Observe a comedy joke punch-up mock writers' room!

Hosted by Emmy and Peabody-nominated Comedy Comedy screenwriter and producer Vijal Patel!

Jokes don’t just come out of nowhere, and their success is completely reliant on the medium. Things that are funny in conversation or in front of an audience might not be funny on a television show. This is why being “naturally funny” just isn’t enough to make a funny series with great jokes. It takes an understanding of the medium and insight into the types of jokes that work on television. It also usually takes a team of people in a punch up room setting, utilizing multiple perspectives and senses of humor to arrive at the best joke for each situation. 

Understanding how to find the best jokes in an episode script and learning how to operate successfully in a punch up room setting will help make your own comedy pilot funnier and can give you the tools to be a more desirable member of any TV comedy writers room. This is a method that takes time to learn and put into practice and it also requires practice in a writers' room setting. 

To guide you on how to do this is Emmy and Peabody-nominated Comedy screenwriter and producer Vijal Patel. Vijal has worked on hit shows such as BLACK-ISH, SCHOOLED and THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT. He is also a Stand-up Comedian who works with comedy greats like Whitney Cummings. Vijal is known throughout the industry as one of the funniest guys to work with and his jokes are routinely found in scripts all around town. He is very familiar with punching up TV scripts, finding ways to make them funnier and is frequently asked back to writers' rooms for his ability to collaborate.

In this 4-part virtual workshop, learn how to craft effective jokes for any TV comedy. Vijal will break down where good jokes come from and the elements needed to make a joke work. Then, watch as Vijal demonstrates the dynamics of a TV comedy punch-up room, offering insights into how real TV comedies refine their jokes.

 If you’re interested in breaking into TV comedy, it’s so important that you know how to craft great jokes and work in a room. This workshop is the perfect way to help you get there.

PLUS! You'll receive the following to help you with your comedy writing:

• 1-short script scene for punch-up
• Universal checklist of “5 easy tools/techniques” to write jokes
• Generic character scene
• Handy joke writing tips

Praise for Vijal's Previous Stage 32 Education:

" LOVED IT!!!!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! Vijal was very engaging, intelligent and helpful. He gave so much insight to the nuts and bolts of creating comedic characters that are authentic."

-Debbie C.

"Exactly what I needed to know"

-Shashank M.

"Great info, every moment jam packing with knowledge. Great perspective from a working writer."

-Ashton S.

Class 1 – Foundations of Comedy

• Creating conditions for comedy

• What are “joke engines”? 

  • Funny characters 

  • Funny stories 

• Exploring categories of jokes: 

  • Character

  • Situational 

  • Observational 

• Q&A with Vijal

Class 2 – The Bones of Tone

• The Main Tone Types 

• What kind of comedic tone are you going for? 

• Finding an existing “comp” to help guide you 

• How to adjust tone mid-writing 

• Q&A with Vijal

Class 3 - Scene Structure & Joke Writing 

• Momentum of comedy

• How to structure your scene to build in humor

• Footstools 

• Easy techniques that get you within reaching distance of a good joke 

• Understanding Scene blows vs. Act blows 

• The Power of Callbacks 

• Simple Rules That Always Make Things Funnier  

• Common Comedy Pitfalls 

• Q&A with Vijal

Class 4 - Workshop: Putting it Into a Practice & Breaking the Rules 

• Writing jokes from a premise I give you 

• Punching up a short scene 

• Speed pitching on a joke 

• Breaking the rules to create the unexpected 

• Q&A with Vijal

WHAT TO EXPECT

• This class is designed for all level screenwriters, actors, producers and directors - beginner, intermediate and advanced who are looking to understand how to punch up comedy in your script.

• Payment plans are available through ShopPay at checkout.

Screenwriters looking to punch up the comedy in their scripts

Producers looking to infuse some levity into a script to make it more appealing for the marketplace

Directors looking for inspiration for your actors to bring improv to their dialogue from the script

Praise for Vijal's previous Stage 32 Education:

" LOVED IT!!!!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! Vijal was very engaging, intelligent and helpful. He gave so much insight to the nuts and bolts of creating comedic characters that are authentic."

-Debbie C.

"Exactly what I needed to know"

-Shashank M.

"Great info, every moment jam packing with knowledge. Great perspective from a working writer."

-Ashton S.