This february mediarte is proud to present Steve Kaplan's Comedy Intensive in Brussels. The Comedy Intensive is a two-day course that explores the hidden tools and principles of comedy: what it is, how it works, why it works, what’s happening when it’s not working and what you can do to fix it, and offers proven and practical methods and techniques.
Are you interested in following the full masterclass on 16/02 and 17/02? Register here.
Do you want to attend the meet & greet on Friday evening (15/02) followed by a drink? Register here.
In 2018 Raindance hosted Steve Kaplan's masterclass. Learn why they think it's a must.
1. Steve Kaplan does what they say can’t be done.
I actually came to the seminar because I had been seeing and hearing about your intensives for years and I wanted to see what all the fuss was about. I literally came with the attitude of ‘what can he possibly teach me about comedy that I don’t already know?’
With the few successes I’ve had as a writer and my current studies at Second City and The Groundlings, I figured I already had my comedy bases covered, so to speak. But, to my pleasant surprise, your intensive turned out to be exactly what I’ve always wanted out of these types of seminars. I’ve taken classes on comedy that use terms and over explain concepts to the point that you walk away thinking nothing is funny anymore.
Your intensive, on the other hand, offered simple terms and had a whimsy to it that made any new concepts palatable. I had a blast and learned a lot! I now find myself using your terms and seeing things through the filter of the concepts you presented, which help me not only breakdown and understand why I find something funny, but also helps me create the funny and fix existing ideas that weren’t working
Wayne Colbert, Actor
2. Learn useful tools!
It was wonderful! I came back to new pages on a greenlit script at (unnamed big studio) and used what I learned this weekend to understand why the comedy wasn’t working. And based on our lessons, I immediately knew how to make it better. I received tools I’m applying to every project – regardless of genre!
Nikki Levy, Film Producer
3. Experience an “Aha!” moment.
“The material he covered confirmed some things we had only guessed at and also opened new doors. There were several moments when his observations rang bells, lit bulbs, threw switches. Simple human truths are often like that. We slap our foreheads and say, ‘I knew that – why did I never think it?’ Wise men like Kaplan tell us things written in our DNA.” Tim Ferguson – Writer/ Producer,”Circle Work” and Author of “The Cheeky Monkey.”
4. Helpful for Professionals as well as beginners!
“Thank you so much for letting me attend your Comedy Intensive. I got so much out of it, enjoyed every minute. In fact, I’m sitting down to type up notes I took and… well, I seem to have taken about 60-70 pages of notes. Great, now it’s like I have a job to do. I have always had an instinct for comedy, and have been lucky to have made a living at it, but understanding the mechanics through your comedy tools are a real game changer.”
– Laura House, Stand-Up/Writer, “MOMS”“Your course was so needed. And timely. I took courses and read books on screenwriting but I think it would be easier to stuff spaghetti up a wildcat’s butt than find someone who can teach comedy writing to screenwriters. I was a helicopter pilot and I learned in a 100 hour course. After 60 hours I was frustrated and feeling lost because it felt like I wasn’t getting it and I couldn’t imagine succeeding and being a pilot. Around 66 hours, it all changed. Everything came together with a snap and every hour in the air after that was fun. I passed my flight test when it was so windy that the rest of the base was shut down. Your course made me feel like you just walked me up to the 66 hour mark. Now I can see being a writer. You didn’t just sell me a product. You helped me to make my life better, more optimistic. I hope you never lose your sense of awe when you see how you make a difference in other people’s lives. – Marcus Pidek
5. Recommended by Industry Professionals.
“Steve Kaplan has discovered, refined and sustained more stand-up, playwrighting, TV and Film writing careers — and without any of the credit he deserves — there simply is no God if he doesn’t receive the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, himself. God, are you listening? Oh well. Steve: Thank you for discovering me and being responsible for launching my career. Everyone else: TAKE THIS CLASS.”
– Will Scheffer, Co-Creator and Executive Producer of HBO’s BIG LOVE and GETTING ON
6. Pass it along
Steve: Your classes in London were a tremendous hit and your Hidden Tools were a big part of it. Thanks to taking your intensive, I had a terrific framework to build my class around. I came to your intensive to see if comedy could be taught, and learned; and I came away with the assurance that it can. I now have so many valuable tools that will forever effect my teaching, directing and performing. I don’t look at comedy the same way anymore, and because of you, I am a better artist.
Peter Michael Marino – Writer/Director