STUART VOYTILLA AND SCOTT PETRI : S 1 ) BR: i. \ “What made top-grossing films like Austin Powers, Home Alone and Ferris Bueller's Day Off so successful? In Writing the Comedy Film, Voytilla and Petri explain the structure of effective comedy and analyze how the films’ writers put these principles to work.” — Melanie Rigney Editor, Writer’s Digest Magazine “Writing for Hollywood is easy, selling to Hollywood is hard, and comedy is hardest of all; this book illustrates that dynamically.” — Skip Press Author, The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Screenwriting “A rousing round of applause for Voytilla and Petri. They have successfully cut open the drum of film humor and let us see what all the noise is about. A classic repository of the whys and wherefores of motion picture comedy.” — Gloria Stern Author, Do the Write Thing: Making the Transition to Professional Literary consultant, Lecturer MICHAEL WIESE PRODUCTIONS www.mwp.com Since 1981, Michael Wiese Productions has been dedicated to providing novice and seasoned filmmakers with vital information on all aspects of filmmaking and videomaking. We have published more than 60 books, used in over 500 film schools worldwide. Our authors are successful industry professionals — they believe that the more knowledge and experience they share with others, the more high-quality films will be made. That’s why they spend countless hours writing about the hard stuff: budgeting, financing, directing, marketing, and distribution. Many of our authors, including myself, are often invited to conduct filmmaking seminars around the world. We truly hope that our publications, seminars, and consulting services will empower you to create enduring films that will last for generations to come. We're here to help. Let us hear from you. Sincerely, Michael Wiese Publisher, Filmmaker eesti!p ees= spol guetta bdsies pave ro pk eneion Sia ale vod? sameiies lige sghalsvordt cso al byss ongs:‘ on wihw #aath & “obera sel (iw. aa pilesp-rigul » ; Sa aeaei jevtrghod Fei breti-ads svods genie ergdod eee atts ae 30 aM. bopudingath Path qobinlinds es oe eealice peso soubsi7 é¢ bativai nto ate Meret pl OM © | ae adalat ies ties ecairnodtdug we shllp ala sa sane ont nc eel grins enya of BOY ti if WRITING THE COMEDY FILM MAKE ‘EM LAUGH STUART VOYTILLA & SCOTT PETRI WRITING THE COMEDY FILM / Moytilla & Petri Published by Michael Wiese Productions 11288 Ventura Blvd., Suite 621 Studio City, CA 91604 tel. (818) 379-8799 fax (818) 986-3408 [email protected] www.mwp.com Cover Design: Art Hotel Book layout: Gina Mansfield Editor: Blake Snyder Printed by McNaughton & Gunn, Inc., Saline, Michigan Manufactured in the United States of America ©2003 Stuart Voytilla & Scott Petri All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without permission in writing from the publisher, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Voytilla, Stuart, 1959- Writing the comedy film : make 'em laugh / Stuart Voytilla, Scott Petri. p. cm. ISBN 0-941188-41-8 1. Comedy films--History and criticism. 2. Motion picture authorship. I. Petri, Scott, 1967- II. Title. PN1995.9.C55 V69 2003 808'3--dc21 2002154211 TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION Sit Down, Shut Up, And Split A Gut ...........sscssssssssssscssescececscsesers xi CHAPTER ONE Comic Perspective: How to Develop a Comic Voice .............:s:00++ 1 CHAPTER TWO How Comedy Works: The Physics of Funny ..........scccsssssscessesees 15 CHAPTER THREE me Vetiets Of Laughter secsccsccccccisltinsetsiticcsntsdeaatidecestitieaoeienceoks 33 1 - Comedy is Conflict and Collision ...............csecssssssescsssseees 34 2 - Comedy is Conviction ...........scssscrscssrssssseccsssesssserseseseesseceres 50 3 - Comedy is Deception ............sc.sccsssessessccscsecsersccsoressscssssesoes 55 4 - Comedy is Wish-Fulfillment and Worst Fear ...............000 60 BC OMNCOY $9 REMIND scncesnascreresentactessasestsspsesSennsenrstassencssseneaisouss 65 6 - Comedy is Chaos and Anarchy ...........cccccsrssrssssssenrsesseeeeees 66 CHAPTER FOUR Comedy and Children ............csoccosscssssossovssssesevsscssccossecsssescessenssessecs 71 vii WRITING THE COMEDY FILM / Vaytilla & Petri CHAPTER FIVE Comic Stories And Their Structures .........ssccsscsssesssssssesscseecessseeees | 1 - Fish-Out-of-Waterr .............scccscsssssscssssessnccessecsenssosssoressssoees 85 2 - Romantic Comedy ..........sccscssscssssessscssosssesecsecessssecenssseseseses 95 3 = The Sports Comedy ........c..ssscsccssovsscssscsssesescnnsosarsenseseeseuses 105 4 - The Crime/Caper Comedy ..............cccsscosscosccesccoscresscosesoess 118 5 = The Military Comedy ..c.ic.-ccccccecccsovesssetsenessnssececsonsecoodeestcos 127 6 - The Teen/Coming-of-Age Comedy ...........s.sscsrcssssereoesoees 136 7 - The Ensemble Comedy ..............csssssessersscescesscoosssessoesconecee 143 By BDIC E ceo cee cece cecvscbeseactcnsssseadsvadtentascucssatvearyeieqnea ascseee neaui etna te 154 9. =i Black Comedy, sscesoasitascatserateosstussvsedssgs easseccesonessatestauxsanelncseds 164 10 - Satire, Parody, and Mockumentary ...............scscsssseseessseoes 172 CONCLUSION “The. End: of thé Caughtert ...-cc.cccsscusqrssestesscctciresstoseessouscaseesrstreversts 193 Appendix A: The Stages of the Hero’s Journey ..............ccsscsssseees 195 Appendix B: AFT’S 100 Years... 100 Laughs .............ccsccsscesseereeeee 207 Appendix C: Top Ten Comedies from the Past Five Years ......... 212 About the Awe 2s.caccacucccccccsocscecictecuscseeencctse eteecteec eeseee 215