Wednesday 25 May 2011

Steve Kaplan Comedy Feature Writing Workshop

Steve Kaplan Comedy Feature Writing Workshop (starting 01 July 2011)

Duration: 2 days
Venue: Galway
Cost: €150.00


Application Procedure: Please apply online at www.screentrainingireland.ie submitting a current CV by Wednesday the 8th of June.


Screenwriters with feature length comedies in development are invited to apply for a consultation with Steve Kaplan. Steve is a US based consultant and script doctor for comedy writers in the area of Features and TV. He has worked in this area for 15 years and his clients include companies such as DreamWorks, Disney, HBO, Paramount, Touchstone and others. Steve has also taught at UCLA, NYU, Yale and other universities.

The consultations will take place in Galway on Sunday, July 3rd. Three participants will be selected for the consultations based on the merit of their treatment and their writing experience. 

Please note the following in relation to applying for a consultation:
 • A one page treatment will be required. Nothing over this will be considered
 • Also include a logline and a one paragraph synopsis of the feature comedy you are writing
• Nothing will be considered after the deadline date of June 8th
• All treatments for consideration should be emailed to criona.sexton@fas.ie

Participant Profile:
Emerging and experienced screenwriters. Screenwriters who wish to submit a treatment must have a feature lenght comedy in development

Course Profile:
The aim of this workshop is to examine the nuts and bolts of successful comedy writing. The workshop will take the form of lectures and practical exercises. The outline is as follows:

 I. Premise: THE ART AND SCIENCE OF COMEDY 1. Introduction and Overview 2. Dying is Easy, Comedy is Hard 3. Comedy Perception Test - Are you seeing 20/20? 4. Funny vs. Comic - The difference 5. The Comedy Equation
II. Set-up: THE SIX HIDDEN TOOLS OF COMEDY 1. Winning 2. Non-Hero 3. Metaphorical Relationships 4. Positive (and Negative) Actions 5. Active Emotion 6. Straight Line/Wavy Line Learn how to use these essential tools in your work.
III. Development: APPLYING THE TOOLS 1. Entire History of Comedy...in 15 minutes. 2. The Commedia Intensive 3. Comedy Structure & Development 4. Comic Premise---The Lie That Tells the Truth 5. Comic Premise Exercises & Analysis 6. The Comedy Paradigm 7. Comedy Writing in Film and Television 8. Jokes and Other Weapons of Mass Distraction 9. Developing Unique Comic Character POVs 10. and Personalities
IV. Payoff: COMEDY PRACTICUM 1. Script Analysis (TV and Film) 2. Clips from classic and current comedy TV 3. Shows and films demonstrating the principles and tools of Comedy 4. Exercises and demonstrations of comedy principles 5. Final Q&A

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