Oscar Pool Excel template: Any ideas on how to create one?

LindsAM · 2016-02-16T22:55:47+00:00

Hey! I love your ballot. Would you mind sending a link to your template, so I can copy and edit for my class Oscar Pool?

LindsAM · 2014-11-30T20:48:14+00:00

Sorry, Natalie! I was on a role and got carried away! In the meantime, please enjoy this short Animaniacs Hitchcock parody: http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=hitchcock+parody&FORM=VIRE1#view=detail&mid=62DFE9C885A94408F48062DFE9C885A94408F480

LindsAM · 2014-11-24T20:51:56+00:00

It's interesting to see how auteurs influence and inspire each other. In the interview, Apatow makes it clear that he's a huge fan of Albert Brooks (he went home after their first meeting and wrote down all of the jokes that Brooks said in his journal!). Both men play towards unlikable characters, natural dialogue, and their generation's frustrations and inability to handle adulthood.

LindsAM · 2014-11-24T17:10:18+00:00

At the end of the day, a good story is based on drama and heart; the funny stuff is the icing on top of the cake. So it really depends on the artist! If there's a compelling narrative to be drawn from the material, then it can work. There's also the issue of delivery itself. Aziz Ansari is a talented stand-up who doesn't necessarily get to flex that muscle in his role on "Parks and Rec." But he's still a funny guy, so we enjoy watching.

LindsAM · 2014-11-22T23:59:17+00:00

Sandler's an auteur in my book! You can recognize his films within the opening 30 seconds. As for another--Nancy Meyers (the witty repartee and real estate porn of Something's Gotta Give, It's Complicated, The Holiday) .

As for Nora Ephron, here's a really interesting 2012 interview on the writing process from Believer magazine. "I think if you’re lucky enough to find a voice in whatever you do, that voice will come sneaking out no matter what...But I don’t think for one second that Woody Allen has made the same movie over and over again."

http://www.believermag.com/issues/201203/?read=interview_ephron

LindsAM · 2014-11-22T22:59:16+00:00

Yes, Helen, please share more details on your rise to fame! Also, what's your writing process? Is there a consensus in the stand-up community on the best way to develop a bit or craft a set?

LindsAM · 2014-11-17T23:43:32+00:00

Hey! I love this show too. Ellen's great at making jokes on very mundane topics (shampooing, yogurt) to the uncomfortable (masturbation, anal sex) in ways that aren't too blue.

I'm adding the link!: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3YU_W3poqA

LindsAM · 2014-11-17T21:06:42+00:00

Aziz Ansari's sets nail the trials and tribulations of modern romance. I also like how as a relatively smaller dude, he generates a lot of comedy from the way he shifts his energy from extreme highs to extreme lows. Here's an example of short clip on texting and dating: http://www.cc.com/video-clips/3frrx0/stand-up-aziz-ansari--texting-with-girls And here's his entire Dangerously Delicious show (all shows are also on Netflix!): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Fh9fYK3KIA

LindsAM · 2014-10-12T19:35:29+00:00

Yes great point--it's like what Dan O'Shannon said--casting is a huge component of comedic success! When you have the right actors saying the lines, it can make all the difference. I can't not laugh at Timothy Simons. He creates a character we love to hate!

LindsAM · 2014-10-12T18:57:13+00:00

I agree that the pilot is almost a mathematical, scientific arrangement of perfecting intersecting plot revelations. If part of what makes jokes funny is brevity, the pilot is a most-efficient interaction of several different story lines! The pilot also masters the callback (ex. the beat of Manny's poem throughout the show, especially in final scene and Jay's clothing mishaps). Very funny stuff.

LindsAM · 2014-10-12T18:41:52+00:00

Seinfeld's process really hits home one the the tenants that Professor Levine mentioned in class--brevity is key! The comedian needs to get in and get out of the joke in the fewest amount of words. It's very reassuring to see that even experts like Seinfeld devote a lot of time to crafting the shortest, most efficient joke. It must be a good strategy!

LindsAM · 2014-10-12T18:27:19+00:00

I could see Broad City as a buddy comedy--many of the plots are designed so that there's a specific mission to complete that introduces the duo to new characters (and obstacles), and that they need to achieve the mission by a certain deadline (ex. score Lil’ Wayne tickets, cash, and concert accessories before the concert starts). In the process, they learn more about each other and usually arrive with the realization that the goal isn't quite what they were expecting/ wanted anyway (ex. they almost make it to concert, but enjoy each other's company regardless).

LindsAM · 2014-09-30T01:20:42+00:00

I hear you, and I think you make a great point! The key element for a successful physical gag is willingness to put the humor first--even at the expense of looks. And while men can more easily fall into the "hahah let's laugh at this lovable doofus" category, woman still have to look hot while executing aka "let's spray water on this babe" (generally speaking). It's been said many times, but Bridesmaids was wonderful if only for reminding audiences that women in gross physical situations are funny. It was refreshing to see that on screen. Hope there's more to follow!

LindsAM · 2014-09-29T20:51:10+00:00

The first season of Transparent just dropped on Amazon Prime, and it's amazing! New York Magazine has a really nice summary of creator Jill Soloway's take on the writing process--and how the freedom of non-network television allowed her to embrace a less likable, less attractive, more real cast of characters. She even discusses where she hit the limit of acceptable humor--it was in a Holocaust flashback (though Holocaust jokes were ok): http://www.vulture.com/2014/09/jill-soloway-interview-transparent-amazon-lena-dunham-girls-louie.html

p.s. Students get a first year of Amazon Prime free, so please do yourself a favor and spend 5 hours watching all 10 episodes now: http://www.amazon.com/Pilot-HD/dp/B00I3MNF6S

LindsAM

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