Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
1.TheSwitchThiscomedystartingpointhasantecedents
instorieslikeThePrinceandthePauperandthemovie,
TradingPlaces.Thisisthecomedystorywheretwoopposites
swapsituationsforsomereason:abet,anurgentneed,ora
mistake.Itcanalsoincludetheswitchingofadeviceor
object,e.g.,TakingCareofBusinesswithJimBelushiand
CharlesGrodin.MyexperiencewiththeSwitchisamovie
calledBig,UglyBaby!bestdescribedasanalien
switchedatbirthcomedy.ACTIONSTEP:Drawthissymbol:
<>onthetopofapieceofpaper.Ononesidelistthe
Prince,ontheotherthePaupertoshowOPPOSITES.Find
twosetsofpeoplemostatodds,thenhavethemswitch(and
giveonetheupperhand),butbothneedtolearnthe
lesson.Theninthemiddlesection,writeideasforhow
thesetwowouldactuallyswitchplacesorcrosslives;the
gimmickofhowtheswitchismadeisyourtitle!
2.TheFishOutofWaterThisisaFoolTriumphanttale
aboutsomeonewho,inhisownpond,islesseffectiveor
average,butbygoingtoanewbodyowaterbecomesastar:
LegallyBlonde,MissCongeniality,BeverlyHillsCop.Heres
thewayIcomeupwiththese.Itsmyfavoriteidea
generatingtool.IcallitTheTbarMethodandits
simple.ACTIONSTEP:DrawabigTonapieceofpaperand
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labelonesidefish,theothersidewater.Makealist
offish;trytobespecific.(UsetheheroesofMiss
CongenialityandLegallyBlondeasexamples.)Thenask
yourselfwherewouldthatfishfeelmostoutofplace?What
pondwouldtheybemostoutofplacein?Writethatonthe
watersideoftheT.Makesuretoothattheproblemyou
setupinthebeginningissolvedbytheend.Whatisthe
problem?Itsthedeficittheheromustovercometobe
whole.Itwillalsobethethemeofyourmovie,e.g.,the
relationshipbetweenthebeautycontestantsandSandra
BullockinMissCongenialityhelpsSandraovercomethe
problemofbeingatomboyatthebeginningofthemovie.
3.TheRomComwithaTwistEveryoneislookingfora
romanticcomedy(romcom).Buttheyrehardtocomeupwith!
Why?Nowadays,therearenosocialstrata.Anyonecanfall
inlovewithanyoneorhavesexwithanyoneatwill.Not
liketheolddaysofMyManGodfreyorPillowTalk!Your
job:Comeupwithwhatiskeepingtheloversapart,e.g.,
geographyinSleeplessinSeattle,theInternetinYouve
GotMail,livingwithonesparentsinFailuretoLaunch.
Thegimmickthatiskeepingthetwoseparatedisthemovie,
thetitle,andthecomplication!Andthecomplicationis
whatmakesallromcomswork.Buthowcanyoucomeupwitha
newone?Startwithwhatisseparatingtheloversthen
figureoutwhotheyare.ACTIONSTEP:Drawtwovertical
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linesonapieceofpaper.Labelthemiddlecolumn:The
Complication.LabeltheothertwoHimontheleftand
Herontheright,orviceversa.Inthemiddlecolumn
figureoutthethingthatiskeepingtwopeopleapart
(ironicallyalsowhatskeepingthemtogether!),thenfigure
outtheoppositesoneithersideofthatcomplication.For
example,ifpoliticsistheproblem,makeheraRepublican
andhimaDemocrat.
4.TheMagicSpellInmynewbook,thiswillbethe
chaptertitledOutoftheBottle,andthereareallkinds
ofcurses,bodyswitches,andmagicspellgimmickstochoose
from.Inthesetaleswealsomosteasilyseethedifference
betweentheEmpowermentandComeuppancetale.Theformeris
seeninTheNuttyProfessor,Click,andBruceAlmighty;the
latterisinLiar,Liar;ShallowHal;andFreakyFriday.But
themessageinbothtypesisthesame:Becarefulwhatyou
wishfor!Yourjob,afterthousandsofyearsofmagic
stories:Comeupwithanewone!Itcanbedone.Click
introducedanewmagicwandandwasahitforAdamSandler.
ACTIONSTEP:Writeatthetopofthepage:IfIhadamagic
wandandcouldgrantmyselfanypower,whatwouldthatbe?
Thenonanotherpieceofpaper:Iftherewasacursecast
onme,whatwouldbetheworstone?Thenbesideeitherthe
powerorthecursewritealistoftheleastlikelyperson
thatwouldgetthatmagic.Onepieceofmagicpermovie
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please,andonceyousetuptherulesofthemagic,make
sureyousticktothemthroughout.
