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Minda Burr - Writing

Writing Great Characters for the Screen & Stage: Part Two – Comedy

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By: Minda Burr

If you recall, in the last blog, we talked about how your main characters need to have a strong want and then they are forced to deal with all of the obstacles in the way of achieving their goal. We also talked about how every compelling character has distinct personality traits – a combination of strengths, weaknesses and quirks that are often in conflict with other characters.

This is also true of comedy – only more exaggerated – especially the conflict part of it. Basically, in your writing, there are three arenas of conflict that can add more humor to your story: The first is the character’s conflict with his circumstances or the world of the story. The second is his conflict with the other characters. And the third is the character’s conflict with himself..

One movie that illustrates all three arenas beautifully is “The Hangover” (the first one). Not only was it brilliantly written and uniquely structured by John Lucas and Scott Moore, but the characters were all so well defined with strengths, weakness and quirks, that combined with the outrageous circumstances they had to deal with, we are taken on one FUNNY ride.

So let’s break down the characters:

Doug (the groom) played by Justin Bartha is the only “normal” solid guy in the bunch, surrounded by his pals who embody varying degrees of dysfunction. So of course Doug is the one who gets lost so the more flawed characters can band together in their big “want” to FIND him before the wedding.

Then there’s Alan… Doug’s lovable loser future-brother-in-law (brilliantly played by Zach Galifianakis). Alan is the oddball “fish out of water” character amongst the other “cooler” guys, so half the comedy is their reactions to things Alan says and does… For example, when he and Doug go to pick up teacher Phil at his school for their bachelor party to Vegas, Alan covers his head and says, “Do you have to park so close” When Doug replies, “Why?” Alan says, “Because I’m not allowed within 200 feet of a school. Or a Chucky Cheese.” Alan continues to say and do one odd thing after another, but all he wants is to BELONG – to love and be loved. That’s why he puts what he thinks is Ecstasy into all their drinks for the toast that fateful night so they can all bond. And it turns out to be ruffies instead, which creates major havoc that it takes the entire movie to resolve.

Then we have the cool, handsome, bad boy teacher Phil – embodied to perfection by Bradley Cooper – who is of course the total opposite of Alan. Big tip: Pairing opposites is always a terrific opportunity for comedic tension. One of the greatest examples was the the pairing of the obsessive neat freak Felix with the total slob Oscar as roommates in “The Odd Couple”.… But let’s get back to handsome con man Phil. The first time we meet him, he is collecting $90 from each of his students for a field trip to the Planetarium that most likely costs $10 a ticket and we see him stash the money into an envelope that says VEGAS. Phil also whines about how being married and having a kid has ruined his life, “I die just a little every day…”

Then there is Stu the dutiful dentist, played by the amazing Ed Helms… Stu has no self esteem left after living with his ball-busting-bitch of a girlfriend Melissa for three years. She is one of the all time great movie nemesis – Another tip: there always needs to be at least one great nemesis in comedy. The “Hangover” has a several. The very first words that come out of Melissa’s mouth while he’s packing for Vegas is, “Don’t forget your Rogaine. And don’t forget to USE it!”

So in their ruffie induced night of debauchery, when Stu ends up marrying a stripper/hooker (Heather Graham) at a Vegas wedding Chapel, he is more afraid of Melissa killing him than the fact that he pulled out his own tooth to prove he’s a good dentist. Another great tip: Doing things that are totally out of character and that we don’t expect is also a great comedy booster..

One of my favorite characters is Syd, Doug’s future father-in-law played by Jeffry Tambor. As he hands Doug the keys to his prized Mercedes for the trip, he says with a wink, “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas – except Herpes – that shit comes home with you.” Another tip: Humor can be enhanced by taking old phrases or euphemisms (or even societal standards) and adding an odd or off color twist to it.

It was so brilliant how they cut from their toast on the roof before their night on the town – to the next morning, and they all have horrible hangovers, with their $4,000 suite in shambles., Stu’s front tooth is missing, there is a huge tiger in the bathroom, a baby in the closet, Doug’s mattress is missing, along with Doug and they can’t remember how any of this happened.

So we have the pleasure of watching them follow one clue after another, which creates one OBSTACLE after another for them to overcome — which also introduces one more outrageous character or nemesis to interact with. Remember that a humorous character is just a normal character that expresses his personality or quirks in an exaggerated way.

