By popular demand, the FROM SCHTICK TO SCRIPT original sitcom pilot writing intensive is back the week of November 24th, Monday to Friday, noon to 4pm at Comedy Bar.

We also have evening and weekend sessions at The Box in the same week if you'd rather do that full lecture schedule below OR you can mix and match times, as long as you attend one lecture on each topic.

FROM SCHTICK TO SCRIPT is an intensive course on how to apply your existing comedic voice as a stand-up comic, improviser, sketch artist, storyteller, novelist or funny human being to the medium of half-hour sitcom writing.

This is NOT a course on how to write a spec script for an existing show, although all the concepts you learn in this class can be easily applied to the writing of a spec script.

The November intensive is a fast-track 20-hour program that covers all the basic theory on PREMISE, CHARACTER, PLOT STRUCTURE, COMEDIC SCENE STRUCTURES, DIALOGUE, and JOKEWRITING and we will take some time every day to work on personal idea generation for our pilots.

Those interested in continuing on to commit to writing the first draft of their pilot can either do so on their own or opt to register for the WRITERS' ROOM INCUBATOR module four Saturdays or Sundays at a future date TBA for an additional $250. That segment of the course allows for continual feedback from DANIELA SAIONI and co-story editor ANNIE BRADLEY at every stage of the process, from concept to first draft, along with group feedback from your peers in a setting that emulates the writers' room. When the weekly sessions are over, students will have another month to complete their first draft and submit it for detailed notes and feedback. The best three scripts of each semester will be read out loud with professional actors to a live audience at our class show, TABLE READ.

Past From Schtick to Script intensive students can always opt to join any future Writers' Room module, but you need to have taken the intensive to register for Writers' Room so that we are all speaking the same language in the Room.

While we've heard in the past that people didn't want to read original pilots by new writers, it is the current practice in Hollywood that even writers' room PA's have at least one original pilot and a few spec scripts in their portfolio, and more and more junior writers get staff writing jobs in part based on their original scripts.

This class was designed to give comedians and other funny people the tools they need to take their existing comedic voice and apply it to the genre of sitcom so they can write that first script. Through the idea jamming portion of the class, by the end of the week most students not only get multiple ideas for sitcoms, but a clear sense of which of their ideas are marketable.

The November Intensive costs $250, and even if you do not go on to do Writers' Room, you can submit your script for consideration in the class show after taking this class.

The optional writers' room incubator module will take place on four consecutive Saturdays or Sundays in January or February dates TBA and costs $250 including 16 hours of time in the Room, continual feedback at every stage of the process and one set of notes on the final draft of your script.

The word of mouth on this course is strong and every class to date has been sold out. One of our first year students got a network development deal based on her first original sitcom pilot script developed in this class, and a few other students in our second year have optioned scripts to production companies or used their scripts to secure writing jobs.

To officially register, or for more information, email: mondocinema@gmail.com

FROM SCHTICK TO SCRIPT

November Intensive

LECTURE SCHEDULE

Comedy Bar:

945 Bloor St. W Cabaret Space

Monday, Nov 24 noon to 4pm THE SITCOM PREMISE

Tuesday Nov 25 noon to 4pm CHARACTERS

Wednesday, Nov 26 noon to 4pm STORY STRUCTURE

Thursday, Nov 27 noon to 4pm SCENE STRUCTURE

Friday Nov 28 noon to 4pm DIALOGUE & JOKE WRITING

The Box:

89 Niagara Street

Monday, Nov 24 6pm to 10pm THE SITCOM PREMISE

Tuesday, Nov 25 6pm to 10pm CHARACTERS

Thursday, Nov 27 6pm to 10pm STORY STRUCTURE

Saturday, Nov 29 noon to 4pm SCENE STRUCTURE

Sunday, Nov 30 noon to 4pm DIALOGUE & JOKE WRITING

INSTRUCTORS:

Lecture Intensive DANIELA SAIONI

Idea Jamming: DANIELA SAIONI & ANNIE BRADLEY

Writers' Room Incubator: DANIELA SAIONI & ANNIE BRADLEY