Purpose: To demonstrate an understanding of comic dynamics and characterdevelopment.
Task: You will write a three-page (double-spaced) comedic exchange between TWO characters in a scene together, providing no more than one short paragraph (maximum 150 words) giving context such as setting and character background. You may also provide short descriptions of necessary action in italics, between square brackets, before a line of dialogue (as demonstrated below).
Your assignment should demonstrate an understanding of the comic dynamic between characters; the disbursement of set-ups and punchlines between speakers; comedic tropes, e.g. the straight man and status reversal (please note that not every dialogue need employ each of these tropes).
The dialogue will follow narrative rules (beginning, middle, end, a.k.a. set up, complication, resolution). Refer to any posted screenplays or TV scripts in the Dialogue, Film & TV module in Canvas (Fleabag’s “Pilot,” or the Bridesmaids screenplay, for example) if youre feeling unsure of how dialogue or description of necessary action should function. Assignments over or under the page count will be penalized. Please use Times New Roman, Helvetica, Arial, or (another basic font) in 12 point for this assignment.
You don’t need to use screenplay structure to write this assignment, as we haven’t covered that in detail
. However, the focus is on using dialogue to create jokes and tell story, so it should be the primary writing for this assignment.
Here is an example of how you can simply write dialogue: CHARACTER ONE: Should the dialogue be formatted something like this?
CHARACTER TWO: Sure! CHARACTER ONE: Great, because I think this is hilarious. CHARACTER TWO [walking away]: I strongly disagree.
