We've noticed this is not your region.
Redirect me to my region
What do you want to learn today?

Details

Whether you’re writing a comedy screenplay, working on a sitcom script, or producing or directing a comedy film or television series, Steve Kaplan’s Comedy Screenplay Intensive is a must for any serious professional. Find out why the top writers, producers and directors from companies such as ABC, Disney, BBC, Dreamworks, Aardman Animation, NBC, Touchstone Television and others regularly attend his famed class.

Course Overview

The Comedy Screenplay Intensive is a two-day course that explores the hidden tools and principles of comedy.

Screenwriters need to understand what comedy is, how it works, why it works, what’s happening when it’s not working. This weekend masterclass explains and what you can do to create smiles and chuckles in your scenes and movies. Tutor Steve Kaplan is recognised as one of Hollywood's comedy experts. He has developed a proven system and offers and practical methods and techniques.

On Day 1, you will explore with Kaplan the Hidden Tools of Comedy – useable, practical tools that you can apply immediately to your work.

Day 2 focuses on character, structure, comic premise and specific ways of applying the tools to text.

The workshop includes interactive exercises, solo and group writing activities, as well as a liberal use of clips from current and classic comedies to illustrate key points and principles. By the end of this weekend you will thoroughly understand how comedy works and have a solid toolkit enabling you to write comedy screenplays professionally.

Outline

I. Premise
THE ART AND SCIENCE OF COMEDY
  • Introduction and Overview
  • Dying is Easy, Comedy is Hard
  • Comedy Perception Test – Are you seeing 20/20?
  • Funny vs. Comic – The difference
  • The Comedy Equation
II. Set-up
THE HIDDEN TOOLS OF COMEDY
  • Winning
  • Non-Hero
  • Metaphorical Relationships
  • Positive (and Negative) Actions
  • Active Emotion
  • Straight Line/Wavy Line
  • Four Elements of Jokes
  • The Tools Applied
  • Learn how to use these essential tools in your work
III. Development
COMEDY PRACTICUM
  • Entire History of Comedy…in 15 minutes.
  • Comedy Archetypes
  • Comic Premise—The Lie That Tells the Truth
  • Developing the Comic Premise
  • The Comedy Paradigm
IV. Payoff
STRUCTURE AND DEVELOPMENT
  • The Comic Hero’s Journey
  • Art of Romantic Comedy
  • Sitcoms & Pilots
  • Final Q&A

Speaker/s

Steve Kaplan

For years, Steve Kaplan has been the industry’s most sought-after expert on comedy. In addition to having taught at UCLA, NYU, Yale and other top universities, Steve Kaplan created the HBO Workspace, the HBO New Writers Program and was co-founder and Artistic Director of Manhattan Punch Line Theatre. He regularly serves as a consultant and script doctor to such companies as Dreamworks, Disney, HBO, Paramount, Touchstone and others.

In New York, Steve was co-founder and Artistic Director of Manhattan Punch Line Theatre, where he developed writers such as Peter Tolan (Analyze This, Finding Amanda), writer and producer David Crane (Friends, Joey, The Class), writer/producer Tracy Poust (Ugly Betty, Will & Grace), Michael Patrick King (The Comeback, Sex and The City, Will & Grace),David Ives (Venus in Fur), Will Scheffer (Big Love), Howard Korder (LAKEVIEW TERRACE starring Samuel Jackson and Ashton Kutcher), Lisa Loomer, Tom Donaghy, Sandra Tsing Loh (CHICKEN LITTLE), Kenneth Lonergan and Mark O’Donnell (HAIRSPRAY starring John Travolta) and introduced such performers as Lewis Black, Mercedes Ruehl, Oliver Platt, Helen Slater, Fisher Stevens, Veanne Cox, Sam McMurray, Vickie Lewis and Illeana Douglas.

In Los Angeles, he created the HBO New Writers Project, discovering HBO Pictures screenwriter Will Scheffer and performer/writer Sandra Tsing Loh; and the HBO Workspace, a developmental workshop in Hollywood that introduced and presented performers such as Jack Black and Tenacious D, Kathy Griffin, Bob Odenkirk and David Cross (Mr. Show), Josh Malina and Paul F. Tompkins. At the Workspace, he was Executive Producer for the award-winning HBO Original Programming documentary DROP DEAD GORGEOUS. Steve has directed in regional theaters and Off-Broadway (including Sandra Tsing Loh’s ALIENS IN AMERICA at Second Stage) and has developed, produced and directed other one-woman shows with actress Lauren Tom and comediennes Nora Dunn and Kathy Buckley.

Steve has been teaching his Comedy Intensive workshops to thousands of students for more than 10 years. He is currently presenting his two-day Comedy Intensive workshops around the world, with workshops scheduled in Los Angeles, New York, London and Singapore.

Special Offer

10% early-bird discount - must end 1 March 2016.
Raindance members get a 15% discount.
Reviews
Be the first to write a review about this course.
Write a Review
Raindance is an independent film festival and film school that operates throughout major cities including: London, Los Angeles, New York, Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal, Budapest, Berlin, Bejing and Brussels.

Listed by Variety as one of the world’s top 50 "unmissable film festivals", Raindance Film Festival showcases features and shorts by filmmakers from around the world to an audience of film executives and buyers, journalists, film fans and filmmakers.

Throughout the year, Raindance runs evening and weekend film training courses covering everything from producing, directing, screenwriting, technical crafts (e.g. lighting, sound, editing), and hosts international guest tutors such as Academy Award nominee Guiellermo Arriaga and screenwriting coach to the studios John Truby. 

Raindance also offers an M.A/M.SC Film prograduate programme, both London-based and online. 
Sending Message
Please wait...
× × Speedycourse.com uses cookies to deliver our services. By continuing to use the site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies, Privacy Policy, and our Terms & Conditions.