How to Make a Funny Movie Spoof
Choose a genre to spoof, not one specific movie., Watch every movie and scene from the genre you want to spoof, taking notes., Aim for the plot holes and start poking fun., Invert the expectations and tropes of your film comically., Push the...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Choose a genre to spoof
With the possible exception of Mel Brook's Space Balls, which took aim almost exclusively at Star Wars, (a mega-hit that almost everyone has seen), almost all great spoofs cast their net widely.
It is no mistake that Brook's other films hit bigger targets like monster movies (Young Frankenstein), westerns (Blazing Saddles) and historical epics (History of the World Pt. 1).
The master of spoof and parody understood that the more people feel included, and the more people understand broader references, the funnier the film will be.
Movies and genres that tend to take themselves very seriously tend to be the best targets of satire.
Generally, the more a movie or genre tries to avoid humor, the riper it is for making fun of.Genre movies are those with similar plots
-- any type of movie you've seen 10 versions of, like slasher films, romantic comedies, sports films, etc. -
Step 2: not one specific movie.
A great spoof pays attention to the "original" and uses it as the jumping off point for the screenplay, and you need to do your research.
Watch both the movies and any other related spoofs, noting what they find humor in and where things are ripe for joking.
Some things to pay attention to are:
Recurring character types:
Is the cast usually a variation on the same 3 characters? If so, you'll need to include parody versions of them, too.
Common cliches and story arcs:
Are their plot moments, lines, or shots that every single movie has in common? How can you subvert them to make them funny? Themes or issues of the genre:
What does the movie seem to address? Is it over-the-top action and adrenaline in cop movies (spoofed in The Other Guys), or self-righteous documentaries (spoofed in the series Documentary Now!"). , There are few movies without plot holes, and most things you're spoofing will be full of them.
Instead of shying away, expose these plot holes to comical extremes, pointing out places the "original" film got a little too ahead of itself.
Again, remember that broader plots (like how horror movie characters always want to "split up") are easier to spoof than one plot point in one specific movie.
Most spoofs basically steal the common plot structure from the movie they parody, using this as the framework to make jokes from.
Having the characters acknowledge the issue or problem, or have one character in particular who jokes about the plot hole (like the stoner in House in the Woods). "Forcing" the plot on the characters, for example, the character accidentally becomes the classic hero or saves the day, despite trying not to be involved (or not trying at all).
Resolve the plot holes in a ridiculous way (Blazing Saddles does this with great skill), or simply cut to the aftermath of the big moment without explaining how everyone made it through, like Anchorman's quick turnaround on Will Ferrell cleaning up and putting on a fresh suit in under two seconds. , One of the best examples of this (spoiler alert!) is in the medieval spoof Monty Python and the Holy Grail, where the film ends with King Arthur and his knights getting arrested by modern-day cops in the midst of an enormous battle
-- it turns out the whole movie is just adults playing violent dress-up.
Surprise is at the root of all comedy, and spoofs are the perfect place for a surprise
-- your audience knows what plot point or reveal is expected based on the original movie or genre.
Shake it up! Inverted characters are always a great spoof tactic-- from bumbling "expert" cops in The Naked Gun to the intelligent, kickass sidekick in The Green Hornet remake. , This is Spinal Tap, a parody of rock documentaries, takes this joke almost literally in the infamous "11" speech, where a guitarist brags that his amp's volume knobs go all the way up to 11, not just 10 like a normal amp.
Spoofs gain humor by exposing how ridiculous the ideas and plots of movies really are, and how far off they are from the real world. , The greatest parodies, almost without fail, still manage to respect and honor the movies they are spoofing.
The do this by remembering what made the movies so special and worth of parody.
After all, no one spoofs a movie that no one watched in the first place.
This can mean expanding on the themes or the film, like in Sean of the Dead, or simply picking out the most popular elements and playing them up highly, like in Austin Power.Sean of the Dead begins the film with a zombie-like walk to and from work, then repeats the same shot after a zombie infestation occurs.
