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The Eight Characters of Comedy
A Guide To Sitcom Acting And Writing
The definitive book on TV Comedy for Actors and Writers.
Used as a textbook in colleges and universities. Read by television
networks & studios. Implemented by TV Comedy Actors, Producers,
and Writers. A bestseller among Acting books! The only how-to comedy
book on the market.
The Eight Characters of Comedy is a
Hollywood “How-To” guide for actors and writers who want to break into
the world of situation comedy.
Renowned acting coach Scott Sedita will teach you how to break down a comedy script, identify different types of jokes and deliver them with comedic precision. You will learn about sitcom history, specific sitcom auditioning techniques and how to market yourself in this competitive industry.
Most importantly, you will be introduced to
The Eight Characters of Comedy, eight specific character archetypes that will help you discover your niche in half hour comedy.
BUY THIS
BOOK AND PEOPLE WILL LAUGH AT YOU!
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Industry
Praise
“Scott Sedita has written
an incredibly informative and entertaining book that
every actor, writer and comedy lover should read … no
… make that, memorize!"
- Rob Lotterstein,
Shake It Up!, Executive Producer
“Sedita’s keen insight and analysis of The Eight Characters of Comedy is amazing! There has never been anything like this in print before.
AND IT WORKS! I have seen his acting students create wonderful characters from this astute understanding of sitcom characters.”
- Mary Lou Belli, Emmy-Award Winning
Sitcom Director.
“In sitcom casting, the guy who gets the most laughs wins. Understanding how to build realistic, complex, yet funny characters is vital to getting those critical laughs in the room. Scott’s
unique and fascinating book is a fun starting point for any actor or writer hoping to break into comedy.”
- Patrick Baca, CSA, Board of Governors, Casting Society of America
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Video Clips
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| Are
you funny? Scott talks with Judy Kerr about the book and what
it takes to work in comedies and sitcoms. |
Scott
coaches everyday people to fulfill their dreams in the USA Network
series, CHARACTER FANTASY: ep. Sherman Klump |
Scott (with Keesha Sharp from Girlfriends) talking
with Gregory Mantell about his book and how to make it in the
business. |
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| CHARACTER
FANTASY:
Audrey Hepburn |
CHARACTER
FANTASY:
Catherine Zeta-Jones |
CHARACTER
FANTASY:
Music Video |
About the Author
Scott Sedita, winner of Backstage Best Acting Teacher 2008 and voted one of the Best Audition Teachers 2009, is a well respected, highly in- demand Acting Coach and Author.
Recently, Scott was seen in the Showtime series “La La Land.” Last year, Scott starred in the VH1 reality show “New York Goes To Hollywood” as well as MTV’s “My Perfect Life.” In the past, he’s starred in the E! series “Fight For Fame,” USA Network’s “Character Fantasy,” Fox Sports Network’s “Helmets Off, ” MTV’s “Adventures In Hollyhood” and Bravo’s “Faking It.” He is also the author of the best-selling books, “The Eight Characters of Comedy, A Guide to Sitcom Acting and Writing” and “Scott Sedita’s Guide To Making It In Hollywood. 3 Steps to Success. 3 Steps to Failure.”
A graduate of Boston University’s Film and Television program, Scott has more than 25 years of experience in the entertainment industry. He began his career in New York as a talent agent, where he helped to launch the careers of many of today’s top stars, including Courteney Cox, Matt LeBlanc, Teri Polo, Christopher Meloni, Dylan Walsh, Jerry O’Connell and Vincent D’Onofrio just to name a few.
In 1990, Scott relocated to Los Angeles where he worked as a sitcom writer for Howie Mandel, Bobcat Goldthwait and others. In the mid-90s, Scott worked as a casting director for Danny Goldman Casting until launching his Scott Sedita Acting Studios in 1998.
Today, Scott and his staff teach the craft of acting to the hundreds of actors who walk through his doors on a weekly basis. Scott has taught many hot new actors who have become series regulars on such shows as “Gossip Girl,” “90210,” “Heroes,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Weeds,” My Name Is Earl,” “Ugly Betty” “Chuck,” “Prison Break” “Las Vegas,” and “The Secret Life of An American Teenager” to name a few.
“The Eight Characters of Comedy” has become a textbook for colleges and universities, as well as a “bible” to comedy writers and producers all over the world. Scott is a Comedy Consultant on sitcoms in the United States and Canada.
