Writing the Comedy Film: Make 'em Laugh [Paperback]

Stuart Voytilla (Author), Scott Petri (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 2003

This book takes you into the world of comedy and helps you discover what makes us laugh, and how can you craft better comedy. With easy-to-use guidelines, learn the successful mechanics and characteristics of various comic story forms.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Voytilla is a writer, script consultant, and teacher of acting and screenwriting.

Product Details

• Paperback: 213 pages
• Publisher: Michael Wiese Productions (January 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0941188418
• ISBN-13: 978-0941188418
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #485,168 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Tragedy's Flip Side, March 11, 2003

By 

Dickey Nesenger (Edmonds, WA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Writing the Comedy Film: Make 'em Laugh (Paperback)

Writing the Comedy by Stuart Voytilla and Scott Petri is an excellent primer on how to pen screenplays that make us laugh. The authors' exploration into the nature of tragedy's flip-side gives away all comedy's secrets, concluding that the rules to creating good comedy, through the basic tenets of conflict, character development, plotting and story premise, apply to drama too. So look at the book as a two for one package on how to write masterful screenplays of any genre.

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars This book isn't funny! It's the real deal., March 25, 2003

By 

E. English (Boulder, Colorado USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Writing the Comedy Film: Make 'em Laugh (Paperback)

This book isn't funny! It's the real deal. I found many, many important and little-known tips for writing comedy for film (and television) in "Writing the Comedy Film". I was especially grateful for the detailed and clear discussion of the differences between writing the teen comedy, the romantic comedy, the fish-out-of-water comedy script, the black comedy, and so on.
Also valuable are the descriptions of well-known screenwriters' varied styles of writing comedy, along with excerpts from their screenplays to illustrate those differences. Reading this book will have you laughing...all the way to the bank!
-Elizabeth English

14 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Writing the Comedy Film, May 7, 2003

By 

Denise Gossett (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Writing the Comedy Film: Make 'em Laugh (Paperback)

Writing the Comedy Film by Stuart Voytilla and Scott Petri is such an amazing book. I am the President of Shriekfest, The Los Angeles International Film Festival and Screenplay Competition, so we see many scripts come through our doors. I am not a writer myself, but I do know that many writers should adhere to the rules that Stuart and Scott have laid out. They tell you what comedy is, how it works, the rules of writing comedy, and how to write every single type of comedy out there. They break it down into simple rules, it's so well written, it makes me want to take up writing myself. What I liked the most was that they refer to comedies that we have all seen. So, if you need help writing the fish out of water comedy, the romantic comedy, the sports comedy, the crime comedy, the military comedy, the teen comedy, the farce, or the black comedy this is your book. They break each one of these comedies down, by telling you what each one needs and how to lay it all out. I was really impressed by this book.