Writing the screenplay, Neon Moon.

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This thesis will explore the creative process behind crafting a “dramedy”, while also defining the genre of “dramedy” and finding out what makes this style of storytelling work. Judd Apatow, director of such films as Knocked Up and The 40 Year Old Virgin, says in his Masterclass that all comedy stories should work with and without the jokes. With good characters and an emotional core, it should be easy to go in later and make the story funny. The key is to create a story with realistic characters in realistic situations, and those characters just happen to be funny people. Some writers like David Foster Wallace and Wes Anderson add one other element to “dramedy”, and that is the idea that treating ironic situations with complete sincerity also adds dramatic elements to situations that should otherwise be darkly comedic. The thesis will explore this creative process by examining the many creative, theoretical, and analytical facets that go into writing a story, specifically the screenplay Neon Moon. It will also include my personal goals for the project, as well as the professional goals in tandem. In the process of brainstorming the idea of Neon Moon, I wanted to make a comedy. However, as the elements of the story came together, the story beats started to look much less comedic and much more dramatic. The heart of the story is very dramatic, but the characters themselves are funny and quirky people with a lot of comedic mileage. This is what’s known as a “dramedy,” a Frankenstein’s monster hybrid of drama and comedy.

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Screenplay. Dramedy. Humor. Storytelling.

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