Lesson 7

[Ian Patrick Williams]

What I learned from doing this assignment is to brainstorm a variety of possibilities for each scene

Genre: comedy
Title: Unaccountable

Concept: A mild-mannered accountant must navigate a corrupt hip hop world when a gangsta rapper/ music mogul forcibly recruits him to cook the books of his criminal empire before an upcoming audit.

Look at each potential comedy scene and do a quick brainstorm session. Ask, “How can I build this scene around one or more of these Comedy Situations?”
A. Misinterpretation
B. Comedic Surprise
C. Wildly Inappropriate Response or Absurd Behavior
D. Forced Union of Incompatibles
E. Embarrassment
F. Comedic Tragedy
G. Physical Mishap

Comedic Tragedy: MC SLAUGHTER’s bodyguards dangle young rapper DE LINKWENT over his penthouse balcony to get him to sign an exclusive contract with Slaughter’s record label

Comedic Surprise: Of the two bodyguards, PRETTY BOI is muscular but presents feminine; BUSTA NUTT hides the fact that he hates violence.

Embarrassment: CPA JERRY WHEELER writes poetry as a creative outlet. His writing instructor disses his poetry at his weekly meetings. His girlfriend EMILY encourages him to not give up.

Inappropriate Response: Slaughter’s club manager KLAMIDIA informs him of an upcoming audit; he loads a pistol for his visit to his CPA BEN MADDEN so he’ll continue cooking his books

Wildly Inappropriate Response: Slaughter has Klamidia double park his Caddy while he runs into the Madden/Wheeler office. When a meter maid tries to ticket her, Klamidia explains not to bother since Slaughter has already bought off the traffic court judge.

Misinterpretation: Jerry’s current client is an old lady who insists on using a child deduction. Jerry finally figures out she’s talking about her cat

Absurd Behavior: Slaughter enters the office and physically tosses the old lady out.

Inappropriate Response: When Jerry informs him Madden’s on an extended vacation, Slaughter pulls his pistol.

Misinterpretation: He was merely moving it aside so he could pull out a wad of cash to offer Jerry for his services.

Misinterpretation: After Slaughter uses the phrase “Ya feel me?” several times, Jerry thinks he’s actually supposed to touch his arm and say “yes”.

Comedic Surprise: Out of nervousness, Jerry recites a few poetic lines; Slaughter turns it into a violent rap and flatters Jerry’s lyric ability. He tells Jerry to come and check out his dance club.

Misinterpretation: Jerry goes to the club dressed like it’s the 70’s

Embarrassment: Everyone mocks his clothing

Misinterpretation: The bodyguards overhear Jerry leaving himself voice notes and presume he’s an undercover Federal agent speaking to others

Physical Mishap: In the men’s room they strip off his shirt looking for a wire; they see a mole on his chest and tear it off

Comedic Tragedy: The next day when Emily is visiting his office, Slaughter returns; when Jerry tries to demur doing his books, Slaughter tells his men to abduct Emily.

Comedic Tragedy: Jerry tries to stop them and is dangled out a window to intimidate him.

Comedic Surprise: Unlike in the opening scene, it’s a one story building and they realize they have to pull him back in

Comedic Tragedy: Slaughter gives Jerry his pistol and expensive watch with an alarm set for one week. “If those papers aren’t in my hands before the alarm goes off, shoot yourself”.

Absurd Behavior: Jerry agrees to do the books but has no idea or desire to falsify anything. He scans IRS rules to see if he can legitimately deduct guns as ‘security’ or massive amounts of marijuana as a medical write-off.

Absurd Behavior: Meanwhile, Slaughter has brought DeLinkwent to his music studio to brainstorm ideas for new releases. Slaughter pulls out a blunt and they both get so high, their conversation becomes a loop of disconnected sentences.

Forced Union of Incompatibles: Emily is held captive at Slaughter’s club. As a part-time Etsy designer, she suggests changes in Klamidia’s wardrobe

Comedic Surprise: Pretty Boi is jealous and wants in on a make-over as well.

Comedic Surprise: Jerry finds the address of Madden’s secret condo where he believes he’s hiding out.

Embarrassment: It turns out to be a time-share that Madden only used once, Jerry bursts in on a cop and a hooker having sex.

Comedic Tragedy: The cop shoots at him; Jerry escapes, inadvertently taking the man’s badge.

Forced Union of Incompatibles: Back at the club, Emily points out to Klamidia ways to bring physical changes to the decor to bring more female energy.

Comedic Surprise: Klamidia breaks out the petty cash to make it happen.

Comedic Surprise: In despair, Jerry looks at the text Madden had originally sent him and realizes from the area code that he’s in the Grand Cayman islands.

Physical Mishap: After arriving at the Cayman’s main bank, he sees various cartel criminals, Middle Eastern sheiks and dictators in the lobby with suitcases of cash. They accidentally keep bumping into everything and each other.

Misinterpretation: The bank manager explains that there’s nothing wrong with them; everyone has been told to keep their heads down so they can later honestly say they never saw anyone else there.

Comedic Surprise: When the manager refuses to give up Madden’s information, Jerry flashes the cop’s badge and threatens to turn in everyone to Interpol. The manager complies.

Forced Union of Incompatibles: Jerry confronts Madden over his past crimes. He’ll keep Madden’s whereabouts a secret if he fills out and signs Slaughter’s paperwork showing all the illegal things he’s been hiding.

Comedic Surprise: As the deadline nears, Slaughter returns to the club and is shocked at the changes but it’s too late for him to do anything about it.

Comedic Tragedy: At the Grand Cayman airport, Jerry feels he’s going to make the deadline. Then an announcement is made that the flight has been delayed.

Forced Union of Incompatibles: Jerry recognizes one of the Cartel leader from the bank. He’s about to leave on his own private jet; Jerry offers him Slaughter’s watch in exchange for a ride.

Misinterpretation: Jerry makes a phone call ostensibly to his mother to meet him when he lands; he’s actually calling the Treasury Dept. for help with Slaughter

Physical Mishap: Just in time, Jerry coms stumbling into the club with the finalized audit..
Misinterpretation: Thinking all is well, Slaughter releases Emily and happily signs the document. Waiting IRS and FBI agents enter and arrest him for admitting in writing to everything he’s done.

Comedic Tragedy: As he’s being led off, he orders his bodyguards to take care of Madden for his betrayal.

Comedic Surprise: Jerry gives them the address of the time share where the pissed off cop will be waiting

Comedic Surprise: The paperwork shows the club was Slaughter’s only legitimate deduction and can remain in business.

Comedic Surprise: Klamidia renames the club Claudia’s (her real name). She uses the venue to showcase up-and-coming performers. First up: Jerry rapping as the Notorious C.P.A.

[Jodie Randisi]

“What I learned from doing this assignment is…” Once again, sifting through AI suggestions leads to unexpected comedy that I can work with.

C. ABSURD BEHAVIOR
Lovie and Elizabeth compete to get the listing for Chip Lefkowitz’s mansion. The former fragrance tycoon is downsizing so there is also the possibility that the agent he chooses will also sell him a new home. Upon entering his mansion, Chip insists they call him Nose Knows (opportunities for misinterpretation and embarrassment). They must prove they have a “nose” for luxury, but not before they are asked to remove their shoes and leave their emotional baggage at the outside the front door.

While blindfolded, Lovie and Elizabeth must identify 12 custom scents (opportunities for comedic tragedy, surprises, and physical mishaps). He states his wacky parameters, such as if he detects any scent, even faintly, of laminate flooring or marital resentment, he goes elsewhere. The scene turns into a scent-based obstacle course for desperate realtors.