A sketch is a term applied to a play or a short show; In general, sketches carry the comedy genre or are inserted with various comical elements that are able to shake the stomach of the audience. Interested in making your own sketch? First, try to think of a story idea that will make you laugh. After that, try to develop the idea and arrange it into a complete script, practice it, and demonstrate or record it so that it can be enjoyed by a wider audience.
Step
Part 1 of 3: Developing Ideas
Step 1. Gather inspiration
Sometimes, story ideas just pop into your mind; however, sometimes you need to be the one actively looking for ideas. Therefore, try to find inspiration by watching and/or reading short comedy sketches that have already been published. To make it easier for you, try going to the YouTube page and looking for various sketch videos that were recorded both professionally and by amateurs.
- Watch sketches by Key & Peele, SNL, W/ Bob and David, and Monty Python for inspiration. Also note the similarities and differences of each sketch in detail
- When watching sketches by other artists, also think about what makes the sketch feel original to the audience. Instead of adapting the ideas of the sketches you are watching, try to package common ideas in your own point of view to maintain their originality.
- Pay attention to the things that are happening around you. One of the factors that determine the success of a sketch is its relevance to the life of the audience. Therefore, pay attention to the interactions of the people around you and try to compose a fictional scenario of the real silliness that is happening in your life.
Step 2. Collect story ideas
Write down all the story ideas that come to your mind; if you work in a group, invite your friends to discuss story ideas that are worth developing into a sketch. Always carry a small notebook with you wherever you go; if suddenly an idea pops into your mind, no matter how simple it is, immediately jot it down in the book.
- If there are interactions between people around you that sound funny, try jotting them down in your notebook and developing them into sketches. For example, there is a customer at a coffee shop who catches your eye by ordering a drink with a very strange combination; as a result of that person's behavior, other prospective buyers must be willing to stand in long queues behind him. Try to take note of every detail of the information you catch and find out where the ridiculousness of the situation (for example, the behavior of the buyer looks very ridiculous to you).
- Meet your friends and invite them to discuss. If necessary, provide a special book to accommodate everyone's ideas or ask one person to help record each idea in a notebook.
- Don't censor any ideas at this stage; instead, jot down all the ideas that come to your mind. Remember, an idea that initially sounds silly can actually turn into an interesting sketch if packaged well!
- If you have a story idea that makes you laugh, jot it down immediately. Ask yourself why you might laugh at the idea; does the idea feel ridiculous when visualized? Are there words that make you laugh? Or does the idea feel relevant to your life? Knowing the reasons behind your laughter can help you put together a complete sketch script and present it to a large audience.
- Think about what kind of sketch you want to display. There are sketches that are packaged in the form of parodies, some are packaged in the form of satirical plays. In addition, there are also sketches that focus on recording a unique portrait of a character, but there are also those that focus on surreal humor.
Step 3. Develop a storytelling point of view
A good sketch should be able to highlight a point of view that the audience can easily identify. Just like when writing a thesis in a scientific paper, the point of view you raise should be easily understood by the audience. Remember, point of view is the reader's lens through which you see the world you present. In a sketch, emphasizing the point of view of storytelling can produce a comical effect that has the potential to tickle the stomach of the audience.
- Basically, the point of view of storytelling is an opinion that is packaged in the form of facts. To find a storytelling point of view, there are several processes you need to go through. First of all, you see someone ordering a very strange combination of drinks at a coffee shop. After that, you decide to write a sketch script about some customers who order strange drinks at a coffee shop. The drink ordered by the second customer must be weirder than the drink ordered by the first customer, and so on. After that, you've managed to reach one point of view of storytelling, which is about people who are currently too obsessed with materialism and life choices that are less important.
- Your point of view is expressed not only by one character complaining about a buyer's order, but by every action that takes place in your sketch.
- A sketch will look more original if it is able to show a clear storytelling point of view. Therefore, even though the big theme of the sketch has often been presented by other performers, your idea will still feel original because it is able to raise different points of view.
Step 4. Arrange the outline of the beginning, middle, and end of the sketch
Every complete story, however short in length, must have a beginning, middle, and end. Try mapping these three sections in your script.
- Because a sketch often carries the comedy genre, you should open a sketch with scenes that are relevant to the daily life of the general public. For example, start your sketch with a scene of people standing in line at the cashier of a coffee shop.
- Your sketch will arrive midway if something out of the ordinary happens. For example, a customer suddenly orders a very strange drink combination.
- Your sketch arrives at the end when the scene has reached its climax and resolution. For example, the annoyed barista decides to slam the whole coffee cup on the floor; To make it even more dramatic, the barista suddenly pulled out a gun from the cash register drawer and robbed all the money that was there.
Part 2 of 3: Writing Scripts
Step 1. Write the first draft of the manuscript
Basically, there are several sketch script writing formats that can be imitated to make it easier for you. Don't worry, you are not required to write a script in a standard and professional format.
- At the very top of the manuscript, write the title of your sketch. Below that, write down the names of the characters involved along with the names of the cast.
- In the dialogue section, write the name of the speaking character in a centered and bold format. On the next line, revert to the left-aligned format and type the dialogue character.
- Character actions can be added next to the dialog in brackets format.
- Don't be too perfectionist when drafting the first script. Instead, write down everything that comes to your mind first; anyway, you can always edit it later.
Step 2. Make sure your script is not convoluted
Whatever the concept of presenting your sketch, make sure it's no longer than five minutes. This means that you have to get right into the heart of the sketch even from the very first scene. Don't waste time building characters and setting; instead, immediately start the scene funny and relevant to the theme of the sketch.
- Referring to the idea of a sketch in a coffee shop, try starting the scene with the barista asking for a buyer's order.
