YOU CAN'T FAKE FUNNY

Alright, lower the volume.

We're going to watch Sally (Meg Ryan) "fake it" in WHEN HARRY ME SALLY.

Ah heck, turn it up loud. Comedy is all about being inappropriate. If your spouse, roommate, dog walks in the middle of her faux-gasm simply say: I'm doing research.

So what did we learn? That Meg Ryan has great comedic chops. It's great to see Billy Crystal play a straight man.

Here's what we learned: you laughed.

You saw it, you laughed.

And the one thing you can't fake on a script page is funny.

You're an aspiring writer looking to break into this biz during the age of the tent-pole, pre-awareness, proof of concept movies. IRON MAN, HARRY POTTER, THE DARK KNIGHT, TRANSFORMERS, VIEWMASTER - the movie. (Yes, it's out there.)

Well, if you're one of those with the gift of gag and enjoys writing in a comedic tone -- there's a home for you.

Jason Scoggins maintains a great blog called LIFE ON THE BUBBLE. You should take a look at it. It's very informative about what is being sent into the marketplace and what is selling.

Comedy screenplays always seem to hold their own.

Why is that? Well, one reason -- they tend to be cheaper to make. Anywhere from $30-$50 millions are opposed to $150 million plus. DATE NIGHT's budget is estimated to be $55 million. Not a low budget movie. But cheaper when compared to the $80 million spent of THE SURROGATES -- with a $119 million get to date. DATE NIGHT has currently made $143 million world wide. Sweet. Tina Fey kicks Bruce Willis's box office ass.

But aside from the budget concerns. And as writers, you shouldn't concern yourself too much with the budgetary concerns - the simple fact is this: if you write something funny on the page, people will laugh.

You write a drama, they might cry and might think who can I get to be in this.

You write a thriller, they might get scared and then wonder who can I get to direct this.

You write a comedy that makes people laugh --they're gonna remember that.

My wife and I got on a hot streak with studio assignments off a script called BEER BOY. It never sold. But people thought it was funny. And maybe we can make some their projects funny.

I also believe, if you want to direct, the road has been paved by first time comedy hyphenates for the last few decades.

Here are some trailers from first time comedy directors.

Woody Allen's first stab at directing: TAKE THE MONEY AND RUN (1969)

John Hughes' first foray into directing: SIXTEEN CANDLES (1984)

The Farrelly Brothers up the ante with THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY (1998)

Judd Apatow scores with the THE40 OLD VIRGIN (2005)

With the exception of Judd Apatow's TV work, none of these writers knew anything about directing. All they knew is how to make people laugh.

Funny is money.

You can't fake it.