Ultimately, they all have to work together even harder to solve the mystery of Doug’s disappearance, which bonds them and forces them to grow as human beings (which is another important rule of comedy). Stu grows some balls and breaks up with Melissa at the wedding, “You’re just a bad person.” And the audience cheers. Marriage-phobe Phil is thrilled to see his wife and daughter, showering them with affection. And Alan gets to sing a happy song to his new pals, “You’re the three best friends that anyone could have, You’re the three best friends that anyone could have.” And we believe it!

Because comedies always have a happy ending.

Writing Great Characters for the Stage and Screen: Part 2 – COMEDY

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If you recall, in the last video, we talked about how your main characters need to have a strong “want” and then they are forced to deal with all of the obstacles in the way of achieving their goal. We also talked about how every compelling character has distinct personality traits – a combination of strengths, weaknesses and quirks that are often in conflict with other characters.

This is also true of comedy – only more exaggerated — especially the “conflict” part of it. Basically, there are three arenas of conflict that can add more humor to your story.

  • The first is the character’s conflict with his circumstances or the world of the story.
  • The second is his conflict with the other characters.
  • And the third is the character’s conflict with himself.

One movie that illustrates all three arenas superbly is “THE HANGOVER” (the first one)… Not only was it brilliantly written and uniquely structured by John Lucas and Scott Moore, but the characters were all so well defined with strengths, weakness and quirks, that combined with the outrageous circumstances they had to deal with, we are taken on one FUNNY ride!

So, let’s break down the characters:

Doug (the groom) played by Justin Bartha is the only “normal” guy in the bunch, surrounded by his pals who embody varying degrees of dysfunction. So of course, Doug is the one who gets lost so the more flawed characters can band together in their big “want” to FIND him before the wedding.

The most extreme character is Alan…Doug’s lovable loser future brother-in-law (brilliantly played by Zach Galifianakis). Alan is the oddball “fish out of water” character, amongst these other “cooler” guys, so half the comedy is their reactions to things Alan says and does… All Alan wants is to BELONG – “to love and be loved”. That’s why he puts what he thinks is Ecstasy into their drinks for the toast on the roof that fateful night so they can all bond. And it turns out to be ruffies instead, which creates major havoc that it takes the entire movie to resolve.

Then we have the cool, handsome, bad boy teacher Phil, embodied to perfection by Bradley Cooper – who is of course the total opposite of Alan. Big tip: Pairing opposites is always a terrific opportunity for comedic tension. One of the greatest examples was the pairing of the obsessive compulsive neat freak Felix, with the total slob Oscar as roommates in “The Odd Couple”.

Then there is Stu, the dutiful dentist, played superbly by Ed Helms… Stu has NO self esteem left after living with his ball-busting bitch of a girlfriend Melissa for three years. She is one of the all time great movie nemesis – Another tip: there always needs to be at least one great nemesis in comedy..

THE HANGOVER has several. The very first words that come out of Melissa’s mouth while he’s packing for Vegas is, “Don’t forget your Rogaine. And don’t forget to USE it.” Stu has to call her five times a day and he is forced to tell one lie on top of another so that she won’t know they’re in Vegas.

So in their ruffie induced night of debauchery, when Stu ends up marrying a stripper/hooker (Heather Graham) at a Vegas wedding Chapel, he is more afraid of Melissa killing him than the fact that he pulled out his own tooth to prove he’s a good dentist. Another great tip: Doing things that are totally out of character and that we don’t expect is also a great comedy booster..

One of my favorite characters is Syd, Doug’s future father-in-law played by Jeffry Tambor. As he hands Doug the keys to his prized Mercedes for the trip, he says with a wink, “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas – except Herpes – that shit comes home with you.” Another tip: Humor can be enhanced by taking old phrases or euphemisms, or even societal standards and adding an “odd or off color twist” to it.

It was so brilliant how they cut from their toast on the roof before their night on the town – to the next morning, and they all have horrible hangovers, with their $4,000 suite in shambles. Stu’s front tooth is missing, there is a huge tiger in the bathroom, a baby in the closet, Doug’s mattress is missing, along with Doug and they can’t remember how any of this happened.