- Then, the customer orders a drink combination that's weird enough to take the audience by surprise, but not so weird that the sketch doesn't climax right away. Remember, you need to leave room for jokes for future buyers.
- Remember, the main goal of your sketch is to provide the audience with as much information as possible in the shortest possible time. For example, the barista might say, "Welcome to Good Coffee, how can I help you?" Through one dialogue, you've managed to explain the locations, characters, and what's going on in your script.
- In a sketch, every dialogue is very important. Remember, you don't have time for insignificant elements or scene elements. Therefore, do not include dialogue about the past/future, people who are not directly involved in the script, and irrelevant objects in the script.
Step 3. Keep your sketch short and concise
Make sure your final manuscript is no longer than five pages! If your draft is longer than that, don't worry; you can always get rid of the less important parts anyway. On average, one page of script is equivalent to a one-minute show.
If the duration of the sketch is too long, it is feared that the scenes in it will no longer feel special because they are packaged too convoluted; even a joke that should sound funny can fail because of it. In addition, the focus and attractiveness of the scene will be maintained if the duration of your script is kept short and dense
Step 4. Always remember the number three rule
This means that you have to repeat a sentence or scene three times, or include the same element three times in the script. In other words, your sketch contains three similar components that, when combined, form a whole that has a beginning, middle, and end.
Referring to the example of a sketch in a coffee shop, you can highlight three buyers with three different ordering patterns. Make sure each pattern is always sillier than the previous one
Step 5. Increase the intensity of the scene
When writing a script, make sure you always step away from scenes that can be developed. A good sketch must be able to capture the audience's interest through the intensity of the scene that continues to increase before reaching the climax and ending with a relevant closing scene.
- If using a sketch sample at a coffee shop, have the first customer order an elaborate drink combination. After that, create a dialogue between the buyer and the barista in a few sentences; for example, the barista tries to repeat the customer's order but it is always wrong and must be corrected by the buyer.
- After that, a second customer came and ordered a more bizarre combination of drinks. The barista then repeated the order again but the customer instead decided to change the combination order. After that, the barista again tries to repeat the order according to the revised order (or asks for one of the ingredients requested by the buyer because this ingredient is not commonly mixed with coffee). In the end, the annoyed buyer finally complained and left the coffee shop.
- After that, a third buyer came. The barista who was still too emotional because the first two customers had to come back was faced with a third customer whose orders were the oddest. To the buyer, the barista said that the coffee shop did not even provide half the ingredients requested. He emphasized that the only options available were black coffee or coffee with cream. The buyer whose request was not complied with was furious and decided to call the shop manager.
- In the end, the barista's anger exploded and he decided to do something crazy that would later have a real impact on his life (such as robbing a shop, throwing hot coffee in the buyer's face, or getting fired).
Step 6. Continue to revise your draft
After completing the first draft, try reading it to a group of friends and assigning each person a specific character. After that, invite them to discuss things that still need improvement.
- Show the sketch in front of someone whose opinion you can trust; trust me, accepting honest criticism and suggestions can improve the quality of your sketches.
- Jot down the jokes they find funny and less funny; understand the scenes that did – and didn't – get the audience's attention. Remember, jokes that you find funny may not necessarily fit into your sketch script.
- Remove less significant scenes and/or jokes to shorten your sketch; As the name implies, a good sketch should be straightforward and not too long. Therefore, consider deleting dialogue that does not have an important contribution to your sketch.
Part 3 of 3: Viewing or Recording a Sketch
Step 1. Hold an audition
Whatever the purpose of your sketch, it never hurts to hold an audition to find a competent candidate. If the sketch script is arranged in groups and must be played by members of the group, of course you don't need to hold auditions again. Instead, you and your friends in the same group only need to do the reading process (practice reading the script).
- Talent is important; however, it is much more important for you to find players you can trust and rely on so that no training time is wasted.
- If the sketch is part of a school or community theater event, try asking your teacher or event organizer for information regarding the audition. Ask if these parties have scheduled large-scale auditions for all potential performers, or if you should schedule them yourself.
- If you must hold an independent audition, try posting an audition poster in the school area or posting the information on various social media.
- When auditioning, ask each prospective player to bring a headshot (close-up photo). You should also prepare a sample script that they will have to read at the audition.
Step 2. Schedule at least one rehearsal
Because the duration of the sketch is very short, it's likely that you won't have to do a lot of dirty rehearsals; If you wish, you can do one dirty rehearsal and one clean rehearsal just to make sure all the players have memorized the dialogue and understand your sketch point of view.
Prepare the property and other equipment needed. Some sketches don't require properties and background sets; however, you can use it if you want the sketch to look more theatrical. Sometimes, some properties are also needed to make a sketch look more reasonable in the eyes of the audience
Step 3. Display or record your sketch
After a lengthy training process, now is a good time to show it live or record it and upload it to the internet. Before doing so, make sure all props, costumes, and recording equipment are properly prepared.
- If the sketch will be recorded, at least you have to prepare a camera. Also prepare lighting and sound equipment if possible.
- If you want, you can upload the sketch to Youtube or Vimeo so that audiences from all over the world can watch it.
Tips
- Write down some script ideas before making a decision regarding the script to use. Expand your options to find the best story ideas!
- Don't be afraid to improvise. The increasing quality of a sketch is often motivated by the courage of the players to improvise and have fun on stage.
- Share your ideas with others and if necessary, collaborate with them. Oftentimes, other people can offer you new perspectives that you didn't think of and can improve the quality of your sketches.
- Have fun. Whatever the purpose of your sketch (and whatever the audience is), make sure you present it with a happy heart. If you take it too seriously, you're afraid you'll miss out on a humorous moment or highlight an interesting point of view of your script.
