Episode
DZ-116: Writing Physical Comedy
- Published
- Feb 26, 2025
- Duration seconds
- 5740
- Processing state
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- https://draft-zero.com/2025/dz-116/
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Summary
Listen to learn how formatting--white space, caps, dashes--becomes your comedy toolkit without a director. Mel joins Chas to tackle physical comedy. We limited our homework selection to extended scenes (as opposed to moments and sight gags) in live action projects and – with the help of our Patreons – selected early sequences from BRINGING UP BABY, the pilot for HAPPY ENDINGS and that wonderful food poisoning scene in BRIDESMAIDS. We discover how these incredible writers take their time (on the page) to set up geography, framing and running gags. We also get tips on judicious use ALL CAPS, ellipses and M-dashes to recreate visual gags… and when to just let a paragraph go long and draw attention to itself. This episode brought to you by (drum roll) ArcStudio : go to https://www.arcstudiopro.com/draftzero for $30 off a pro subscription! As always: SPOILERS ABOUND and all copyright material used under fair use for educational purposes. LIKE THIS EPISODE? Watch and comment on YouTube . Send us feedback. Thanks to our Patrons, especially Khrob, Theis, Sandra, Jesse, Randy, Paulo, Thomas, Jennifer, Malay, Alexandre and Lily. → Read the transcript for this episode. ——— "The words on the page and the repetition are mimicking the edit, so we can visualize the humor and the repetition of it." — Chas Fisher @ 00:19:03 ——— CHAPTERS 00:00:00 – Cold Open 00:00:19 – Writing Physical Comedy: Scope, Constraints, and Homework Selection 00:03:55 – › Defining screwball, farce, and slapstick as distinct forms 00:06:52 – › How three case studies represent different slapstick approaches 00:10:27 – BRINGING UP BABY 00:15:04 – › Slug lines as editing rhythm and geography 00:18:15 – › Repetition in action lines mirrors physical comedy beats 00:22:31 – › Camera direction versus character eyeline…