So we have the pleasure of watching them follow one clue after another, which creates one OBSTACLE after another for them to overcome — which also introduces one more outrageous character or nemesis to interact with.

Another tip: A humorous character is just a normal character that expresses his personality or quirks in an exaggerated way.

In THE HANGOVER, we meet the sleazy but enthusiastic minister at the wedding chapel, the masochistic policeman who has kids on a field trip at the police station torture each guy by tazor gun for stealing his police car. We have the sexy stripper Stu marries and mother of the mystery baby, (played with enormous likeability by Heather Graham). Then there’s Mike Tyson who will beat the crap out of them if they don’t bring his Tiger back.

Just watching them get the tiger back is hilarious. Another tip: Creating predicaments that look impossible to solve and then coming up with some hair-brain solution that does or doesn’t work is funny to watch.

So in this case, they drug the tiger with 5 ruffies in a steak, cover him with a bed sheet and take him down on a baggage trolley. Of course the tiger wakes up in the car on the way back to Mike and they almost all get mauled. So they have to push the car with the tiger inside eating the seats!

Always look for ways to make an embarrassing scene more cringe-worthy, unique or bizarre. There are several in the movie. One is where we have the effeminate but psychotic Mr. Chow… He got locked in the trunk of the Mercedes naked, then leaps out and beats them all with a tire iron with nothing on but his socks. Then runs away bare-assed, only to hunt then down later to get his $80,000 back that they stole – “Or you don’t get Doug back”. This gives loser Alan a chance to become the HERO when he makes over $80,000 counting cards in blackjack.

Here lies another comedic TWIST – They think they’re getting their friend Doug back with the ransom and it turns out to be the ruffie drug dealer Doug. Bizarre twists are always good for comedy.

Ultimately, they all have to work together even harder to solve the mystery, which bonds them and forces them to grow as human beings. Stu grows some balls and breaks up with Melissa at the wedding, “You’re just a bad person.” And the audience cheers! Marriage-phobe Phil is thrilled to see his wife and daughter. And Alan gets to sing a happy song to his new pals, “You’re the three best friends that anyone could have, You’re the three best friends that anyone could have.” … And we believe it!

Because…Comedies always have a happy ending!

For more info about Writing Mastermind Groups or Private Coaching:
CALL: 310-923-2726 – or go to www.mbwritingworkshop.com

Gerry Katzman Comedy

GETTING THE JOB – a Magic Tool for Success

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By: Gerry Katzman

If someone gives you a job, and you want them to hire you again, there is a under-utilized tool that will increase the probability by 50%.

This same tool, can turn someone who hates you into a fan.  Let me share two examples:

Example #1: One of my students was recently booked for a week of work as a comedian at Harrah’s Casino. One week later, the head of entertainment called him to book him for three more weeks of work at a higher salary.

He used the tool.

Example #2: An actress in my class had a falling out with a well-known film director over a disagreement that happened on set. He said he never wanted to work with her again. Last week, we all celebrated his birthday together- and she’ll be acting in his next feature.

She used the tool.

So what is this Magic tool? It’s something so simple, yet so under-utilized that when you use it, it will make an unforgettable impact.

Here it is:

My student, who worked at Harrah’s comedy club – as soon as he got home from the gig – sent a sincere note of thanks and a thoughtful gift.

The actress who had a falling out with the director, sent a sincere note of apology and appreciation and a thoughtful gift.

Here’s the deal:

People feel so under-acknowledged in their work today, that when you take time out of your schedule to tell them that they made a difference in your life and your career, they will never forget it.  By showing them that they made a difference and expressing your gratitude, they become personally invested in your success.

From this day forward, resolve that anytime anyone does ANYTHING for you and your career – get on your computer, or get out your stationary, and send them a thank you note.

And if you don’t have stationery and you’re bad at mail, Sites like www.sendoutcards.com  and apps like www.thankyoupro.com  will make it so you’ll never have to buy an envelope or affix a stamp again. 

Give people tangible reminder of your appreciation and watch the cycle of gratitude and success come back to you.

For more information sign up for my newsletter at www.StandupComedyClass.com

Comedy: Fortune Feimster

“Chelsea Lately” Star’s Success-Secrets

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4 years ago, Fortune Feimster had never been on TV.  She was working a day job and doing standup and improv casually for fun.  Then, 6 months after auditioning for “Last Comic Standing”, she was delighting audiences as a writer, performer, and round-table guest on E!’s hit show “Chelsea Lately”.

