British Comedy Guide

2 Halfs Of Men Page 5

Quote: Boomerang Jones @ September 14 2010, 3:11 PM BST

Ok, well there was an incredibly short sketch I wrote with a friend of mine once - see how you like it.....

INT - Fairly affluent looking family home

Two men, both middle aged wearing dinner suits. One balding with glasses, the other with short grey hair. Both have serious expressions and appear to be in a discussion but dialogue is barely audible, drowned out by classical violin music. Music fades at a pause in conversation.

BALDING MAN: - I like what you've done with the curtains.

The camera pans round to see the curtains on fire and then back to see both men nodding pursing their lips.

As a little quickie I enjoyed that. Bugger to shoot though!

Quote: Boomerang Jones @ September 14 2010, 3:11 PM BST

INT - Fairly affluent looking family home

Two men, both middle aged wearing dinner suits. One balding with glasses, the other with short grey hair. Both have serious expressions and appear to be in a discussion but dialogue is barely audible, drowned out by classical violin music. Music fades at a pause in conversation.

BALDING MAN: - I like what you've done with the curtains.

The camera pans round to see the curtains on fire and then back to see both men nodding and pursing their lips.

Filming that might set your drape alarm off though.

I liked that! It's silly in a good way.

Quote: David Bussell @ September 14 2010, 3:14 PM BST

As a little quickie I enjoyed that. Bugger to shoot though!

True. I don't wanna set fire to my curtains, I'm sure attaxwrongness doesn't either, but I like the idea of this sketch.

Quote: Leevil @ September 14 2010, 3:15 PM BST

Filming that might set your drape alarm off though.

A good point, well made.

Quote: Nat Wicks @ September 14 2010, 3:18 PM BST

I liked that! It's silly in a good way.

Thank you, Nat. You see everyone? There's hope for us yet! ; )

Perhaps the script of your YouTube vid would have beena better thing to post.

I've seen plenty of reasonable material destroyed by bad acting etc. Bad camera-work can be forgiven unless higher production values are required by the material but really badly acted sketches will easily ruin even the best material.

Quote: Boomerang Jones @ September 14 2010, 3:11 PM BST

Ah, you clearly haven't seen me dance about architecture! I see your point though. And this is going back to the subjectivity thing - in the eyes of others we have made good with what we have. We could discuss this all day though and would get nowhere. Ok, well there was an incredibly short sketch I wrote with a friend of mine once - see how you like it.....

INT - Fairly affluent looking family home

Two men, both middle aged wearing dinner suits. One balding with glasses, the other with short grey hair. Both have serious expressions and appear to be in a discussion but dialogue is barely audible, drowned out by classical violin music. Music fades at a pause in conversation.

BALDING MAN: - I like what you've done with the curtains.

The camera pans round to see the curtains on fire and then back to see both men nodding and pursing their lips.

Top notch sketch.

Very quick and neat, good clear punchline funny.

Suggestions

1 Cut to stock footage of burning curtains
2 Animate
3 Set fire to someone elses curtains

4. Set it in a garden, set fire to something less dangerous but as visually arousing.

Quote: Leevil @ September 14 2010, 5:18 PM BST

4. , setting fire to something is dangerous but arousing.

Makes you wet the bed mind

Quote: sootyj @ September 14 2010, 5:16 PM BST

Suggestions

1 Cut to stock footage of burning curtains
2 Animate
3 Set fire to someone elses curtains

Stock would look fake/shite I think. Plus you're still going to have to fork out a wedge to create the effect of an upperclass dinner party complete with with guests and wardrobe. It's a lot of effort to put into filming such a quick sketch. I'm not saying it's not funny, but again it doesn't lend itself to being realised easily. I appreciate that Boomerang never said anything about wanting to actually film it though.

Quote: Leevil @ September 14 2010, 5:18 PM BST

4. Set it in a garden, set fire to something less dangerous but as visually arousing.

A groom?

Quote: sootyj @ September 14 2010, 5:16 PM BST

Top notch sketch.

Very quick and neat, good clear punchline funny.

Suggestions

1 Cut to stock footage of burning curtains
2 Animate
3 Set fire to someone elses curtains

Can I set fire to your curtains? Only joking, sweetheart!

Quote: David Bussell @ September 14 2010, 5:20 PM BST

Stock would look fake/shite I think. Plus you're still going to have to fork out a wedge to create the effect of an upperclass dinner party complete with with guests and wardrobe. It's a lot of effort to put into filming such a quick sketch. I'm not saying it's not funny, but again it doesn't lend itself to being realised easily. I appreciate that Boomerang never said anything about wanting to actually film it though.

A groom?

It was part of a sitcom script that I wrote with my mate Sergio years ago. We were hoping the BBC might fork out for the above things!

Wish I could afford curtains.

Doesn't have to be a posh dinner party. Could work with 2 tramps and one of them's set fire to his cardboard box?

Maybe even a joke on central heating?

Quote: Afinkawan @ September 14 2010, 4:49 PM BST

Perhaps the script of your YouTube vid would have beena better thing to post.

I've seen plenty of reasonable material destroyed by bad acting etc. Bad camera-work can be forgiven unless higher production values are required by the material but really badly acted sketches will easily ruin even the best material.

Ok then, do you want to act in a re-shot version? We'll pay your travel expenses.....nah, we can't afford to do that. I'm conscious of repeating myself but part of the spoof is the bad acting. I'm not saying I'm Nicholas Lyndhurst and Bob's Jack Nicholson or anything but we weren't trying to act well, which is part of what we thought was a feature of bad American sitcoms. Haha, I'm imagining now a montage of you falling to your knees and putting your hands on your head at visions of good material ruined by bad acting.

Quote: sootyj @ September 14 2010, 5:28 PM BST

Wish I could afford curtains.

Doesn't have to be a posh dinner party. Could work with 2 tramps and one of them's set fire to his cardboard box?

Maybe even a joke on central heating?

Possibly, although part of the joke was making fun of those pretentious interior design shows and the setting fire to the curtains being seen as a bold artistic statement. Not sure if it would be as funny if it was two tramps setting fire to their carboard box to get warm. I agree that it doesn't have to be a posh dinner party though. Hmmmm

###Mimicking a Sergio Leone film, now that would be a real challenge with a camcorder.###

I don't know, comedy is exaggeration
:D

P.S. How do you record stuff with a webcam, if you can?

Quote: Boomerang Jones @ September 14 2010, 5:33 PM BST

Ok then, do you want to act in a re-shot version? We'll pay your travel expenses.....nah, we can't afford to do that. I'm conscious of repeating myself but part of the spoof is the bad acting. I'm not saying I'm Nicholas Lyndhurst and Bob's Jack Nicholson or anything but we weren't trying to act well, which is part of what we thought was a feature of bad American sitcoms. Haha, I'm imagining now a montage of you falling to your knees and putting your hands on your head at visions of good material ruined by bad acting.

Acting badly is something of an art. Besides, the acting in Two and a Half Men isn't so bad, it's the material that's rotten.

Oh, and the wife beating scum Charlie Sheen.

Share this page