Final answer:
In scriptwriting, 'Display the funny' means to showcase the humor within your script through humorous scenarios and character actions. It involves creating entertaining situations where characters make practical, often flawed decisions that lead to comedy.
Step-by-step explanation:
“Display the funny” refers to the technique of highlighting the humor in your script. It means that as a writer, you actively showcase humorous elements, situations, and dialogue rather than hiding them, avoiding them, or saving them for a particular part of the script.
The effectiveness of humor in comedies depends on the relatable and practical choices characters are faced with, which lead to amusing situations and contribute to the hilarity and laughter that comedies are known for.
Five examples of “Display the funny” in a pilot could include:
- A character attempting a ridiculous plan to steal money from their employer with obviously flawed tactics that are bound to fail comically.
- An individual attempting to sneak food from a kitchen during a formal event, leading to a sequence of slapstick or exaggerated stealth maneuvers.
- A lover's escapade, where one is trying to leave a room unnoticed before the significant other's spouse arrives, leading to humorous hiding spots and close calls.
- Exaggerated portrayals of common people making unwise but comical decisions, often with a lack of foresight or understanding of the consequences.
- The use of visual humor or physical comedy, where characters find themselves in increasingly absurd situations, escalating the laughter as the show progresses.
The principle of “Show Don’t Tell” also applies to comedy writing. Instead of just explaining the humor, you show it through the actions and reactions of the characters, akin to how Lassie would lead people to see the problems first-hand in the television show.