Check out the new #comedy #blog post from our #film #blogger Si Wall ! I know that’s an old saying, but trying to write comedy is incredibly difficult. Sure, we can all tell a joke, especially people that tell stories or perform for a living, it’s sort of expected, but creating one, from scratch, with no inspiration expect a blank screen and yet another cup of coffee, well, it’s just not easy. I write this out of frustration really, although its been a good week professionally, with the book getting more coverage and a script I wrote a few years ago finally getting the go ahead for later this year. Comedy writing is a different task though, as I’m revisiting something I wrote with two colleagues a few years ago, and although its funny in places, it isn’t ‘fall off your chair funny’, which it needs to be to get commissioned. Writing 6 episodes and developing characters is hard, but you get just one episode, the pilot, to get the attention your series deserves, so basically, 30 pages of script to hook the commissioning editor, plus the outline of the other five, which in itself is a tough job. I have written real life drama several times now, which is, in my opinion, comparatively easy, as I have life experiences and skills to lean on, and also, with Amelia and the Elf, it’s pure fantasy fiction, so I’m making up stories for children and writing them down, which is easier than drama, as you go exactly where you want, but with comedy, well, you are sort of expected to be funny during the script. What makes good comedy then? We all laugh at the characters created by Catherine Tate, as they are not only detailed, but lifelike and believable and we laugh because we can associate with them. The Office had this too and I’m a fan of Ricky Gervais, as a writer and actor, but we all really bought into David Brent’s world didn’t we? I guess the comedy that accompanied me through my formative years, as with many, if not all of my generation, has to be’Only Fools and Horses’, as it grew with us, we got to know all of the characters and even put up with their shortcomings. So my goal, is to create 6 episodes that are worthy of John Sullivan, who wrote Only Fools, Katherine Tate and Ricky Gervais. Well, that’s easy then! I guess, on a serious note, we are spoilt in the UK with great comedy, great sit-comes and above, great comedy writers, so do I really want to see if my six episodes can measure up to these iconic pieces of British TV? You bet!!!!!
Posted on: Sun, 04 Aug 2013 19:48:27 +0000
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