Date: March 30th
Time: 19:30
Room: Streamed online only
Comedy has its own rules, and in this eye-opening session, renowned comedy expert Steve Kaplan reveals why making your protagonist less heroic often makes them better heroes.
While Joseph Campbell’s traditional hero embarks on noble quests with sage mentors, comedy protagonists typically get shoved into adventure by circumstance, guided by idiots who accidentally dispense wisdom. Understanding these crucial differences is the key to writing comedy that resonates with audiences while keeping them laughing.
Through analysis of classic and contemporary comedies, you’ll discover:
- How to craft lovable characters who are “pluck-deficient”
- The essential differences between dramatic and comic story structure
- Why forcing your character into action creates better comedy than willing participation
- The Comic Paradigm – a fresh framework for building successful comedy narratives
- How to develop and maximize comedic premises
- Ways to utilize comedy character archetypes effectively
Drawing from decades of experience teaching at UCLA, NYU, and Yale, and consulting for Disney and DreamWorks Animation, Steve will demonstrate why the best comedy often comes from characters who’d rather be anywhere else doing anything else – and how to make that reluctance hilarious.
Whether you’re writing your first comedy screenplay or looking to inject more humor into your current project, you’ll leave with practical tools for crafting comedy that connects while it entertains.
