Comedy Intensive Workshop with Steve Kaplan

This 2-day comedy writing intensive workshop from a Los Angeles film and television veteran offers proven and practical methods and principles that help you reveal and understand comedy from the inside out. Steve Kaplan has served as a consultant to such companies as Dreamworks, Disney and HBO and he’s coming to Raindance Toronto. From the industry’s top stars to first time comedy screen and TV writers, producers, directors and performers, Kaplan has worked with and coached the best.

Course:
Comedy Intensive Workshop with Steve Kaplan
Starts:
October 12, 2013
Ends:
October 13, 2013
From:
10:00am to 5:00pm
Cost:
$349.00 + HST
Organizer:
Raindance Toronto
Phone:
416.572.4372
courses@raindancecanada.com
Tutor:
Steve Kaplan
Duration:
Weekend
Venue:
To Be Announced
Address:
Google Map
Toronto, Canada

Premium members get this for $299.00 + HST. Sign up for Raindance Premium Membership. Already a member? Login to receive your discount.

Attending? Share it with your friends on facebook_logo

The course covers story ideas, formats, approaches to different styles of comedy, the construction of sitcoms and films and more. In addition to the taught material (see below), help and constructive criticism will be offered. You will have the opportunity to discuss videos clips (shown during class) and real scripts and screenplays.
I. Premise
THE ART AND SCIENCE OF COMEDY
a) Introduction and Overview
b) Dying is Easy, Comedy is Hard
c) Comedy Perception Test – Are you seeing 20/20?
d) Funny vs. Comic – The difference
e) The Comedy Equation

Steve Kaplan

COMEDY PRACTICUM
a) Script Analysis (TV and Film)
b) Clips from classic and current comedy TV shows and films demonstrating the principles and tools of Comedy
c) Exercises and demonstrations of comedy principles
d) Final Q&A

Steve Kaplan


II. Set-up
THE SIX HIDDEN TOOLS OF COMEDY
a) Winning
b) Non-Hero
c) Metaphorical Relationships
d) Positive (and Negative) Actions
e) Active Emotion
f) Straight Line/Wavy Line

Learn how to use these essential tools in your workIII. Development

APPLYING THE TOOLS
a) Entire History of Comedy…in 15 minutes.
b) The Commedia Intensive
c) Comedy Structure & Development
d) Comic Premise—The Lie That Tells the Truth
e) Comic Premise Exercises & Analysis
f) The Comedy Paradigm

IV. Payoff

Sunday also includes:  a)  Script Analysis b)  The Annotated Groundhog Day  c) Final Q & A

Here’s What They’re Saying About Steve Kaplan

“I loved it. It was informative as much as entertaining. Mr. Steve, you are fuuuunnnyy.”  -  Michael M., Toronto

About Steve Kaplan

For almost 20 years, Steve Kaplan has been the industry’s most respected and sought-after expert on comedy. The artists he’s taught, directed or produced have gone on to be nominated for 43 Emmy Awards, 1 Academy Award, 3 Golden Globe Awards, 1 American Comedy Award, 6 Writers’ Guild of America Awards and several others. (They’ve WON 10 Emmys, 1 Oscar, 2 WGA Awards and the American Comedy Award.) In addition to having taught at UCLA, NYU, Yale and other top universities, Steve Kaplan created the HBO Workspace, the HBO New Writers Program and was co-founder and Artistic Director of Manhattan Punch Line Theatre.

In New York, Steve was co-founder and Artistic Director of Manhattan Punch Line Theatre, where he developed writers such as David Ives (All in the Timing), Howard Korder (Boys Life, Boardwalk Empire)Peter Tolan (Analyze This, Rescue Me), writer and producer David Crane (Friends), writer/producer Tracy Poust (Ugly Betty, Will & Grace), Michael Patrick King (The Comeback, Sex and The City, Will & Grace), Steve Skrovan (Everybody Loves Raymond), and Mark O’Donnell(Hairspray) and introduced such performers as Lewis Black, Nathan Lane, John Leguizamo, Mercedes Ruehl and Oliver Platt.

Read more about Steve Kaplan here

Book Your Place