Raising the Stakes

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  • NiteScribe
    replied
    Re: Raising the Stakes

    Thank you, Captain Recap, for restating what others have already written.

    You're missing the point on the top of your head.

    Leave a comment:


  • Jordan Rivers
    replied
    Re: Raising the Stakes

    You all seem to missing the point.

    There are two types of stakes. Life and death, and life changing.

    Dramas can have either, in commercial films usually the former.

    Since comedy avoids death, it is usually the latter. The comic protagonist's mission is to change his life for the better. What's at stake is that he might fail to do so, and thus never redeem himself. Sometimes life and death plays a part, but in comedy it is not protrayed in a realistic way, like in THE HAUNTED MANSION, and others.

    Leave a comment:


  • thatcomedian
    replied
    Re: Raising the Stakes

    There are stakes in Young Frankenstein

    He wants to clear his family's name by proving his grandfather's work, later the stakes are protecting his creation.

    Originally posted by Gillyflower Cooms



    What about Chaplin and Keaton's comedies and "Some Like It Hot" or the great ones by Mel Brookes like "Young Frankenstein" and "The Producers?" I can list hundreds of great comedies that havew stakes. My guess is that all comedies have stakes but the degree of the stakes vary depending upon the story that's being told.

    Leave a comment:


  • English Dave
    replied
    Re: Raising the Stakes

    Originally posted by dclary
    I thought this thread was about herding cattle.
    Then diet starts Monday? Can I revise my weight loss guess?

    Leave a comment:


  • dclary
    replied
    Re: Raising the Stakes

    I thought this thread was about herding cattle.

    Leave a comment:


  • English Dave
    replied
    Re: Raising the Stakes

    You are a natural Billy. Forget comedy .

    Leave a comment:


  • billythrilly7
    replied
    Re: Raising the Stakes

    And everyone smokes making every scene smokey, right!!?!

    Leave a comment:


  • English Dave
    replied
    Re: Raising the Stakes

    Originally posted by Hairy Lime
    Billy, I wish I could write noir.
    Dead easy, seedy but noble protag, femme fatal, and shoot it in B/W. Writes itself.

    Leave a comment:


  • Hairy Lime
    replied
    Re: Raising the Stakes

    Originally posted by Gillyflower Cooms
    What about Chaplin and Keaton's comedies and "Some Like It Hot" or the great ones by Mel Brookes like "Young Frankenstein" and "The Producers?" I can list hundreds of great comedies that havew stakes. My guess is that all comedies have stakes but the degree of the stakes vary depending upon the story that's being told.
    Hairy also wasn't attempting to come up with a complete list of low stakes comedies.

    Billy, I wish I could write noir.

    Leave a comment:


  • billythrilly7
    replied
    Re: Raising the Stakes

    Originally posted by Deus Ex Machine
    If you think the stakes in Dodge Ball, the pinnacle of writing, try telling the same story without them.

    Remove the desire to get the girl or keep the gym or show up the bad guy or even win the competition. What have you got?
    No one said you don't need ANY stakes.

    Leave a comment:


  • Gillyflower Cooms
    replied
    Re: Raising the Stakes


    Bottle Rocket, When Hairy Met Sally, The Philadelphia Story, Raising Arizona, and Fast Times at Ridgemont High




    What about Chaplin and Keaton's comedies and "Some Like It Hot" or the great ones by Mel Brookes like "Young Frankenstein" and "The Producers?" I can list hundreds of great comedies that havew stakes. My guess is that all comedies have stakes but the degree of the stakes vary depending upon the story that's being told.

    Leave a comment:


  • Deus Ex Machine
    replied
    Re: Raising the Stakes

    A comedy without stakes quickly degenerates into a collection of skits.


    The stakes and goal are necessary to give the story a purposeful direction and advancement.


    If you think the stakes in Dodge Ball, the pinnacle of writing, try telling the same story without them.

    Remove the desire to get the girl or keep the gym or show up the bad guy or even win the competition. What have you got?

    A bunch of guys playing dodge ball. The end.

    I don't know about you, but it doesn't sound like much of a story to me.

    My humble .02


    Leave a comment:


  • billythrilly7
    replied
    Re: Raising the Stakes

    Thank you and although you may not write comedy, you gave me the perfect answer I was searching for.

    What does Hairy write? Film noir, huh?

    Okay, because of our beautiful unification in the last few posts, I will not make a snide comment about film noir, whatever that is.

    Leave a comment:


  • Hairy Lime
    replied
    Re: Raising the Stakes

    Feel free, and please don't credit me, so he won't throw me out the same door he throws you.

    Also, please keep in mind: Hairy doesn't write comedy.

    Leave a comment:


  • billythrilly7
    replied
    Re: Raising the Stakes

    P.S. I hope you don't mind if I copy and paste that and use that exact post when responding to some development exec about my brilliant high concept and/or low concept comedy when he says "raise the stakes."

    Leave a comment:

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