5.TheBetYouseethisdonealot,e.g.,HowtoLosea
GuyinTenDays.Thismaysoundartificial,andoftenis,
becauseatanymomentweintheaudiencearethinking,Just
tellher/himaboutthebet!yetitremainsawonderful
startingpointforacomedypremise.ACTIONSTEP:Atthe
topofyourblankpieceofpaper,writeGoogle.Thiswill
remindyoutousetheInternettofindsomeoutrageous
betsandseewherethissearchleadsyou.Alsoquery
friendsandrelativesaboutthemostunusual,most
outlandishbettheyevermade,e.g.,TheContestepisode
ofSeinfeld.Alistofsuchbetsisthestartingpointfor
yourmovie;nowalsoincludetheequallyoutrageous
participantsinthebet,andatimelimitforit.
6.TheBuddyBuddyThisisthemostpopularmoviespec
rightnow;WeddingCrashersand40YearOldVirginreally
pavedthewayforRratedcomediesstarringtwoguys.This
includesthecopbuddygenrewhichneedsashotinthe
arm!Puttwoguysinanunusualsituationandyoureally
haveagoodchancetosellthatstory.Buthowcanyoumake
itnew?ACTIONSTEP:GobackuptoyourFoolTriumphantT
barpageandmaketheFishtwopeople!WeddingCrashersis
agoodexample;thefilmmakersdidnotneedtohavetwoguys
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tomakethatmoviework.Butbyhavingitbeabuddymovie,
theygaveeachoftheguysanadventureandsomeoneto
talkaboutwhatshappening!Dolikewise,foreveryfishout
ofwaterstory,theresabuddyversionofit.
7.TheTrueLifeTaleIkeepafileofstoriesfromthe
news.OneIsawrecentlyconcernedabridekidnappedbyher
parents,whodidntwanthertomarryherfianc.Inreal
life,theparentsarenowinjail,butinHollywoodthat
pitchisnowmakingtheroundsatthestudios.Why?Because
eventhoughithappenedinreallife,itsahilarious
startingpoint.Weshouldallkeepamanilafolderfileof
newspaperclippingsoffunnystoriesthatstrikeusassuch.
Whetheryouuseeachofthesestoriesasamovieidea,or
useelementsoftheminthescriptsyoureworkingon,
theyregreatcomedythoughtstarters.ACTIONSTEP:Geta
manilafileandstartscanningyournewssourcestoday!
8.TheInvasionoftheJerkThatCametoDinnerakaThe
InterminableTimeThesearestoriesaboutexperiencesthat
neverseemtoend,situationswhereweareforcedtoputup
withinconvenience,eitheraboringfriend,anoverbearing
relative,oraverylongcarride.Recentexamplesinclude:
MeettheParents;You,MeandDupree;4ChristmasesandThe
BreakUp.ACTIONSTEP:Thinksituation.Askyourself,and
list,whereyouvebeenstuckinlife:intraffic,inan
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elevator,inarelationship,inafamilysituation,oratan
eventthatneverseemstoend.Fromthissituationcreatea
herowhoseonlygoalistogetoutofthatsituationandwho
orwhatisstoppingthem.
9.LongDaysJourneyintoJokesThisisfrommycategory
calledTheGoldenFleece,basedonthemythofJasonand
theArgonauts;itismostlyaboutroadstories.Therearea
lotoffunny(andobvious)onesfromthisgroup,e.g.,Road
TripandPlanes,TrainsandAutomobiles.Butthereisamuch
simplerwaytogenerateideasthatputourheroesonthe
broadhighway!ACTIONSTEP:GotoLeonardMaltinsbookof
3000moviesorEbertandRoepersifyourefromChicago,
readthroughit,andaddthephraseontheroadtoany
title.ThisishowseveralmoviesIhavecomeupwithhave
gottenwritten,includingaspecIcowrotethatisbest
describedasHomeAlone...ontheroad.Ialsorecently
heardofonethatwaspitchedasGrumpyOldMen...onthe
roadthatsoldandgotmade,andIcanseetheposterjust
fromthatdescription!Thisconceptisafungameandcan
reallygeneratefunnystoryideas.
10.Spoof!ScaryMovieisabighit,DateMoviegotmade,
andvariationsonthemockdocumentarylikeSpinalTapare
oftengood.So,whereisyours?ACTIONSTEP:Pickan
institution,movietype,historicaleventorperiod,
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improbablebiography,orfakenewsstoryandmakefunof
itbylampooningourpreconceivednotionsofwhatitis.
Itstakingsomethingweseeseriouslyandpokingfunatit.
HowaboutamoviethatcombinesGladiator,allthoseRay
HarryhausenstopmotionHerculesclassics,andtherecent
TroyandAlexandersandandsandalmovies?Thatsthe
spoofIdlovetosee.Sonexttimeyoureadinthetrades
thataspoofsold,youcansaywhatwewhoarentworkingon
ourcomedyloglinesalwayssay:WhydidntIthinkof
that!?Ormaybegettoworkonyoursrightnow!