Writing the Comedy Blockbuster: The Inappropriate Goal

by Keith Giglio

Overview

Dying is easy, comedy is hard. So keep your comedy blockbuster alive and well and buy this book. Comedy has always been the backbone of the film business. In an age of sequels and brand-name movies based on established properties, the original comedy screenplay still delivers high profits. Writing the Comedy Blockbuster guides the writer as they learn what goes into writing the next comedy classic.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781615930852
Publisher:	Wiese, Michael Productions
Publication date:	02/01/2012
Pages:	229
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Keith Giglio grew up in New York City in a family that felt like the cast of a Woody Allen movie. His love of film comedy began at an early age. After graduating New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, Graduate School of Film and Television, Keith moved to Los Angeles because he didn’t want to miss the riot. He began writing with his wife, Juliet, and they sold their first four scripts. He is a member of the Writers Guild of America and has had 6½ movies produced and many more optioned. In addition to writing and producing, Keith teaches screenwriting at UCLA Extension and New York Film Academy.

Table of Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 Introduction           

Foreplay or How Tina Fey can kick Bruce Willis’ ass           

What is a comedy blockbuster?           

How to bust a gut or Comedy College 101           

A criminally brief history of film comedy

The comedic idea           

The importance of being inappropriate a.k.a. The blues brothers are not role models

The comedic logline a.k.a. The pitch

A fool’s journey a.k.a.  I know a guy just like that

The rock and roll school of screenwriting

Comedic structure

Secret ingredients

The R-rated comedy

The eight comic sequences

Comic sequence A: a.k.a. Well begun is half done

Sequence B: Setting up the inappropriate goal a.k.a. “you’re going to do what?” or why crashing a wedding is a good idea!

Sequence C: The mad, mad, mad world a.k.a. Sometimes girls throw up on you

Sequence D: It just keeps getting worse a.k.a. How much pain can Ben Stiller take?           

Sequence E: Love is in the air a.k.a. Why Andy chooses love over sex

Sequence F: What was I thinking? a.k.a. Yes, I’m a liar but…           

Sequence G: Time to grow up a.k.a. Why are Ashton and Natalie so sad even though they said “no strings attached”

Sequence H: The new me a.k.a. Why Ben Stiller, Jim Carrey, Hugh Grant, Natalie Portman are running at the end of the movie

Funny is Money           

Filmography

Editorial Reviews

Giglio (screenwriting, S.I. Newhouse Sch. of Public Communications, Syracuse Univ.) presents an informative book on how to write comedy screenplays. He discusses the importance of being inappropriate, how to figure out what kind of comedy makes you laugh, how to create and write comedic characters, finding the turning point of the scene, and how to get your protagonists to achieve their goals. The author illustrates each section with specific examples from comedies such as The Hangover, This Is Spinal Tap, There's Something About Mary, and When Harry Met Sally. There are a lot of exercises in the book to help readers improve their writing and get their comedy screenplay flowing as it should. VERDICT Giglio's tone is light in this funny, easy read. Highly recommended for screenwriters interested in writing comedies. [Consider also Robert Ben Garant and Thomas Lennon's recent Writing Movies for Fun and Profit, a broader survey that may have wider appeal.—Ed.]—Sally Bryant, Pepperdine Univ. Lib., Malibu, CA

Library Journal