funny

     Different choices of objectives and emotions in comedy, you must make the mirror tilted, even distorted, no matter how kooky, must have a basis in reality.

     Comedy principle: audience won't laugh unless they're sure nobody is really getting hurt.

     Rule of thumb: any situation, decide what's normal for that circumstance and then do the reverse.

     Comedy is entirely based on opposites.

     The basics of comedy.

     Anything can be funny.

     Understanding what's funny.

actor funny     comedy     human funny     humor

     Go for reality, then go for funny.

     Has to be funny to watch. Don't play radio. It's behavior, that is what is funny.

1. Actor (If you put your finger in mouth) do it funny.
2. A point of view, the way it is twisted. Comedic point of view. Think what was funny. Comedic of difficulty.
3. Audience identification of characters: it ain't just funny.
4. Audience has to be very sorry for him, this is pathos, this is sad. In places it is funny, but it is drama.
5. Basic Joke: What's funny about it?
6. Can be funny and real.
7. Comedy is about suffering, not just funny things.
8. Comedy: Funnier by making more real.
9. Comedy must be funny to look at.
10. Cry funny.
11. Don't be conscience funny.
12. Don't do busy work. Think of something funny, put it in right place.
13. Don't get acrobatic to be funny.
14. Don't go for all laughs, only ones that are important; creditability. Don't try to make it as funny as possible.
15. Don't have to make everything funny. More you sweat will irritate the audience.
16. Don't play funny. Must be serious about it. Believe in it. Can not kid it.
17. Don't think funny.
18. Don't try an act funny.
19. Don't use characters as clowns. Don't sacrifice. What makes it funny?
20. Don't work so hard. The material is funny.
21. Don't yell.  Last resource of actor is yelling. Yelling to a minimum. Yelling is never funny.
22. Dream up funny things, then make it work.
23. Everybody has their own area of "funny".
24. Find the funny in it.
25. Find the joke. Underline funny.
26. Find what is funny about the people.
27. Find what is funny. What's normal, don't do it.
28. First problem: Don't try to be funny at start.
29. First problem: not funny, because both were trying to be funny.
30. Funny at the loss of humanity, laughter without substance. Modern Tragedy
31. Funny is serious.
32. Funny and creditable.
33. Funny by sticking to the story or just making it funny.
34. Funny is easy. You can play anything funny, resist that. Make the people creditable. Laughter is not any measure of success.
35. Funny is not the first part, funny is the second part.
36. Funny not who throws pie, but funny where pie lands.
37. Funny with reality.
38. Go for reality, then go for funny.
39. Going to be funny, you first have to be credible.
40. Have an idea, make it funny.
41. How to play funny?
42. Humor of despair. Suffer in grandiose to make it funny. Grand Opera.
43. If everything is funny, nothing is funny, you will wear audience out.
44. If material is good, get it out. If material is bad, invent stuff to make it funny.
45. If you have to choice between funny or real, choice real.
46. If you hit cords; audience says that's what I had to go through.
47. It has to be funny to watch.
48. Jewish funny = sad funny.
49. Lay out the funny joke.
50. Life is so funny, because it is illogical.
51. Look for funny, get to the heart of audience, they feel for them.
52. Look for what is funny.
53. Make it look funny.
54. Some actors are very funny, but also real. The humanity of it.
55. Never try to be funnier, never over act. Character is in trouble.
56. Normal reaction, do something opposite. What makes it funny?
57. Not only funny in concept, but it has to look funny.
58. Obvious, up front, how to find what is funny.
59. Outrageous and funny.
60. Play great comedy: deeply funny.
61. Playing the comedy: actor is in a state of mischief, find what is funny.
62. PRINCIPLE: don't go for all laughs, only ones that are important; creditability. Don't try to make it as funny as possible.
63. Sad funny is the best kind of funny.
64. Sensitive, beautifully sad funny.
65. Still has to have combat where the situation is funny.
66. Start with everything real, instead of starting with everything funny. Who am I. What's going on? Where am I. Solving all the problems of reality. Real people then heighten.
67. Stop acting funny. It is serious work. Actor is in state of mischief.
68. Study what your funny is: How to play a joke. How to set up joke.
69. Style: What is the main thrust? Funny.
70. The best funny is sad funny.
71. The intent, if you got something funny leave it alone.
72. The more you are in trouble the funnier it is. That is the secret of comedy.
73. Think funny to end up funny, understand life.
74. To find what is funny underneath - just not funny faces.
75. Two con-men conning each other. Who is going to win. Funny by itself isn't funny. Real humans: funny.
76. Underline funny thing about this thing.
77. Understanding of humor: lesson in using body, sense of gesture, some are funny, others aren't.
78. Unusual is funny in picking objectives.
79. What are the principles of Comedy. Understand the concept. Find the humor, find what is funny.
80. What is comic material: why is it funny? Look for the basic joke. There are no new jokes.
81. What is funny about scene?
82. What's funny for character?
83. What is funny, meaningful person they don't want, a nutty person.
84. What is most human, not what is funniest.
85. What makes it funny: What attitude it has to be thought through: actor state of mischief.
86. What is your funny? How do I make people laugh?
87. When a funny interferes with creditability, throw it out.
88. When people do things in unison, it's funny, that is why you avoid it in drama.
89. Who is the right funny?
90. Writer is objective, he is making funny.
91. You can do funny things as long as you suffer. Audience says I've been there and laugh.
92. You have a funny scheme, then you have to make it work.

"In the end, it can't look like acting."