The main character doesn't notice anything different the second time, a comical moment that reinforces the idea that we're all zombies sometimes
-- an important theme that plays out up until the very ending.
Austin Powers follows a typical spy plot, but its longevity comes from its recognition of what makes the spy movies so fun
-- traveling the globe, crazy fashion and gadgets, and lots of beautiful women. , In comedy, the straight man is the person who most represents the viewer.
They are the only ones who seem to realize how insane or crazy things are around them, which makes the craziness and spoofing around them all the funnier.
Think of Simon Pegg's tightly-wound cop in the police parody "Hot Fuzz," or Michael Bluth in Arrested Development.
While a bit of an advanced skill, peppering in the "voice of reason" will make all of the ridiculous stuff sound normal by comparison.
The straight man can be a parody as well, and it is usually best when they are
-- the main character of Airplane! is a war pilot coming back to face "calm" normal life as a civilian pilot.
But, if you've seen any disaster movie ever, you know it won't be so easy., A funny spoof needs to be a funny movie all on its own, and constant references to other films will get old fast.
Let yourself cut loose and just be funny, even if the joke doesn't have a "cousin" in the real movies.
Open, original jokes will make the film feel less like a rip-off, or one of those widely-panned spoofs where every joke is simply a reference to things that happen in other movies.
Use your references to add a layer of humor, not to supply all the jokes.
Check Austin Powers, for example.
Dr.
Evil is a great parody of common spy villains, but things like his relationship with his less-evil son transcend parody to become great family comedy in any movie.
This makes the son's turn towards evil even funnier later on, as the parody aspects come full circle.
One of the funniest scenes in Will Ferrel's telenovela parody Casa de Mi Padre is a take on the cowboy singalong, but as the musical continues it veers into wildly different, and hilarious, new territory based on the image of them all singing. -
Step 3: Watch every movie and scene from the genre you want to spoof
-
Step 4: taking notes.
-
Step 5: Aim for the plot holes and start poking fun.
-
Step 6: Invert the expectations and tropes of your film comically.
-
Step 7: Push the "normal" of the movie you're parodying to its comical extreme.
-
Step 8: Understand what makes the original so successful
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Step 9: underscoring or arguing its message.
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Step 10: Consider making an actor or actress the "straight man" to illustrate what is a joke and what is being taken at face value.
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Step 11: Don't rely purely on references to create laughs
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Step 12: instead using them as a jumping off point.
Detailed Guide
With the possible exception of Mel Brook's Space Balls, which took aim almost exclusively at Star Wars, (a mega-hit that almost everyone has seen), almost all great spoofs cast their net widely.
It is no mistake that Brook's other films hit bigger targets like monster movies (Young Frankenstein), westerns (Blazing Saddles) and historical epics (History of the World Pt. 1).
The master of spoof and parody understood that the more people feel included, and the more people understand broader references, the funnier the film will be.
Movies and genres that tend to take themselves very seriously tend to be the best targets of satire.
Generally, the more a movie or genre tries to avoid humor, the riper it is for making fun of.Genre movies are those with similar plots
-- any type of movie you've seen 10 versions of, like slasher films, romantic comedies, sports films, etc.
A great spoof pays attention to the "original" and uses it as the jumping off point for the screenplay, and you need to do your research.
Watch both the movies and any other related spoofs, noting what they find humor in and where things are ripe for joking.
Some things to pay attention to are:
Recurring character types:
Is the cast usually a variation on the same 3 characters? If so, you'll need to include parody versions of them, too.
Common cliches and story arcs:
Are their plot moments, lines, or shots that every single movie has in common? How can you subvert them to make them funny? Themes or issues of the genre:
What does the movie seem to address? Is it over-the-top action and adrenaline in cop movies (spoofed in The Other Guys), or self-righteous documentaries (spoofed in the series Documentary Now!"). , There are few movies without plot holes, and most things you're spoofing will be full of them.
Instead of shying away, expose these plot holes to comical extremes, pointing out places the "original" film got a little too ahead of itself.
