It is often suggested that there are 'secrets' to comedy or that it is 'lightning in a bottle', but the craft of comedy writing can be taught. While comedic tastes change, over time and from person to person, the core underpinning still depends on the comedic geniuses that have paved the way. Great comedy is built upon a strong foundation.
In Writing the Comedy Movie, Marc Blake lays out - in an entertainingly readable style - the nuts and bolts of comedy screenwriting. His objective is to clarify the 'rules' of comedy: to contextualize comedy staples such as the double act, slapstick, gross-out, rom com, screwball, satire and parody and to introduce new ones such as the bromance or stoner comedy. He explains the underlying principles of comedy and comedy writing for the screen, along with providing analysis of leading examples of each subgenre.
Rezensionen / Stimmen
A solid source of information that combines practical comedy tips in an academic context. The writing style is engaging and oftentimes funny, providing expert analyses with a variety of classic comedy examples taken from the last hundred years ... Provides valuable insight into the comedy industry for those interested in learning about the craft, or perhaps rediscovering their passion for it. * Alphaville: Journal of Film and Screen Media * A comprehensive and insightful survey of cinematic comedy forms and genres. * Paul Gulino, Associate Professor of Film, Chapman University, USA, and author of Screenwriting: The Sequence Approach * Marc Blake has written a very cool guide that will help new and experienced writers complete the comedy movie they've only been talking about writing. He covers the full spectrum of the types of comedies one can write: bromances, parodies, teen, gross out, dark and sex comedies, to name a few. Belongs on every comedy writer's shelf. * D.B. Gilles, Professor of Undergraduate Film, New York University, USA, and author of Writer's Rehab and You're Funny! *
Sprache
Verlagsort
Verlagsgruppe
Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
Zielgruppe
Maße
Höhe: 229 mm
Breite: 152 mm
Gewicht
ISBN-13
978-1-5013-1634-0 (9781501316340)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Klassifikation
Marc Blake is the author of several books on comedy and comedy/sitcom writing. A stand-up comedian and comic novelist, he has had his own BBC radio series and has written for many famous comics and for numerous TV comedy shows.
Autor*in
Southampton Solent University, UK
Introduction - Why Laugh?
1. It's all Greek to me: Comedy History from Aristophanes to Juvenal Establishing the Basic Tropes and Forms
2. Swiftian Satire and Shakespearean clowns: How the Elizabethans Attacked the Great and the Good with Parody and Lampoon
3. Wildean Wit: How Comedy Plays Became the Basis for the Comedy Movie
4. Silent Slapstick: How Chaplin, Keaton and Lloyd Exploited Visual Comedy
5. Dumb and Dumber: How Laurel and Hardy Created the Perfect Double Act Template
6. It Happened one Night: How Zingy Screwball Comedy led to the Rom Com
7. Sullivan's Travels to Team America: Social Satire from the 1940s to the Present Day
8. Auteurs from Woody Allen to Sasha Baron-Cohen: One Man, One Vision
9. Here come the Girls: Women in Comedy from Kooky Girl to Leading Actress
10. The Subgenres: Fish out of Water and the Coming of Age Comedy
11. Road and Buddy Movies, Frat Boy Frolics and Gross Out
12. Sports, Military and Ensemble Comedy
13. Farce and Black Comedy
14. Crime, Caper and Heist
15. Satire, Parody and Mockumentary
Appendices
- Interviews with Directors, writers and Producers
- Writing Exercises
Filmography
Bibliography
Index
