Step 1: Mastery of Drama and Comedy
Topic · 1 minute
The Disaster Artist (Drama)
This is a tricky one. The movie-in-the-movie is REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE, with James Dean playing JIM STARK, against JIM BACKUS.
The Franco brothers are playing TOMMY (James Franco) and GREG (Dave Franco).
How will you signal that we’re watching a movie-inside-the-movie? Or will you? And what about the dialogue?
Remember that the two key qualities in a screenplay are clarity and concision. Later you can compare with the original screenplay that deserved the Academy Award nomination.
Did you know…
THE DISASTER ARTIST was nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay at the 2018 Academy Awards. The category was won by James Ivory for CALL ME BY YOUR NAME. Ivory, 89 at the time, became the oldest recipient of an Oscar® ever.
Death At A Funeral (Comedy)
Today’s genre video might as well have been our drama exercise. There is literally nothing here that suggests this is a comedy…
… or is there?
How will you describe it in the screenplay? Will you hint at anything comedic?
The video runs for 67 seconds, and translates to exactly one page in the script.
The character we meet is DANIEL. This is his first appearance in the movie, so the script will have an introduction for him. Can you describe him distinctively?
You may refer to the setting simply as a HOUSE, and the room as the LIVING ROOM.
This should give you all you need to proceed.
Enjoy!