I'll help as a writer if you need one

Wanna talk to me about films? Add me on msn lime31?hotmail.com

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Originally posted by Manio

I'll help as a writer if you need one

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I was actually just thinking of brainstorming how to write romcom, methods, techniques, how to generate ideas, how to structure a romcom, etc. I would like to be able to write my own romcom.

Well theres loads of romcoms out there.

Forty Year Old Virgin
Knocked Up
etc etc

You could follow those movies or totally make your path to the best romcom

Wanna talk to me about films? Add me on msn lime31?hotmail.com

The main rule of the romantic comedy is that everything has to fall apart at the end and one character must physically leave (go on walkabout, go to Virginia colonies, got to Wash DC, etc) thus ending the romance forever. The other must then realize they truly love them and chase them down before they go thus showing their love and reversing whatever idiocy they had done that caused the breakup.

This has been done so many times it must work, although I would say it's ripe for satirzing as well.

RJSchwarz
San Diego, CA

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Originally posted by rjschwarz

The main rule of the romantic comedy is that everything has to fall apart at the end and one character must physically leave (go on walkabout, go to Virginia colonies, got to Wash DC, etc) thus ending the romance forever. The other must then realize they truly love them and chase them down before they go thus showing their love and reversing whatever idiocy they had done that caused the breakup. This has been done so many times it must work, although I would say it's ripe for satirzing as well.

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This article by Michael Hauge is pretty good too:
http://www.screenplaymastery.com/RomanticComedies.htm
I recently ordered the book "Writing the Romantic Comedy" by Billy Mernit, waiting for it to arrive:
http://www.amazon.com/Writing-Romantic-Comedy-Billy-Mernit/dp/0060935030/ref=sr_1_1/002-4213635-0316031?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1183132715&sr=8-1

Most important is sincerity, and the situations need to be believable.

I liked Intolerable cruelty. I think it held together the entire length of the film. The Wedding Crashers on the other hand, had too many ridiculous peripheral characters, including the boyfriend, the nympho, and the 'old buddy' that took away from the nucleus of the story. The nympho was annoying, the boyfriend an off-the-shelf character, and the old buddy just muddied the waters.

Nottinghill had a number of peripheral charaters, but somehow it all worked.

My opinion on Romcom, is keep it simple(Maid in Manhattan), and keep the peripheral characters in check.

This from wikipedia ...

Romantic comedy films are movies with light-hearted, humorous dramatic stories centered around romantic ideals such as a "true love" able to surmount most obstacles ?1? or the "perfect couple." Romantic comedy films are a sub-genre of comedy films as well as of romance films.

The basic plot of a romantic comedy is that two people, usually a man and a woman, meet and then part ways due to an argument or other contrived obstacles. Initially, these two people do not become romantically involved, because they believe that they do not like each other, because one of them already has a partner, or social pressures. However, the screenwriters leave obvious clues that suggest that the characters are in fact attracted to each other, or that they would be a good love match.

While the two people are separated, one or both individuals then realize that they are "perfect" for each other, or that they are in love with the other person. Then, after one of the two makes some spectacular effort to find the other person and declare their love, (this is sometimes called the grand gesture), or due to an astonishing coincidental encounter, the two meet again. Then, perhaps with some comic friction or awkwardness, they declare their love for each other and the film ends happily.

There are many variations on this basic plotline. Sometimes, instead of the two lead characters ending up in each other's arms, another love match will be made between one of the principal characters and a secondary character (e.g., My Best Friend's Wedding). Alternatively, the film may be a rumination on the impossibility of love, as in Woody Allen's film Annie Hall. The basic format of a romantic comedy film can be found in much earlier sources, such as Shakespeare plays like Much Ado About Nothing and A Midsummer Night's Dream.

And lastly ...

http://www.storyispromise.com/wromance.htm

Alex

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Originally posted by alex whitmer

And lastly ...
http://www.storyispromise.com/wromance.htm

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Yup, nice link. I also had found and read that article the other day. But I had not even thought of checking wikipedia that you mentioned/quoted, thank you. Well, I just got back from the cafe where I brainstormed with pencil and paper and not knowing where I was going I have an idea for a romcom storyline so I am going to chip away at that piece of stone today while watching Wimbledon tennis on TV and see if any similitude of a form emerges. 🙂

quote:

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Originally posted by alex whitmer

This from wikipedia ...
...The basic plot of a romantic comedy is that two people, usually a man and a woman, meet and then part ways due to an argument or other contrived obstacles. Initially, these two people do not become romantically involved, because they believe that they do not like each other, because one of them already has a partner, or social pressures. However, the screenwriters leave obvious clues that suggest that the characters are in fact attracted to each other, or that they would be a good love match. While the two people are separated, one or both individuals then realize that they are "perfect" for each other, or that they are in love with the other person. Then, after one of the two makes some spectacular effort to find the other person and declare their love, (this is sometimes called the grand gesture), or due to an astonishing coincidental encounter, the two meet again. Then, perhaps with some comic friction or awkwardness, they declare their love for each other and the film ends happily.
...