From “2 Broke Girls” to Tina Fey’s new Pilot “Cabot College”, Fortune Feimster’s effervescent personality and off-the-wall comic sensibilities never fail to bring audiences along for the ride and let everyone feel included in the joke.  But how do you go from working a 9-5 to living the career of your dreams?  Watch the video and read the article below to learn some of the real components of  “overnight success”. 

  1. GO FULL OUT
    As she mentions in the video, Fortune was doing improv and stand up for fun when her roommate sat her down and said “Do you really want to do comedy for your career?  Because if so, you’re not doing enough to be successful.”  Something in his words challenged her, and from that day forward Fortune threw herself into the work.  She did 6 shows a week, living and breathing the entertainment business.  When she wasn’t performing, she was writing, shooting videos, studying comedy, promoting herself, or honing some other aspect of her career. 
  2. BELIEVE IN YOURSELF
    Fortune tried to get an agent, but none were interested.  They told her that she looked too “different” and that they just couldn’t see where she would fit into the industry.

    Being rejected by the gatekeepers of a profession would probably be enough to make most people give up- but not Fortune. 

    Without any agent or representation, she filmed herself, in her backyard, doing her characters and submitted the tape, unrequested, to Saturday Night Live. A few days later, they called and asked her to fly to New York to test for the show.

  3. DO IT YOURSELF
    With an attitude like her’s  it’s easy to see that whether an agent said “yes”, or whether Saturday Night Live said “yes”, or Chelsea Lately or Last Comic Standing said “yes”, it almost didn’t matter. 

    Fortune’s love of making people laugh, her talent, perseverance and unflagging belief in herself can be an inspiration for writers, performers, and anyone with a dream. 

    “From very early on, I decided that I’m going to do what I do until someone gets it. When you grow up looking different, you learn to believe in yourself.  You learn that if you want something, they’re probably not going to say “yes” right away- you have to convince them.”

    4.  

For more Fortune, stay tuned for part 2 of this interview (like us and subscribe to be alerted of the next video) and follow https://twitter.com/fortunefunny  Join Gerry’s newsletter at www.standupcomedyclass.com/aweber.html.  

Many thanks to Fortune Feimster – if you enjoyed this video, or have a success tip or a question please comment below!

How to Be Funny

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Here it is in a nutshell: almost every time you make someone laugh- you are surprising them. You are causing their mind to make a different association than it normally would. And the reward for playing this trick on their brain, for momentarily confusing their mind, is laughter.

In this article, I’m going to show you some easy ways of making people laugh, while teaching some basic comedy theory.

Remember, when you’re trying to make someone laugh, you’re trying surprise them. Typically, you are looking for the most unlikely thing to do or say.

Let’s imagine that you are hanging out with a few co-workers. One of them is talking about how difficult potty-training her son has been. When someone in the group asks how old the woman’s son is, you say: “Forty eight.”

You will get laughs. Let’s explore why: The minute the woman started talking about potty-training her son, an image was created in everyone’s mind. That image included the assumption that her son is a child. As comedians, we shatter the assumption. In this case, by changing the age of the child, in their minds, at the last minute. When the mind gets tricked this way, the feeling of disorientation results in a laugh. So a good joke usually does two things: It sets up assumptions and it shatters them. This is often referred to as the “set up” and “punchline.” In standup, it is often called the “premise” and the “act out.” [See my other videos to learn how to do this in a standup environment.]

Let’s look at another useful tool for getting someone to laugh. It is called the “list of three.”

Recently, I was describing my lifestyle to someone and I said to her “you know, I’m a pretty healthy guy- I do yoga.. meditation.. methamphetamine.”

She laughed because the pattern that I was setting up for her (yoga… meditation…) lulled her mind into knowing what I was going to say next. Even if she wasn’t consciously filling in the next word in the series, bio-chemically, her brain “knew” the feeling of the next kind of word I was going to say. Her body and mind were ready to “feel” words like “vegan cooking,” “macrobiotic dining,” or “playing the sitar.” But when I said “methamphetamine” the shock to her nervous system resulted in a laugh.

