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Writing Short Comedy
| Semester and Year | SP 2013 |
| Course Number | WRTNG-UG1505 |
| Section | 001 |
| Instructor | D.B. Gilles |
| Days | Thu |
| Time | 3:30 PM - 6:10 PM |
| Units | 4.0 |
| Level | U |
| Foundation Requirement |
Description
This course introduces students to writing short humor, including political satire ( The Daily Show, The Colbert Report, Bill Maher ), sketch humor ( Saturday Night Live and in the tradition of Kids In The Hall, Mad TV, Upright Citizens Brigade ), monologues (David Letterman, Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Kimmel), observational humor (stand-up comedy), parody (essays, think pieces, video, YouTube) and improvisation. Students learn the difference between a sketch and a bit, how to create memorable original characters, how to write a joke from premise to payoff and where to find humor. Students experiment with writing a different specific piece each week, possibly including a parody of a TV commercial, fake news stories à la The Onion , a Letterman Top 10 list, monologue jokes for a talk-show host, humorous short films for Funny Or Die , and a humorous Op-Ed piece for The New York Times .
Syllabus
Course Type
Advanced Writing Courses (WRTNG-UG)
