Welcome to your TV Comedy Rewrite Class!
**Note: Class will be structured similarly to a writers' room. As such, students will read each others' material in order to participate in the discussion and get the most out of the experience.
Assignment One - Your Script & Material
Please email the below directly to your instructor:
- Your script
- Any supplementary materials/bibles/series layout (optional)
- A list of 1-3 of your favorite half-hour TV comedies (optional, but highly recommended)
Week One - Introduction / First Draft / After the Table Read
- Instructor will lecture on the importance of rewriting
- Instructor will discuss common reasons to rewrite and the rewrite process
- Reasons to re-write: flaws in story, structure, characters, dialogue
- Instructor will give each student feedback on their pages
- Live Q&A
Jack Herrguth is a writer (SISTER, SISTER), executive producer (GALAXY QUEST: IT’S ALL REAL), and entertainment executive (Comedy Central’s NATHAN FOR YOU). He has been successful in digital arenas as well, heading up development for Chris Hardwick's multi-media empire, Nerdist. Jack recently developed the half-hour comedy KILLING IT with Paul Feig.
Week Two - Story and Structure
- Instructor will lecture on the importance of solid structure
- Instructor will discuss the three-act format
- Instructor will give each student feedback on their pages
- Live Q&A
Jack Herrguth is a writer (SISTER, SISTER), executive producer (GALAXY QUEST: IT’S ALL REAL), and entertainment executive (Comedy Central’s NATHAN FOR YOU). He has been successful in digital arenas as well, heading up development for Chris Hardwick's multi-media empire, Nerdist. Jack recently developed the half-hour comedy KILLING IT with Paul Feig.
Week Three - Characters
- Instructor will lecture on the keys to creating compelling characters
- Instructor will discuss character backstory, flaws, and motivations, passive characters vs active characters – are your characters driving the action or not
- Instructor will give each student feedback on their pages
- Live Q&A
Jack Herrguth is a writer (SISTER, SISTER), executive producer (GALAXY QUEST: IT’S ALL REAL), and entertainment executive (Comedy Central’s NATHAN FOR YOU). He has been successful in digital arenas as well, heading up development for Chris Hardwick's multi-media empire, Nerdist. Jack recently developed the half-hour comedy KILLING IT with Paul Feig.
Week Four - Humor and Dialogue
- Instructor will lecture on the importance of unique character voices
- Instructor will discuss joke formats and rhythm / comedy theory?
- Organic jokes vs inorganic jokes
- Instructor will give each student feedback on their pages
- Live Q&A
Jack Herrguth is a writer (SISTER, SISTER), executive producer (GALAXY QUEST: IT’S ALL REAL), and entertainment executive (Comedy Central’s NATHAN FOR YOU). He has been successful in digital arenas as well, heading up development for Chris Hardwick's multi-media empire, Nerdist. Jack recently developed the half-hour comedy KILLING IT with Paul Feig.