§ RESOURCES / FILM INDEX

Bringing Up Baby (1938)

Featured In

How do you make extended technical scenes funny on the page?

AI✦Examines the opening sequences to reveal how camera direction and geography are determined by the demands of visual gags rather than aesthetic choice, demonstrating how physical comedy writing must account for the spatial and technical requirements of executing jokes on set.✦

⏱ 1h 35m

Words · Structure · Genre | 26 FEB 2025

Listen if you're writing physical comedy and have no idea how to make it work on the page

▶ More Info

Mel joins Chas to tackle physical comedy. We limited our homework selection to extended scenes (as opposed to moments and sight gags) in live action projects and – with the help of our Patreons – selected early sequences from BRINGING UP BABY, the pilot for HAPPY ENDINGS and that wonderful food poisoning scene in BRIDESMAIDS… →

Films: Bridesmaids (2011) , Bringing Up Baby (1938) , Game Night (2018) , Happy Endings (2011)

Shows: Happy Endings 1x1

Words: Big Print , Whitespace , Dialogue

Structure: Setups & Payoffs , Narrative Velocity , Narrative POV

Genre: Visual Language , Genre Conventions

"Most of the camera direction in this scene is for things that are actually required because of a visual gag…"

— mel | DZ-116: Writing Physical Comedy

Shot Zero Deep Dives

Small and Large Physical Comedy: BRINGING UP BABY by Shot Zero

Read on Substack

Also on Shot Zero

↗ Week 25.13 - Socials Roundup 2025-04-02