How To Write A Great Comic Premise - Steve Kaplan

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Steve Kaplan is the author of The Hidden Tools of Comedy and The Comic Hero's Journey, best-sellers in their field. He's working on a third book about writing comedy for television.
In addition to having taught at UCLA, NYU, Yale and other universities, Steve created the HBO Workspace, the HBO New Writers Program and was co-founder and Artistic Director of Manhattan Punch Line Theatre. In addition to development projects for HBO, he has taught workshops online and around the globe and at companies such as DreamWorks, Disney Animation, Aardman Animation, and NBC's Writers on the Verge. Steve has worked as a script consultant and script editor for productions companies, studios, directors and individual writers.
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[@vulcan4705]

The anecdote about not adding the voodoo curse to Groundhog's Day was exactly what I needed to hear about something I was wavering with. The story should speak for itself without conceptual bells and whistles that diminish the theme. Loved the question at the end too, great work.

[@gnarthdarkanen7464]

I'll grant you Stephanie was NOT necessary. That's obvious, since we've watched the movie and it was a hit... No audience confusion or dwelling on "why" it happened. We could take the "Divine intervention" trope for granted and let it go...
BUT... That's also NOT the only way a Curse or Hex or any such "magic" works by the lore. LOTS of curses were entirely "Life Lessons" being passed by the "old sage" through the Magic...
For instance (just off the top of my head) Disney's "Blackbeard's Ghost". Such was the curse placed on him that he would be trapped as a ghost until some kernel of human goodness was found in him. AND blackbeard was "stuck"... Until Dean Jones' Character read the scroll that allowed him to see and interact with Blackbeard, and they go on the great adventure to save an old building by finding the deed... and all out of kindness on Blackbeard's part (Played by Peter Ustinov, who's brilliant in the part)... BUT as soon as the terms were met, the curse was broken...
AND there are plenty of other stories, from "The Canterville Ghost" to TV-show themes around Gypsy curses and the like... You don't have to go back to the original caster to beg forgiveness... The only story I can think of where that was the case was "Thinner"... though surely there ARE more.
It REALLY depends on the basis of lore you wish to work with (and inside) that dictates the appropriate Rules for such things... BUT that's all judgment and the personal "style" call you have to make. AND of course, balance it with the amount of information added or lost over which way you do it. If the story is just as good without it, then it's unnecessary... If it leaves a BIG plothole, however, you gotta shore that up somehow. ;o)

[@Cinnovations]

Audiences are forgiving if the premise is compelling and fun. No need to explain it away and ruin the themes focus. We suspend so much when the film takes us on a fun ride. It’s a movie, we’ll go with it.

[@concernedcitizen7385]

Groundhog Day was unexpectedly on terrestrial TV a couple of nights ago… It is still by far my favourite movie of all time. A true sign of a great film is that you never get tired of watching it.

[@filmcourage]

What do you think? Please post a comment below.

[@rocketshipevan]

Great one, thanks!

[@concernedcitizen7385]

Another great interview - Very useful insights 🙏👍🏼

[@av_8596]

It’s great to see a new video!

[@travisnobleart]

"If you don't need the trauma, then you're just torturing somebody for... not a good reason."
As a storyteller, I do believe in a responsibility to the ideas we are making. I don't mean in so much a prudish way, but the ideas we put out there do have an effect on us. I wrestled with this for a time. I don't know about anyone else, but I love my protagonists. They're like my children. And you know they're going to go through a lot of pain. Getting them through that while staying true to the story is hard enough, and it's only from my own experience that this gets easier. Because I know that when we go through trauma and come out the other side, we do find that part of us that is stronger and better. We can wipe away the illusions that make us false people and finally become true to ourselves. That's what I want my protagonist to find too, even with the trauma.

[@mickeyaugrec7560]

This is brilliant. Fascinating that an executive told Ramis and Rubin that the GH Day phenom needed to be explained, so at his behest they shoehorned in the "Stephanie" character with the Ouija board... That a new executive came on who saw the movie from the script, and knew to get rid of "Stephanie," is beyond kismet, outrageous good fortune! Thanks FC, great interview!

[@ram2862]

Thanks are due to Mr.Steve for teaching as to how to set up comic premise with classical instance.
Film courage brought out one of this best educative interview.

[@rockyone9]

Nice clear discussion of theme and its importance. Way to go Steve

[@stevekaplan1170]

Thanks, Peter!

[@sakraihan2872]

What makes it comical? Put funny sfx and score in an imposible tragic scene, put tragic sfx on a scene that funny from the third person perspective but distressing for the characters.

[@JamesCurtisOKC]

No, the idea was "the sky is falling, its an alien invasion." The premise of the film wasn't "This chicken has low self esteem." What is this guy smoking?

[@scobrado]

And the cameraman, Larry , is not from the town. 8:30

[@Sarx88]

This gentleman is a goldmine of knowledge

[@davidpearson611]

Such a brilliant guy. Thank you!

[@Wordsley]

These Rock!

[@nickybjammin7629]

❤!

[@hackiest]

It’s not subjective. It’s funny or it’s not

[@Lilliathi]

I can't even agree with myself whether this comment is funny or annoying.

[@jumpwhistlefart]

There is nothing in this world that is more subjective than comedy.