Scott has appeared on numerous TV talk shows and can be heard on radio stations around the world as the “Hollywood Expert.” He’s been the feature story in such publications as Hollywood Reporter, Soap Opera Digest, Inside TV, Backstage and TV Soap to name a few. He has also appeared on “Entertainment Tonight,” “Extra,” and “Access Hollywood.” KTLA Channel 5 did a story on Scott entitled “Where Young Hollywood Goes and Studies” and referred to him as “one of the hottest coaches in town.”
Backstage
West
This may be one of the
most interactive books I've ever had the good fortune to pick
up! Sure, it starts off relatively didactic, with author Scott Sedita taking you by the hand and leading you through sources of
comedy and the genesis of the modern sitcom formula. This takes
only a dozen pages, though. The next 200 or so are peppered with
examples of comic writing that are impossible not to read aloud.
The initial ones serve to impress upon the actor/writer the
importance of every word and punctuation mark in "finding the
funny" (and it's remarkable the difference one spot of ink can
make); later chapters are illustrated with snippets from a
wealth of sitcoms, extant and no longer in first run. As you
read along and pick up the rhythms, a little voice starts making
itself heard in the back of your head. It's saying, "God, I'm
good."
But back to the book
itself. It's nicely laid out, with nothing extraneous and lots
of helpful sidebars. Although reducing the world of comedy to
eight stock characters may seem a bit, well, mechanical, there
is plenty of elbow room within each classification. And they
are, for the record: The Logical Smart One, The Lovable Loser,
The Neurotic, The Dumb One, The Bitch/Bastard, The Womanizer/Manizer,
The Materialistic One, and characters who are In Their Own
Universe. Each label comes with a full definition, profile,
motivations, copious examples of characters, and, on occasion,
helpful suggestions when it comes to physicalizing such comic
types. Sedita, a respected acting coach, closes out with a handy
guide to "finding your comedic note" as well as a thorough
glossary to the terminology of the land of chuckles. The back
cover promises, "Buy this book and people will laugh at you."
But it's more likely, by the time you've finished the book,
you'll be laughing at yourself and wondering how the sitcom
world has muddled through without you for so long.
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“In his new book, Scott Sedita has dissected comedy archetypes in a way that is
revolutionary, insightful and great fun to read. This secret weapon should be part of any aspiring actor’s or writer’s arsenal.”
- Jed Seidel, Greek, Executive Producer
BUY THIS BOOK !
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Industry Praise
“This will be another bible for actors as they are preparing for auditions and creating a comedic character. It will help them to keep focus on what each of the eight characters wants and needs in order to stay true to the parameters of the character they have chosen. … I insist that all of the actors who study with me take Scott’s one-day comedy intensive class, and now I will have to insist they have this book.”
- Judy Kerr, Sitcom Dialogue Coach
"Scott Sedita is a comedic genius when it comes to teaching actors what it takes to understand the theory, techniques and fundamentals of breaking down the basic characteristics of comedy.”
- Mara Santino, Manager
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BUY THIS BOOK !
LEARN ABOUT SCOTT SEDITA'S EIGHT CHARACTERS OF COMEDY....
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Who is normally cast as The Logical Smart One?
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Why do we love The Lovable Loser?
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Why is The Neurotic such a fun character to play?
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How can you play The Dumb One smart?
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Who are the biggest Bitches and Bastards?
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What drives The Materialistic One?
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Why is The Womanizer / Manizer so popular?
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How can you realistically play someone
In
Their Own Universe?
The Eight Characters of Comedy answers all of these questions and more! After reading this book, you WILL be ready to work in the exciting world of situation comedy.
BUY THIS BOOK !
“Nobody has given me more confidence when it comes to comedy than Scott. He is THE ‘must-see’ comedy coach, and this is THE ‘must-read’ comedy
book.”
- Jennifer Finnigan, Actor (Better With You)
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Industry
Praise
“Need to know what makes a great sitcom? Scott Sedita is THE MAN and The Eight Characters of Comedy is THE BOOK.”
- Conchata Ferrell, Series Regular, Two & a Half Men
“There has never been anything like this in print. AND IT WORKS!”
- Mary Lou Belli, Emmy-Award Winning Sitcom Director
“A must for every actor who wants to audition for comedy!"
- Susan Vash, Susan Vash Casting
“Every actor auditioning for sitcoms should read this book!"
- Collin Daniel, Greenstein/Daniel Casting
“This may be one of the best acting books I've ever had the good fortune to pick up! And it's funny!"
- Backstage
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