Check out my other course on Writing Memorable Characters

Write (or Produce) a 1-4 Minute Comedy Sketch

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Idea Generation & Target Audience

Get to know this class format
Before You Begin...
Welcome to my class! I hope you will learn many film tips that will stick with you throughout your filmmaking career, whether you are an aspiring professional or active hobbyist.

If you're part of Skillshare's Membership program, you can sign up for my other classes completely free of charge! I recommend going ahead and doing that now, even if you're not planning on immediately jumping into the other courses. That way, if you ever have questions about other topics, you will be able to access these classes more quickly. It will take two seconds and is completely free!
Once you've signed up for the other courses go ahead and continue your work on this unit.
List your favorite comedy
List 5-10 of your favorite movies, shows, channels, or comedians to better understand what type of comedy you gravitate towards.
List passionate topics
List 5 topics of discussion which you could passionately defend or attack.
Start your day right
Start your day with 3-5 comedy sketches which you haven't previously viewed. Examples can be found in the resources of this unit.
Scan Facebook
Go through your Facebook friends or contact list and see which of your contacts are plugged into which communities.
Take notes
Carry a notepad or smartphone with you at all times and write down any funny action you see or thought you think.

Write the idea down IMMEDIATELY. You WILL forget it otherwise, especially if you get the idea right before you fall asleep...
Determine the concept for your project
This can be as detailed as a whole paragraph or as brief as a couple sentences. However, please be more specific than just the set-up or scenario. Describe the conflict at hand, the characters involved, and/or what type of social commentary you are making with the sketch.

Script Format

Download a script software
Download Celtx, Final Draft, or another comparable screenwriting software.
Create a character list
Create a character list with breif discriptions of each character that will be included in your sketch.

It would be good for your description to include personality, interests, wants, and/or needs.
Write one sample page of your script
Don't stress too much over the actual content of the page. This exercise is more to make sure that you understand how scripts are written and formatted.

Writing the Comedy Sketch

Create a beat-sheet
Make a list of the key moments, or beats, in your sketch. Feel free to include dialogue in this list.
The Rough Draft
Scripts should be NO MORE THAN SEVEN PAGES in length. A typical, dialog-heavy sketch will run between two and five pages. If you are submitting a beat-sheet instead of a script, it should be VERY detailed. Bullet-points of beats should be accompanied with lines of dialog or specific action. No more than 10 main bullet-points.
Create a title page
Double check that you've created an appropriate title page for your script.
Read the script aloud
Once you feel that you've finished your script, read it aloud to see if there are any wording issues that you may have.
Compare script with character list
Once you feel that the first draft of your script is complete, compare it with the character descriptions that you made in the last unit to see how the scene aligns with your original intetion.

If your sketch has strayed from your original idea, THAT'S OKAY. However, if your sketch is part of a larger series with recurring characters, you will need to address any inconsistancies.
Send out the draft for feedback
Send your rough draft to 2-5 people. These people can be classmates, peers, or colleagues. It will be helpful if these people have varying levels of creative skills.

Understanding Feedback & Rewrites

Compile feedback
Compile your feedback into one long document.

Organize the notes by the frequency that you received them. If 3 out of 3 people told you that a line of dialogue was confusing, chances are that you need to change that line of dialogue.

For each note, diagnose the actual issue with your script. Sometimes it will align with what your friend has said and sometimes it is a symptom of a bigger issue.

Even though it is not necessary to adhere to every issue that people have with your script, it is a good practice to weigh each suggestion to see if it aligns with the bigger picture.
Second round of feedback
Depending on how much time you have, it is beneficial to send a newer draft to the people who gave you your original feedback. This way, you can see if you've properly addressed their concerns even if you didn't take their advice on how to go about fixing their concerns.
The Final Project
Students are expected to upload a PDF of either their final script or beat-sheet to Google Drive, Dropbox, or a comparable hosting site so that they can share the link. Alternatively, those students with a production background are encouraged to produce their sketch and provide a YouTube or Vimeo link.

Additional Resources

Sample sketch groups

Key & Peele

Mitchell & Webb

Jake & Amir

DERRICK Comedy

Olde English

Monty Python's Flying Circus

Chappelle's Show

A Bit of Fry and Laurie

Saturday Night Live

The Kids in the Hall

Second City

SMOSH
Sample Sketch Script

to this sample sketch.
Important Files

Some people have been having troubles with individual links, so here is a ZIP folder with many helpful documents.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BwVFn7SKrpc-MVhJWVZUS0MtMmM/edit?usp=sharing
Celtx FREE Scriptwriting Software
Hollywood Script Samples
Sketch Comedy Festivals

San Francisco Sketchfest

The Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival

The Chicago Sketch Comedy Festival

Austin Sketchfest

London Sketchfest

Sketchfest Seattle
DISCOUNT CODES

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