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There is a principle in storytelling that applies particularly well to sketch comedy. As described by South Park head honchos Matt Stone and Trey Parker in a writing workshop they taught at New York University, if the beats of your story proceed with “and then,” you’re going to wind up with an end product that’s pretty dull. However, if your story is held together with “therefore,” “because” or “but” — you’re cooking with gas.
Pink Slip is a wildly amusing comedy short about a woman who’s been called into her boss’ office to be let go. It’s a fantastic example of the guiding ethos that things can go off the beaten path while still maintaining the logic of a scene. It’s a textbook demonstration of narrative advancing that draws you in and allows the route of the scene to twist, heighten, and surprise without losing its audience. Clocking in at less than a minute and a half, the sketch is absolutely economical in its approach and rooted in causation. And it’s all the funnier for it.
You can watch Pink Slip here:
Who made this?
Emma Debany is a comedy writer and director based in Los Angeles. When I saw “creative director of the WWE 2K20 ad campaign” on her resume I gasped. You can browse Debany’s video content on her Vimeo page and you can find her official website here.
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- A 1986 interview with Del Close, the grandmaster of finding “the game” of the scene.
- I mean, if we’re talking about economic comedy: here’s the crown jewel of 5secondfilms.
- While we’re in the realm of bit-based comedy from a decade ago, here’s an ancient gold nugget from Elephant Larry.
Related Topics: Pink Slip, The Queue
