Is a parody a good idea?

[mattie]

Hi,

I'm an about-to-be-graduated student of very boring subjects that I figured out, after 4 years of studies, that I have no interest in whatsoever. Not being too excited about working with these boring things for the rest of my life, I recently decided to give a career in comedy writing a shot. This would make me rich, famous, allow me to have lots of fun and all my problems would be solved forever, perhaps. Amongst other things, I'd like to try out is screenwriting.

I'm an extreme newbie as you can probably tell, knowing nothing about the business and barely knowing what a screenplay even is in the first place. My idea has been to start with a Lord of the Rings parody. I can think up a few problems from this, and everyone can probably come up with even more. My biggest concern, however, is that the plot is basically the same as the original LOTR books and movie, with several modifications made in a desperate attempt to make it a little funnier.

I haven't started the script yet but was just ready to start when it suddenly hit me that this might be the worst idea ever. I'm happy and proud over my ideas, but is there any marketability at all for a parody with an unoriginal plot like this? The closest, similar parody movie I can come up with is Men in Tights (by Mel Brooks I believe) which also more or less follows all the standard Robin Hood plots. Should I go for it or should I scrap this for now, save the time and come up with a different idea instead? Something requiring a lower budget perhaps (transporting midget actors to New Zealand must be expensive)? I'd appreciate any thoughts from people with more experience than me (pretty much everyone, that is).

Thanks!

[Richard]

Personally, I'd run screaming from the idea. I'd wager there's been a million LOTR parodies hitting agents' inboxes since the films, and most of the obvious jokes have been done many, many times over. Mel Brooks managed to get away with it for years because of his reputation, but...well...have you seen Dracula: Dead And Loving It :-?

[mattie]

Well, I do at least consider my own jokes to be very very unobvious in this case, but you're probably right otherwise. Perhaps going for a more general, stupid fantasy parody with its own plot is a better idea? But then I'd have to do a bunch of research by reading a bunch of crappy fantasy novels or something. I'd become everything I used to hate.

And yes, I've seen that academy award winning Dracula movie! A true cinematic masterpiece!

[Richard]

I genuinely hope you're joking ;-)

[Vigorish]

i don't know is maning a weather balloon a good idea if you have no arms?

i'm all for whatever keeps you writing, but this could do more harm than good if you really want to learn how to be a screenwriter. imho, being able to write a paradoy means you better have a good sense of story beats and payoffs and the different genres you have to play with.

technically it could give you some really bad habits. why don't you try to write you're own version of lotr. if you are going to do this, then this is how you should do it.

copy the structure of the script identically, print it out and paroday each scene as you read it off the script, or movie. so, watch the first scene, sit down in your chair with ace venture script next to you and combine the pacing and beats with your paraody.

at least that will help you keep the structure there. but here is where parody is hard, you have to know when to keep the tone of the reality, and play the gag, and when do the opposite. that is completely story beats tied into comedic pacing, and that's hard as hell. it will give you some great tools in learning payoffs. princess bride is the best parody movie off all time. airplane is damn close though.

vig

[weswerx]

I agree that you should run. Run as if the very whips of your master's were behind you. I thought of doing something like this, but I found that it has been done by so many others. It would just get lost. I am glad that this is one idea that I never pursued.

[mattie]

Thanks for the advice y'all! I'll probably think of something different to do.

[Vigorish]

what about a parody of the bible. make moses a hip hop kid who parts the red sea in compton.

vig

[mattie]

Shamefully enough, I have already considered that too. Except I wouldn't make Moses ghetto gangzta.