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Seems like it reads right out of one of my favorite romcoms, "Nobody's Fool (1982, Rosanna Arquette, Eric Roberts; not the more recent same titled film with Paul Newman which I have not seen), a good script/film IMHO for studying the above quoted basic structure of a romcom. I am also going to rent a couple of those films you mentioned for good romcom structure, thank you for mentioning them.

The one really important ingredient is the SAD moment that shifts the story. A tear, an argument, a denial.

The following is from Notting Hill, and was ONE OF those moments. This 'romance' ended first with an argument. Anna tries to make amends, but William decline. From here the film switches back into the comedic pursuit of love.

This scene is after William had overhead a conversation of Anna's to another actor, and after the big arguement. Anna has asked if they might see each other again.

WILLIAM
But yesterday... that actor asked you
who I was... and you just dismissed me
out of hand... I heard -- you had a
microphone... I had headphones.

ANNA
You expect me to tell the truth about my
life to the most indiscreet man in
England?

Martin edges up.

MARTIN
Excuse me -- it's your mother on the
phone.

WILLIAM
Can you tell her I'll ring her back.

MARTIN
I actually tried that tack -- but she
said you said that before and it's been
twenty-four hours, and her foot that
was purple is now a sort of blackish
color...

WILLIAM
Okay -- perfect timing as ever -- hold
the fort for a second will you, Martin?

Martin is left with Anna.

MARTIN
Can I just say, I thought 'Ghost' was a
wonderful film.

ANNA
Is that right?

MARTIN
Yes... I've always wondered what
Patrick Swayze is like in real life.

ANNA
I can't say I know Patrick all that
well.

MARTIN
Oh dear. He wasn't friendly during the
filming?

ANNA
Well, no -- I'm sure he was friendly --
to Demi Moore -- who acted with him in
'Ghost.'

She's kind in here, not sarcastic.

MARTIN
Oh right. Right. Sorry. Always been
a bit of an ass.

William returns a little uneasy.

MARTIN
Anyway... it's lovely to meet you. I'm
a great fan of yours. And Demi's, of
course.

Martin leaves them.

WILLIAM
Sorry about that.

ANNA
That's fine. There's always a pause
when the jury goes out to consider its
verdict.

She's awaiting an answer.

WILLIAM
Anna. Look -- I'm a fairly level-
headed bloke. Not often in and out of
love. But...

He can't really express what he feels.

WILLIAM
... can I just say 'no' to your kind
request and leave it at that?

ANNA
... Yes, that's fine. Of course. I...
you know... of course... I'll just...
be getting along then... nice to see
you.

WILLIAM
The truth is...

He feels he must explain.

WILLIAM
... with you, I'm in real danger. It
took like a perfect situation, apart
from that foul temper of yours -- but my
relatively inexperienced heart would,
I fear, not recover if I was once again
... cast aside, which I would
absolutely expect to be. There are too
many pictures of you everywhere, too
many films. You'd go and I'd be...
well, buggered, basically.

ANNA
I see.
(pause)
That reality is a real 'no,' isn't it?

WILLIAM
I live in Notting Hill. You live in
Beverly Hills. Everyone in the world
knows who you are. My mother has
trouble remembering my name.

ANNA
Okay. Fine. Fine. Good decision.

Pause.

ANNA
The fame thing isn't really real, you
know. Don't forget -- I'm also just a
girl. Standing in front of a boy.
Asking him to love her.

Pause. She kisses him on the cheek.

ANNA
Bye.

Then turns and leaves. Leaving him.

See script here ...

http://www.imsdb.com/scripts/Notting-Hill.html

a

Seem's to me that there's Romcoms out there, and there's Comroms out there. Movies seem to put more of an emphasis on one or the other, which doesn't mean that it ignores the other. For example, Music and Lyrics put slightly more emphasis on romance, though it had a good balance, whereas Knocked Up had more of an emphasis on comedy, with a basis in romance. Crocodile Dundee had more of an emphasis on romance, though it had some undeniably funny parts. I personally really liked Music and Lyrics, because I felt it struck a good balance and had some wonderful characters that were really well cast and acted.

"We all have the potential to be great. It is our inability to do so that makes us miserable." C.S.Lewis

Good point in the difference between RomComs and ComRoms. RomComs are often lumped into the category of Chick Flicks and ComRoms are acceptable to the guys as well. And ZomRomComs appeal to a very select audience.

RJSchwarz
San Diego, CA

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Originally posted by rjschwarz

Good point in the difference between RomComs and ComRoms. RomComs are often lumped into the category of Chick Flicks and ComRoms are acceptable to the guys as well. And ZomRomComs appeal to a very select audience.

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First off, what is a zomromcom? Second, I like the comments here about romcom and comrom, as it also seems to me that some romance films are more drama than comedy and others are more comedy than romance. In the end it is the story that matters, genres are ways of classifying them to allow some sense of it all and communicate as writers and movie goers. My preference is more to attempt to write a romantic drama with some light hearted moments in it, making it more a romcom than an all out comrom.