10COMEDYCONCEPTEXCERCISES

1.TheSwitchThiscomedystartingpointhasantecedents

instorieslikeThePrinceandthePauperandthemovie,

TradingPlaces.Thisisthecomedystorywheretwoopposites

swapsituationsforsomereason:abet,anurgentneed,ora

mistake.Itcanalsoincludetheswitchingofadeviceor

object,e.g.,TakingCareofBusinesswithJimBelushiand

CharlesGrodin.MyexperiencewiththeSwitchisamovie

calledBig,UglyBaby!bestdescribedasanalien

switchedatbirthcomedy.ACTIONSTEP:Drawthissymbol:

<>onthetopofapieceofpaper.Ononesidelistthe

Prince,ontheotherthePaupertoshowOPPOSITES.Find

twosetsofpeoplemostatodds,thenhavethemswitch(and

giveonetheupperhand),butbothneedtolearnthe

lesson.Theninthemiddlesection,writeideasforhow

thesetwowouldactuallyswitchplacesorcrosslives;the

gimmickofhowtheswitchismadeisyourtitle!

2.TheFishOutofWaterThisisaFoolTriumphanttale

aboutsomeonewho,inhisownpond,islesseffectiveor

average,butbygoingtoanewbodyowaterbecomesastar:

LegallyBlonde,MissCongeniality,BeverlyHillsCop.Heres

thewayIcomeupwiththese.Itsmyfavoriteidea

generatingtool.IcallitTheTbarMethodandits

simple.ACTIONSTEP:DrawabigTonapieceofpaperand

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labelonesidefish,theothersidewater.Makealist

offish;trytobespecific.(UsetheheroesofMiss

CongenialityandLegallyBlondeasexamples.)Thenask

yourselfwherewouldthatfishfeelmostoutofplace?What

pondwouldtheybemostoutofplacein?Writethatonthe

watersideoftheT.Makesuretoothattheproblemyou

setupinthebeginningissolvedbytheend.Whatisthe

problem?Itsthedeficittheheromustovercometobe

whole.Itwillalsobethethemeofyourmovie,e.g.,the

relationshipbetweenthebeautycontestantsandSandra

BullockinMissCongenialityhelpsSandraovercomethe

problemofbeingatomboyatthebeginningofthemovie.

3.TheRomComwithaTwistEveryoneislookingfora

romanticcomedy(romcom).Buttheyrehardtocomeupwith!

Why?Nowadays,therearenosocialstrata.Anyonecanfall

inlovewithanyoneorhavesexwithanyoneatwill.Not

liketheolddaysofMyManGodfreyorPillowTalk!Your

job:Comeupwithwhatiskeepingtheloversapart,e.g.,

geographyinSleeplessinSeattle,theInternetinYouve

GotMail,livingwithonesparentsinFailuretoLaunch.

Thegimmickthatiskeepingthetwoseparatedisthemovie,

thetitle,andthecomplication!Andthecomplicationis

whatmakesallromcomswork.Buthowcanyoucomeupwitha

newone?Startwithwhatisseparatingtheloversthen

figureoutwhotheyare.ACTIONSTEP:Drawtwovertical

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linesonapieceofpaper.Labelthemiddlecolumn:The

Complication.LabeltheothertwoHimontheleftand

Herontheright,orviceversa.Inthemiddlecolumn

figureoutthethingthatiskeepingtwopeopleapart

(ironicallyalsowhatskeepingthemtogether!),thenfigure

outtheoppositesoneithersideofthatcomplication.For

example,ifpoliticsistheproblem,makeheraRepublican

andhimaDemocrat.

4.TheMagicSpellInmynewbook,thiswillbethe

chaptertitledOutoftheBottle,andthereareallkinds

ofcurses,bodyswitches,andmagicspellgimmickstochoose

from.Inthesetaleswealsomosteasilyseethedifference

betweentheEmpowermentandComeuppancetale.Theformeris

seeninTheNuttyProfessor,Click,andBruceAlmighty;the

latterisinLiar,Liar;ShallowHal;andFreakyFriday.But

themessageinbothtypesisthesame:Becarefulwhatyou

wishfor!Yourjob,afterthousandsofyearsofmagic

stories:Comeupwithanewone!Itcanbedone.Click

introducedanewmagicwandandwasahitforAdamSandler.

ACTIONSTEP:Writeatthetopofthepage:IfIhadamagic

wandandcouldgrantmyselfanypower,whatwouldthatbe?

Thenonanotherpieceofpaper:Iftherewasacursecast

onme,whatwouldbetheworstone?Thenbesideeitherthe

powerorthecursewritealistoftheleastlikelyperson

thatwouldgetthatmagic.Onepieceofmagicpermovie

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please,andonceyousetuptherulesofthemagic,make

sureyousticktothemthroughout.

