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To support our community of filmmakers during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, we made the decision to remove the $50 fee for Sundance Collab Master Classes. As we meet this next moment and continue to support artists through our content, we are reinstating a discounted fee of $27 for on-demand recordings.


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Master Classes are in-depth, interactive learning experiences focused on craft and career building and led by renowned industry experts. Topics include fiction and documentary filmmaking, TV writing and production, and navigating and succeeding in the entertainment industry.



The entertainment industry adage goes that comedy is the hardest genre to write. This three-hour, live, online master class with a celebrated comedy writer of TV and films revealed the creative process of crafting scripts that engage audiences with humor and pathos. The class focused on how to develop memorable characters, a strong story at the core of your screenplay and how to create successful comedic setups and payoffs.


Topics presented included:

  • Determining what genre of comedy works for your voice and story
  • Developing memorable characters
  • Writing comedic dialogue vs. writing comedic action
  • Creating successful setups and payoffs
  • Testing your material with audiences
  • Finding collaborators 


Pre-Class Preparation:

Please watch the watch the pilot episode of Barry prior to attending this class.  Available on multiple platforms.


Resources:

Recommended Resources from Jenny Bicks

Instructor
Jenny Bicks started her career in advertising in New York City and went on to write radio comedy before she began writing for film and television. Her series credits include SEINFELD, DAWSON'S CREEK, and HBO's SEX AND THE CITY. She wrote on SEX AND THE CITY for all six seasons, rising to the rank of Executive Producer. Her work on the series earned her several major awards, including an Emmy® Award, multiple Golden Globes and Producers Guild Awards and three WGA nominations. In the feature world, her writing credits include WHAT A GIRL WANTS, RIO 2 and the THE GREATEST SHOWMAN starring Hugh Jackman. A born and bred New Yorker, Bicks divides her time between New York, Maine, and Los Angeles. more...

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