Writing Sketch Comedy

Scott Rogers Bob Ladewig

It all starts with a premise.

• a set of circumstances

• a character or characters

• a series of setups and punchlines

• you don’t need all of these to start

Where can I get a premise?

• free writing and journaling

• reading everything

• chatting with emotionally-crippled people

• a woman’s belly

• showering with Bob and Scott

Scott gets inspiration from:

• walking on a treadmill

• showering

• a long train of failed relationships and shattered dreams

Bob gets inspiration from:

• riding his bicycle

• showering

• Scott’s journal (AKA “Scott’s long train of failed relationships and shattered dreams”)

Write It or Improvise It?

• Do both.

• If a complete scene is in your head, WRITE IT.

• If it’s a fuzzy idea with unknown elements, IMPROVISE IT.

• But seriously, do both.

Improvising the Premise

• Describe the premise to the actors.

• Let the actors play.

• Trust the actors and their instincts.

• Improv will let you know what you have.

Why Improv?

• The actors aren’t constrained by your initial thoughts.

• Improv will identify what’s funny, what’s not funny and what’s awful.

One for the App Developers

• Improv is agile development.

• Improv lets you see several designs.

• Improv identifies the requirements.

• Improv saves you time.

Writing the Sketch

• Commit what worked in improv to the page.

• Cut everything that doesn’t contribute to the sketch.

• Ensure there’s a structure and an arc.

• Ensure you’re telling a story (even when you’re not).

It’s an Iterative Cycle

• Improvise it.

• Write it.

• Improvise it.

• Rewrite it.

• The cycle can go on as long as it needs.

• We’re serious about this iterative thing.

This is Scott having an internal monologue.

This is Bob flubbing a line in his internal monologue.

What If It’s Not Funny?

• Swap the actors/roles.

• Change the POV.

• Change the circumstances.

• Throw it away and move on.

Swap the Actors/Roles

• Swapping actors and roles is frequently the only change required.

• This is the fastest iterative change.

• This is the easiest iterative change.

Shift the POV

• A premise can change significantly by shifting its POV.

• Bob tries to buy a fish at the dog pound.

• Scott tries to sell a fish at the dog pound.

Shift the Circumstances

• A couple files for divorce at the dog pound.

• Two dogs in the pound file for divorce.

• A couple goes to a one-stop-shop dog pound to file for divorce and put their dogs down.

• What?

What If It’s Still Not Funny?

• Toss it.

• If you’ve spent more than 15 minutes, and it’s still not funny, toss it.

• Toss it.

Some Guidelines

• Keep it to 3-5 minutes (usually).

• Simplify the light/sound cues.

• Props and costumes are fun, but they can be a pain.

• Have fun.

Sketch Examples

•@curiouscomedy

•@bigscotty