Again, remember that broader plots (like how horror movie characters always want to "split up") are easier to spoof than one plot point in one specific movie.
Most spoofs basically steal the common plot structure from the movie they parody, using this as the framework to make jokes from.
Having the characters acknowledge the issue or problem, or have one character in particular who jokes about the plot hole (like the stoner in House in the Woods). "Forcing" the plot on the characters, for example, the character accidentally becomes the classic hero or saves the day, despite trying not to be involved (or not trying at all).
Resolve the plot holes in a ridiculous way (Blazing Saddles does this with great skill), or simply cut to the aftermath of the big moment without explaining how everyone made it through, like Anchorman's quick turnaround on Will Ferrell cleaning up and putting on a fresh suit in under two seconds. , One of the best examples of this (spoiler alert!) is in the medieval spoof Monty Python and the Holy Grail, where the film ends with King Arthur and his knights getting arrested by modern-day cops in the midst of an enormous battle
-- it turns out the whole movie is just adults playing violent dress-up.
Surprise is at the root of all comedy, and spoofs are the perfect place for a surprise
-- your audience knows what plot point or reveal is expected based on the original movie or genre.
Shake it up! Inverted characters are always a great spoof tactic-- from bumbling "expert" cops in The Naked Gun to the intelligent, kickass sidekick in The Green Hornet remake. , This is Spinal Tap, a parody of rock documentaries, takes this joke almost literally in the infamous "11" speech, where a guitarist brags that his amp's volume knobs go all the way up to 11, not just 10 like a normal amp.
Spoofs gain humor by exposing how ridiculous the ideas and plots of movies really are, and how far off they are from the real world. , The greatest parodies, almost without fail, still manage to respect and honor the movies they are spoofing.
The do this by remembering what made the movies so special and worth of parody.
After all, no one spoofs a movie that no one watched in the first place.
This can mean expanding on the themes or the film, like in Sean of the Dead, or simply picking out the most popular elements and playing them up highly, like in Austin Power.Sean of the Dead begins the film with a zombie-like walk to and from work, then repeats the same shot after a zombie infestation occurs.
The main character doesn't notice anything different the second time, a comical moment that reinforces the idea that we're all zombies sometimes
-- an important theme that plays out up until the very ending.
Austin Powers follows a typical spy plot, but its longevity comes from its recognition of what makes the spy movies so fun
-- traveling the globe, crazy fashion and gadgets, and lots of beautiful women. , In comedy, the straight man is the person who most represents the viewer.
They are the only ones who seem to realize how insane or crazy things are around them, which makes the craziness and spoofing around them all the funnier.
Think of Simon Pegg's tightly-wound cop in the police parody "Hot Fuzz," or Michael Bluth in Arrested Development.
While a bit of an advanced skill, peppering in the "voice of reason" will make all of the ridiculous stuff sound normal by comparison.
The straight man can be a parody as well, and it is usually best when they are
-- the main character of Airplane! is a war pilot coming back to face "calm" normal life as a civilian pilot.
But, if you've seen any disaster movie ever, you know it won't be so easy., A funny spoof needs to be a funny movie all on its own, and constant references to other films will get old fast.
Let yourself cut loose and just be funny, even if the joke doesn't have a "cousin" in the real movies.
Open, original jokes will make the film feel less like a rip-off, or one of those widely-panned spoofs where every joke is simply a reference to things that happen in other movies.
Use your references to add a layer of humor, not to supply all the jokes.
Check Austin Powers, for example.
Dr.
Evil is a great parody of common spy villains, but things like his relationship with his less-evil son transcend parody to become great family comedy in any movie.
This makes the son's turn towards evil even funnier later on, as the parody aspects come full circle.
One of the funniest scenes in Will Ferrel's telenovela parody Casa de Mi Padre is a take on the cowboy singalong, but as the musical continues it veers into wildly different, and hilarious, new territory based on the image of them all singing.
About the Author
Joan Thompson
Brings years of experience writing about pet care and related subjects.
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