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Writing the Comedy Feature Film

At a Glance

  • Build a solid foundation for a great, funny screenplay
  • Get professional-level feedback and guidance at the critical early stage of your screenplay
  • Discover your unique comedy voice and how to align it with established comedy genres that make money at the box office

Jump start your comedy screenplay! A spec comedy screenplay is a great calling card for any screenwriter, and in this course we'll tee you up to create a successful one. Writers will learn the tools professional comedy writers use to create funny screenplays, and how to use those tools to get started on your own script. You’ll start by creating and discussing funny loglines, and learn the criteria for determining which premise should advance to the outline stage. Then you’ll create a detailed outline with one-on-one instructor feedback. Once each student has a winning story plotted out for a comedy screenplay, we’ll workshop the funniest ways to execute that idea as a feature-length script. Finally, each student will begin writing a comedy screenplay, which can be completed after the class.

In this online writing course you will learn:

  • Compelling story structure, and how it differs in comedy vs. drama
  • Professional comedy screenwriting tips and tricks
  • To recognize when your comedy writing is working
  • To avoid the most common mistakes of amateur comedy screenplays

Course Outline

Session 1

  • The 6 requirements of a comedy screenplay premise
  • The 5 mistakes to avoid in a comedy screenplay
  • The 5 key ingredients of a successful comedy screenplay
  • Understanding Comedy Conventions, but avoiding Comedy Clichés
Session 2
  • Review loglines and discuss which assigned logline ideas are best
  • 5 elements needed to turn a logline into a screenplay
  • The 9 characters in most comedy movies
  • Understanding the comedy genre and sub-genres
  • Workshop further screenplay ideas if necessary
Session 3
  • The 1 secret to structuring a comedy screenplay
  • Review and discuss which one-paragraph description is the most promising for each idea
  • Find the structure for your best one-paragraph synopsis
  • Sketch out the characters and storybeats of your screenplay
Session 4
  • Get feedback on 2-page outlines
  • 10 snags to watch out for in your outline
  • Tips for fixing story problems in your treatment and getting useful feedback
  • Review the basics of script formatting, writing style, and conventions
  • Tips for writing a screenplay

Product Details

Return Policy

Your satisfaction is our top priority. If you are not satisfied with your purchase, please return the item(s) for an exchange or refund within 30 days from the purchase date, unless otherwise noted on the product page.

Ship the item(s) to The Writers Store via a traceable and insured method. You will be responsible for return shipping fees.

Please include a completed Return Form with your shipment. Refunds take up to one week to process once we have received the item(s).

Software returns must be deactivated and uninstalled from your computer before a refund may be issued. Please contact the software manufacturer if you need assistance uninstalling or deactivating your software.

The following items are not returnable: Hollywood Creative Directories, DVDs (opened), and Gift Certificates.

Meet the Author: Scott Dikkers

Scott Dikkers founded the world's first humor website, theonion.com, which has more than 50 million unique monthly page views and 15 million social-media followers. As The Onion's longest-serving editor-in-chief, Scott created the Peabody Award-winning Onion News Network, which has spawned countless viral video hits and two television series, for IFC and Comedy Central. He's the writer-director of two successful independent comedy feature films, "Spaceman" and "Bad Meat." He has consulted for Pixar, Lucasfilm, Fox Searchlight, MTV, and others. Ranked on Entertainment Weekly's "It List" of the top 100 movers and shakers in entertainment, he's also a #1...

$229.99