We set up an assumption and shattered it. And the way we did it could not have been easier. In fact, the minute you watch this video or read this article, you will be able to do it. To make a list of three joke, you will set up a pattern by choosing two similar things/people/books/etc. and one that is different from the first two.

For example:

“I like to read the classic philosophers: Aristophenes, Moliere, Charlie Sheen..”

“In order for me to be interested in a girl, she has to have intelligence.. depth of soul.. a really hot profile picture.”

So to get started, think of two people at work or at school that you love and one that you hate. Go up to someone who knows you well and say: I think that my favorite teachers would have to be Mr. A, Mr. B, and Mr C. ( (love, love, hate). Think of two activities that you love and one that you hate. Two celebrities that you find talented and one that you despise. As you experiment with your “list-of-threes” you will notice how important the “set up” is as well as the contrast in your “punchlines.” Charlie Sheen and methamphetamine will “shatter” the patterns of “philosopher” and “healthy lifestyle” much more effectively than “Richard Simmons” and “Red Wine.” Learning how to set up patterns and choose explosive “shattering” images for your punchlines is all part of your comedy journey and the experimentation is a lot of fun.

Now that you know the basic secret of comedy (their are a few more hidden in the video at http://MasterTalentTeachers.com and at my site http://standupcomedyclass.com), enjoy the process of panning for comedy gold. Every time you make someone laugh, write it down (cellphones and notebooks are good for this). Begin to notice the unique way that you make people laugh, as well as the patterns that begin to emerge as you notice your own specific methods for shattering people’s mental expectations.

The world will always be in need of good comedy. As you’ll find in my other videos and articles- if you combine the truth of your life with the technique of “shattering the pattern,” you will be on your way to making a difference by educating people, and having a successful career that will entertain millions. All it takes is a little experimentation, some thinking, and the guts to make ’em laugh. Good luck. -Gerry Katzman

How to become a Recurring Character on TV

How to become a recurring character on Television: An interview with Jennifer Hall

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Everyone wants to become a “regular” on any show or series that they’re a part of.  But how do you make the leap?  How do you take a small part and parlay it into a starring role?

Actress Jennifer Hall was on her way to San Francisco, to quit acting, when she got a call to play a one-time guest star role in the HBO series, “Unscripted”.  She prepared for the part in the same way that she describes in this video and ended up becoming one of the three leads of the series.

The same thing happened when she played (what was supposed to be) a small role on the Will Arnett/Maya Rudolph series “Up All Night”.  Her “small role” ended up lasting the entire season. And the same thing happened to her on the soap opera “All My Children”. 

What kind of philosophy and technique is Jennifer using to generate these exciting results? 

  1. Be Exactly Who You Are. “I auditioned 63 times before I booked my first role.  At first, I tried “giving them (the casting people) what I thought they wanted”.  But then, at an audition, someone gave me some advice- they said “If you’re a can of tomato soup- then be the best can of tomato soup you can be.  Don’t try to be Vegetable or Chicken Noodle.  Just learn to bring the maximum amount of YOU that you can bring to any role.”  It was a pivotal moment for me because instead of trying to be glamorous or sophisticated in my acting- I started bringing the goofy, awkward, weird person that I am with my friends into my work.  And that’s when I started booking parts! Turns out, people like tomato soup!”
  2. Make something up about your character that excites you. Often writers focus on the lead roles, so when it comes to playing the smaller parts, it’s up to us to create the exciting inner-life of the character.  For for example, it might not be in the script, but in your imagination maybe your character has a secret trip planned to Hawaii- or maybe a crush on one of the other characters.  As long as it doesn’t contradict the script and helps to serve the overall story, creating a backstory for your character, that makes your character more fun and exciting to play, can be a great way to make that character come to life!
  3. Don’t be afraid of sucking. “Sometimes, when you feel like you’re sucking it really just means that you’re outside of your comfort zone. And very often, that isky-feeling is a sign that you’re onto something useful and exciting. So let yourself suck every now and then.”

Do you have a comment or a question for Jennifer, Gerry, or MTT staff about booking, comedy and acting?  Please post it below and please follow Jennifer at https://twitter.com/TheJenniferHall and sign up for Gerry’s newsletter at http://www.standupcomedyclass.com/.  Thanks!