Writing the Comedy Film: Make 'em Laugh

250 Pages·10.418 MB·English

by  Voytilla, Stuart, Petri, Scott

STUART VOYTILLA
AND SCOTT PETRI
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“What made top-grossing films like Austin Powers, Home Alone and
Ferris Bueller's Day Off so successful? In Writing the Comedy Film,
Voytilla and Petri explain the structure of effective comedy and analyze
how the films’ writers put these principles to work.”
— Melanie Rigney
Editor, Writer’s Digest Magazine
“Writing for Hollywood is easy, selling to Hollywood is hard, and
comedy is hardest of all; this book illustrates that dynamically.”
— Skip Press
Author, The Complete Idiot’s Guide
to Screenwriting
“A rousing round of applause for Voytilla and Petri. They have
successfully cut open the drum of film humor and let us see what all
the noise is about. A classic repository of the whys and wherefores of
motion picture comedy.”
— Gloria Stern
Author, Do the Write Thing:
Making the Transition to Professional
Literary consultant, Lecturer

MICHAEL WIESE PRODUCTIONS
www.mwp.com
Since 1981, Michael Wiese Productions has been dedicated to providing
novice and seasoned filmmakers with vital information on all aspects
of filmmaking and videomaking. We have published more than 60
books, used in over 500 film schools worldwide.
Our authors are successful industry professionals — they believe
that the more knowledge and experience they share with others,
the more high-quality films will be made. That’s why they spend
countless hours writing about the hard stuff: budgeting, financing,
directing, marketing, and distribution. Many of our authors,
including myself, are often invited to conduct filmmaking seminars
around the world.
We truly hope that our publications, seminars, and consulting services
will empower you to create enduring films that will last for generations
to come.
We're here to help. Let us hear from you.
Sincerely,
Michael Wiese
Publisher, Filmmaker
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WRITING
THE COMEDY
FILM
MAKE ‘EM LAUGH
STUART VOYTILLA & SCOTT PETRI
WRITING THE COMEDY FILM / Moytilla & Petri
Published by Michael Wiese Productions
11288 Ventura Blvd., Suite 621
Studio City, CA 91604
tel. [phone]
fax [phone]
[email protected]
www.mwp.com
Cover Design: Art Hotel
Book layout: Gina Mansfield
Editor: Blake Snyder
Printed by McNaughton & Gunn, Inc., Saline, Michigan
Manufactured in the United States of America
©2003 Stuart Voytilla & Scott Petri
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without
permission in writing from the publisher, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Voytilla, Stuart, 1959-
Writing the comedy film : make 'em laugh / Stuart Voytilla, Scott Petri.
p. cm.
ISBN 0-941188-41-8
1. Comedy films--History and criticism. 2. Motion picture
authorship. I. Petri, Scott, 1967- II. Title.
PN1995.9.C55 V69 2003
808'3--dc21
2002154211
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
Sit Down, Shut Up, And Split A Gut ...........sscssssssssssscssescececscsesers xi
CHAPTER ONE
Comic Perspective: How to Develop a Comic Voice .............:s:00++ 1
CHAPTER TWO
How Comedy Works: The Physics of Funny ..........scccsssssscessesees 15
CHAPTER THREE
me Vetiets Of Laughter secsccsccccccisltinsetsiticcsntsdeaatidecestitieaoeienceoks 33
1 - Comedy is Conflict and Collision ...............csecssssssescsssseees 34
2 - Comedy is Conviction ...........scssscrscssrssssseccsssesssserseseseesseceres 50
3 - Comedy is Deception ............sc.sccsssessessccscsecsersccsoressscssssesoes 55
4 - Comedy is Wish-Fulfillment and Worst Fear ...............000 60
BC OMNCOY $9 REMIND scncesnascreresentactessasestsspsesSennsenrstassencssseneaisouss 65
6 - Comedy is Chaos and Anarchy ...........cccccsrssrssssssenrsesseeeeees 66
CHAPTER FOUR
Comedy and Children ............csoccosscssssossovssssesevsscssccossecsssescessenssessecs 71
vii
WRITING THE COMEDY FILM / Vaytilla & Petri
CHAPTER FIVE
Comic Stories And Their Structures .........ssccsscsssesssssssesscseecessseeees |
1 - Fish-Out-of-Waterr .............scccscsssssscssssessnccessecsenssosssoressssoees 85
2 - Romantic Comedy ..........sccscssscssssessscssosssesecsecessssecenssseseseses 95
3 = The Sports Comedy ........c..ssscsccssovsscssscsssesescnnsosarsenseseeseuses 105
4 - The Crime/Caper Comedy ..............cccsscosscosccesccoscresscosesoess 118
5 = The Military Comedy ..c.ic.-ccccccecccsovesssetsenessnssececsonsecoodeestcos 127
6 - The Teen/Coming-of-Age Comedy ...........s.sscsrcssssereoesoees 136
7 - The Ensemble Comedy ..............csssssessersscescesscoosssessoesconecee 143
By BDIC E ceo cee cece cecvscbeseactcnsssseadsvadtentascucssatvearyeieqnea ascseee neaui etna te 154
9. =i Black Comedy, sscesoasitascatserateosstussvsedssgs easseccesonessatestauxsanelncseds 164
10 - Satire, Parody, and Mockumentary ...............scscsssseseessseoes 172
CONCLUSION
“The. End: of thé Caughtert ...-cc.cccsscusqrssestesscctciresstoseessouscaseesrstreversts 193
Appendix A: The Stages of the Hero’s Journey ..............ccsscsssseees 195
Appendix B: AFT’S 100 Years... 100 Laughs .............ccsccsscesseereeeee 207
Appendix C: Top Ten Comedies from the Past Five Years ......... 212
About the Awe 2s.caccacucccccccsocscecictecuscseeencctse eteecteec eeseee 215