5.TheBetYouseethisdonealot,e.g.,HowtoLosea

GuyinTenDays.Thismaysoundartificial,andoftenis,

becauseatanymomentweintheaudiencearethinking,Just

tellher/himaboutthebet!yetitremainsawonderful

startingpointforacomedypremise.ACTIONSTEP:Atthe

topofyourblankpieceofpaper,writeGoogle.Thiswill

remindyoutousetheInternettofindsomeoutrageous

betsandseewherethissearchleadsyou.Alsoquery

friendsandrelativesaboutthemostunusual,most

outlandishbettheyevermade,e.g.,TheContestepisode

ofSeinfeld.Alistofsuchbetsisthestartingpointfor

yourmovie;nowalsoincludetheequallyoutrageous

participantsinthebet,andatimelimitforit.

6.TheBuddyBuddyThisisthemostpopularmoviespec

rightnow;WeddingCrashersand40YearOldVirginreally

pavedthewayforRratedcomediesstarringtwoguys.This

includesthecopbuddygenrewhichneedsashotinthe

arm!Puttwoguysinanunusualsituationandyoureally

haveagoodchancetosellthatstory.Buthowcanyoumake

itnew?ACTIONSTEP:GobackuptoyourFoolTriumphantT

barpageandmaketheFishtwopeople!WeddingCrashersis

agoodexample;thefilmmakersdidnotneedtohavetwoguys

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tomakethatmoviework.Butbyhavingitbeabuddymovie,

theygaveeachoftheguysanadventureandsomeoneto

talkaboutwhatshappening!Dolikewise,foreveryfishout

ofwaterstory,theresabuddyversionofit.

7.TheTrueLifeTaleIkeepafileofstoriesfromthe

news.OneIsawrecentlyconcernedabridekidnappedbyher

parents,whodidntwanthertomarryherfianc.Inreal

life,theparentsarenowinjail,butinHollywoodthat

pitchisnowmakingtheroundsatthestudios.Why?Because

eventhoughithappenedinreallife,itsahilarious

startingpoint.Weshouldallkeepamanilafolderfileof

newspaperclippingsoffunnystoriesthatstrikeusassuch.

Whetheryouuseeachofthesestoriesasamovieidea,or

useelementsoftheminthescriptsyoureworkingon,

theyregreatcomedythoughtstarters.ACTIONSTEP:Geta

manilafileandstartscanningyournewssourcestoday!

8.TheInvasionoftheJerkThatCametoDinnerakaThe

InterminableTimeThesearestoriesaboutexperiencesthat

neverseemtoend,situationswhereweareforcedtoputup

withinconvenience,eitheraboringfriend,anoverbearing

relative,oraverylongcarride.Recentexamplesinclude:

MeettheParents;You,MeandDupree;4ChristmasesandThe

BreakUp.ACTIONSTEP:Thinksituation.Askyourself,and

list,whereyouvebeenstuckinlife:intraffic,inan

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elevator,inarelationship,inafamilysituation,oratan

eventthatneverseemstoend.Fromthissituationcreatea

herowhoseonlygoalistogetoutofthatsituationandwho

orwhatisstoppingthem.

9.LongDaysJourneyintoJokesThisisfrommycategory

calledTheGoldenFleece,basedonthemythofJasonand

theArgonauts;itismostlyaboutroadstories.Therearea

lotoffunny(andobvious)onesfromthisgroup,e.g.,Road

TripandPlanes,TrainsandAutomobiles.Butthereisamuch

simplerwaytogenerateideasthatputourheroesonthe

broadhighway!ACTIONSTEP:GotoLeonardMaltinsbookof

3000moviesorEbertandRoepersifyourefromChicago,

readthroughit,andaddthephraseontheroadtoany

title.ThisishowseveralmoviesIhavecomeupwithhave

gottenwritten,includingaspecIcowrotethatisbest

describedasHomeAlone...ontheroad.Ialsorecently

heardofonethatwaspitchedasGrumpyOldMen...onthe

roadthatsoldandgotmade,andIcanseetheposterjust

fromthatdescription!Thisconceptisafungameandcan

reallygeneratefunnystoryideas.

10.Spoof!ScaryMovieisabighit,DateMoviegotmade,

andvariationsonthemockdocumentarylikeSpinalTapare

oftengood.So,whereisyours?ACTIONSTEP:Pickan

institution,movietype,historicaleventorperiod,

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improbablebiography,orfakenewsstoryandmakefunof

itbylampooningourpreconceivednotionsofwhatitis.

Itstakingsomethingweseeseriouslyandpokingfunatit.

HowaboutamoviethatcombinesGladiator,allthoseRay

HarryhausenstopmotionHerculesclassics,andtherecent

TroyandAlexandersandandsandalmovies?Thatsthe

spoofIdlovetosee.Sonexttimeyoureadinthetrades

thataspoofsold,youcansaywhatwewhoarentworkingon

ourcomedyloglinesalwayssay:WhydidntIthinkof

that!?Ormaybegettoworkonyoursrightnow!