgotten...I like it, I want some more of it....

Go Angels..... They lost yesterday

sparky

Angels can't fly without wings

 

[rrk1962]

Funny is all in timing...no, wait, tIMIng...timING. Really, if your actors get that, and you edit with good timing, jokes and visuals are funny, and fast is usually better, don't linger on a joke or sight gag, keep em coming.

And for characters, normal people in abnormal situations (Groundhog Day, sarcastic smart-ass coping with living the same day over and over) or abnormal people in normal situations (Dumb and Dumber, two oddball friends can't fit in anywhere)

And the thing about comedy is that you can break rules of logic and storytelling, you can veer off topic in a way that usually hurts a more structural story, if it's funny. And all you can do is trust your gut - if it makes you laugh, it's funny. That's how you know.

 

[rrk1962]

I was thinking about Bad Santa last night. Now that was a funny flick!

Oh yeah, and things that just don't fit. Didn't someone mention extremes or opposites or something like that? Drunk bastard as Santa, gay couple meets conservative polititian (Bird Cage), misfits join the Army (Stripes).

Those are all just pure comedies, something like a romantic comedy is, I think, much harder and very dependent on wit, a modern version of Noel Coward drawing room plays. Woody Allen in his heyday with Annie Hall and Manhatten (my favorite of his,) When Harry Met Sally, Four Weddings and a Funeral, easy to plot, hard to write well.

 

[ImAMachine]

Comedy is tricky. I would say it must have energy, unless it is dry wit (which is my favorite). It must analyse something, and it must be truthful. On a friend of mine's website http://www.myfirstcrush.com/videos.html there used to be a video about a nazi trying to fit in. It was absolutely hilarious. The nazi is VOing about how hard it is to fit into society, as he explores nature and admires the lake. He then walks down a street in full nazi garb to cheerful music, and a polite bob, VOing how people just don't understand him. Then a car drives by and some teen throws a popcan at him yelling "Go back to Africa, you stupid nazi!". It is udderly the funniest thing ever. In the end, the nazi is rolling in a field, loving the flowers in full military garb. Just the imagrey is hilarious to look at (unless the nazis are sensitve to you, in which case I apologize for bringing this up, and for my sense of humor being as dark and twisted as this is).

It's a good example of effective comedy, though. It asks a big "what if". What if a kind and gentle nazi just wanted to fit in? It's a far fetched idea, and a huge contrast. Contrast is a big one with me. It's getting silly that does it for me. Contrast is the difference between Joe Schmoe working at a desk in his office, to Jake Blake ("loose-canon" detective) having his latest stakeout at the local seniors residence. There have been a series of murders and he's there to protect the only witness... only the elderly woman he's protecting falls in love with him, and he must choose between his love of the elderly woman and his love of solving crimes. In the end, there will be a shootout in hallways filled with elderly people. It will star Dolph Lundgren as the crazy detective, Sue Johansen (local sex show host who is in her late 50's-early 60's and loves to wear "chin-attire" for demonstration).
Of course, the killer turns out to be her, and she was trying to get in the detective's pants just to throw him off, and point him towards Mr. Shiggle (played by a retarded Robert Duvall). Now there's s good one.

Whew. Long post.

That was honestly the funniest thing I have ever read. I actually would love to do my own version of it. The only thing is though, if I were to change the entire script and everything is that playgerizing? Because I tried going to that site and possabilly contacting and asking him. It seems the site is no longer there. Hmmm, should I do it. Or just wait and think of my own idea? AHHH I love this idea. Errr... any suggestions?

EDIT: I really should not come to these sites. I mean I ened up reading somebodys idea and wanting to "redo" it so to speak. Because I have never seen it. I have some great ideas as well which I am also making into a movie. I would almost feel bad if I made this movie, because I would know it is not my idea.... frik...

 

[Spatula]

You can take an idea.. like.. say, Shakespeare... and rework it in your own vision. In the same ilk, I'm sure you can take the IDEA, and then transpose it into a new context.
Either way, it's usually more rewarding to invent something original.

 

[ImAMachine]

^ Yeah, thats very true I guess. I think I wont make my own vision/version of it. Ill just wait tell a great idea pops into my head!

 

[Oxygen Farm- digitaldj]

comedy writing

I Think there are a few important key elements to great comedy writing, but they can contradict each other.

you can have comedy with great realism; the office
or
you can have comedy which is just crazy and completely out there; Airplane!

but all must have excellent timing, it is the key. The most perfect comedy script can be easily butchered by poor timing for example; I was watching a National Lampoon film several weeks ago and some of the dialogue was actually amusing when thought back upon but it could have been hilarious had they worked through their timing.

___________________

Of- DigitalDJ

 

[adamthegreat]

what makes or kills a lot of comedy stuff to me is what you dont have. Some movies and tv shows i want to love, but they add extra stuff that just kills it for me. Examples are like the character brick in anchorman, they use him over and over and kill him. if you have someone like him, give him about 2 lines the whole movie or its ruined (although i didnt think he was funny at all). also ralph wiggum, he was the best character on the simpsons until they used him more then like 4 times in a season, now they use him a couple times every episode and he isnt funny anymore. and if you watch the simpsons now, they kill almost every joke they use, ill start to laugh at something and then they quickly cut to someone else adding onto the joke and i immediately stop laughing and say that was dumb. make sure you keep it simple.

also the rule of three. someone said in this thread comedy is repitition. i would agree with that, but i find i usually laugh the hardest if you repeat stuff 3 times, anymore would kill it, any less you woudlnt see the repition. i cant think of any examples but i know i use it a lot in shorts i make.

and remember to keep things unpredictable.

 

[filmscheduling]

Comedy is often just brutal honesty that you think you don't want to hear but then you hear it and think, "wow I wish I had the *lls to say that".

 

[donniker137]

thats correct sir

 

[whiterabbit]

A few pointers:

1) Comedy is repetition. Even the most mundane thing repated enough could be funny. If you have a character say "Great Scott!" three times throughout a movie, chances are by the third time, someone will be laughing.

2) The Best Comedy is found in everyday life. The opening scene in Office Space mocks the frustration we feel when stuck in a traffic jam. Most comedians nowadays point out little oddities of life and mock them.

3) The Second Best Comedy is grown in a field near Kennebunkport, Maine.

4) Comedy is repetition. Even the most mundane thing repated enough could be funny. If you have a character say "Great Scott!" three times throughout a movie, chances are by the third time, someone will be laughing.

5) Comedy is...

and

6) Sometimes Comedy comes from things that might be horrible in real life, but seeing them up on the screen makes you laugh (a guy getting kicked in the crotch so many times he poops himself - of course, this style of humor is not appreciated by art snobs like me).

7) Comedy is...

...rooting for the Los Angeles Angels of Annehiem (the name is even comedy) when you live in Texas. Or maybe that's irony...wait, wait, I know...it's Ironic Comedy!

Comedy is repetition. Even the most mundane thing repated enough could be funny. If you have a character say "Great Scott!" three times throughout a movie, chances are by the third time, someone will be laughing.

Poke

the little super heroes dance to Blue Monday by NewOrder.

sorry, that was non-sequitor.
wait, no it wasn't it made me laugh, i sat there and watched for the whole song.