Creating Narrative Comedy

2 November 2009

A Two-Day Course With Tim Ferguson

Short Courses

Course Full. The AWG plans to run the course again early 2010

This AWG course explores the principles of creating and writing narrative comedy for television and film. Participants will be shown how to construct a sitcom or narrative comedy from the ground up, making choices in terms of theme, sub-genre, character, structure, morality, style and tone. The course focuses upon the principles of jokes and narrative humour. These ancient principles are universally applied through all comedies. Participants are presented with processes and principles for devising comic conflict, metaphors, juxtapositions, reversals, story structures, knowledge differentials, pathos, subtext and the rhythms of comic dialogue. The course operates by way of lectures, script analysis and the viewing of narrative comedies. Some class time will also be devoted to exercises and workshopping. The course concludes with tips for formulating series bibles and pitching concepts to the film or television markets.

TIM FERGUSON
The course is devised and taught by Tim Ferguson – writer, producer and performer. Tim is a consultant in narrative comedy and script development for production companies and television networks in Australia and Britain. He lectures in narrative comedy and screenwriting at the RMIT School of Media & Communication in Melbourne. For over twenty years, Tim has toured the world performing stand-up and musical comedy, writing dozens of live stage comedy shows as well as writing or producing sitcoms and comedy films (including Doug Anthony Allstars, Daas Live In New York [IND], Daas Kapital & Big Gig [ABC], Daas Love [BBC1], Viva! [CH4], 01 For London [CH4], Friday Night Live [ITV], Juste Pour Rire Specials [HBO], The Edinburgh Years (Feature), Don’t Forget Your Toothbrush & Today [CH9] Unreal TV & Big Brother Insider (CH10), Shock Jock [TV1/ParamountCC], ForgetTheRules [Online]).

When: 9.30am to 4.30pm Sat & Sun 14 – 15 November 2009
Where: To be advised
Cost: $90 (AWG $70)

Applications: Participants should have some scriptwriting (screen or stage, including short works) experience, or background in stand-up comedy. Your email application should be addressed to Alan Payne, AWG WA Manager, and sent to wa@awg.com.au Please provide a brief statement on your experience and why you would like to do this course. In the subject heading of the email, please write ‘[Surname] Narrative Comedy’. Please provide a phone contact number. Your application will be acknowledged. Limited places, a selection process may apply. Inquiries Alan Payne (08) 9201 1172

Presented with the assistance of ScreenWest and Lotterywest