Writing the Comedy Blockbuster. Keith Giglio

Exercise: Beg, Steal, or Borrow

       CHAPTER TWO

       THE COMEDIC IDEA

       A.K.A. THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING INAPPROPRIATE A.K.A. THE BLUES BROTHERS ARE NOT ROLE MODELS

       The Inappropriate Goal

       The Comedic Logline A.K.A. The Pitch

       Uniquely Familiar

       Exercise: Twenty Uniquely Familiar Ideas

       The Fill-in-the Blanks Elevator Pitch

       Exercise: The Poster

       PART TWO: PLOT VS. CHARACTER: WHO WILL WIN?

       CHAPTER THREE

       COMEDIC CHARACTERS

       A.K.A. A FOOL’S JOURNEY A.K.A. I KNOW A GUY JUST LIKE THAT

       The Importance of Character

       A FOOL’S JOURNEY

       Take Your Silliness Seriously

       Characters Change

       The Rock and Roll School of Screenwriting

       Plot vs. Character

       BUILDING THE COMIC CHARACTER

       Exercise: The Comedic Character Worksheet

       WHAT I REALLY WANT TO DO IS DIRECT

       Comic Vision

       INAPPROPRIATE BEHAVIOR

       INAPPROPRIATE DIALOGUE

       UNITY OF OPPOSITES

       ROWING A SINKING BOAT

       Funny People

       Exercise: Character Work

       CHAPTER FOUR

       HILARITY AND HEART

       A.K.A. IT’S ALL ABOUT THE WOLF PACK

       The “Classic” and Still Modern Three-Act Structure

       Exercise: Question Everything

       The Comedic Sequence Approach

       Scene Study

       Putting Scenes to Work in Events

       Exercise: Funny Scenes

       The Secret Ingredients of Comedic Scenes

       PART THREE: THE COMEDIC ROADMAP – THE EIGHT COMIC SEQUENCES

       CHAPTER FIVE

       COMIC SEQUENCE (A)

       A.K.A. THE COMEDIC WORLD A.K.A. WELL BEGUN IS HALF DONE

       Setting Up the Comedic World

       Exercise: Comedy Calisthenics

       What is the Tone of Your Story?

       The Prestory

       Open With a Hook — First Impressions

       Defining Action

       Status Quo—Something’s Missing

       Exposition

       Point of Attack — Opportunity Knocks

       Exercise: Rewrite Your Favorite Movie

       CHAPTER SIX

       COMIC SEQUENCE (B)

       SETTING UP THE INAPPROPRIATE GOAL A.K.A. “YOU’RE GOING TO DO WHAT?” OR WHY CRASHING A WEDDING IS A GOOD IDEA

       What the Hell Happened to Me?

       The Buddy

       Meet the Bad Guy A.K.A. The Dick

       The Dramatic Question — Oh, That’s What it’s About

       End of the First Act — Protagonist and Objective

       Exercise: Change the Point of View

       CHAPTER SEVEN

       ACT TWO!

       A.K.A. WHERE SCRIPTS GO TO DIE

       COMIC SEQUENCE (C)

       THE MAD, MAD, MAD, MAD WORLD A.K.A.

       SOMETIMES GIRLS THROW UP ON YOU

       OH YES, OH NO!

       START SMALL AND GO BIG

       THE PROMISE OF THE PREMISE

       The Main Events of Sequence C

       THE MAD, MAD, MAD, MAD WORLD

       Establish the Initial Goal

       Learning New Rules / Taking on Appearances

       Friends and Enemies

       Subplots

       Subplots and Themes

       First Attempt Fails — Maybe

       Exercise in Conflict: The Agitator

       CHAPTER EIGHT

       COMIC SEQUENCE (D)

       IT JUST KEEPS GETTING WORSE A.K.A. HOW MUCH PAIN CAN BEN STILLER TAKE?

       FIVE EVENTS TO THE MIDPOINT

       Anticipation and Reaction Scenes

       Reaction Scenes

       Ramping Up

       Backward from the Midpoint

       The Midpoint Hints at the Ending

       Importance of Location

       CHAPTER NINE

       COMIC SEQUENCE (E)

       LOVE IN THE AIR A.K.A. WHY ANDY CHOOSES LOVE OVER SEX

       Reaction to the Midpoint