What’s included

The Learning Comedy resource package is organised into teaching, learning, assessment, administration and marketing resources. Many major documents are supplied both as complete publications and as separate parts, allowing facilitators to use only the materials required for a particular course or workshop.

1. Learner Guide

The principal course resource for learners. The guide follows the full Learning Comedy development process from generating an idea through to drafting, editing and completing comedy texts.

Included files

  • Learner Guide: Complete

  • Part 1: Develop comedy concepts

  • Part 2: Plan and prepare comedy texts

  • Part 3: Build the comedy engine

  • Part 4: Draft comedy texts

  • Part 5: Revise and complete comedy texts

  • References

Format: PDF

2. Facilitator Guide

The teaching companion to the Learner Guide, providing resources for facilitators delivering the Learning Comedy program.

Included files

  • Facilitator Guide: Complete

  • Lesson plans

  • Part 1: Develop comedy concepts

  • Part 2: Plan and prepare comedy texts

  • Part 3: Build the comedy engine

  • Part 4: Draft comedy texts

  • Part 5: Revise and complete comedy texts

Format: PDF

3. Facilitator Slides

Presentation resources are supplied in two versions so facilitators can choose the level of detail appropriate to their delivery model.

A. Detailed course slides

Individual presentations support each major topic in the five-part Learning Comedy program.

Part 1: Develop comedy concepts

  • 1.1 Develop comedy concepts

  • 1.2 Concept development

  • 1.3 Forms of comedy output

  • 1.4 Designing your comedy

  • 1.5 Genres of comedy

  • 1.6 Principles of narrative comedy

  • 1.7 Working with producers

Part 2: Plan and prepare comedy texts

  • 2.1 The development process

  • 2.2 Research

  • 2.3 Comedy characters

  • 2.4 Graphing characters and conflicts

  • 2.5A Comic character story principles: Traits and mosts

  • 2.5B Comic character story principles: Archetypes

  • 2.5C Comic character story principles: Groups and structures

  • 2.6 Copyright and intellectual property

Part 3: Build the comedy engine

  • 3.1 Work health and safety

  • 3.2 Imperatives of comic stories

  • 3.3 Character behaviours that generate comedy

  • 3.4 Comedy flaws that create escalation

  • 3.5 Comedy through pressure

  • 3.6 Comedy through tone

  • 3.7A Comic story structure: Tripartite comedy patterns

  • 3.7B Comic story structure: Three-act comedy beats

  • 3.7C Comic story structure: Starting the story

  • 3.8 Fuel for the story engine

Part 4: Draft comedy texts

  • 4.1A Crafting the comic narrative: The comic story spine

  • 4.1B Crafting the comic narrative: Sitcom and short film comedy beats

  • 4.1C Crafting the comic narrative: Feature film comedy beats

  • 4.1D Crafting the comic narrative: Narrative tools

  • 4.2 Writing scenes, dialogue and sequence flow

  • 4.3 Comic story tools

  • 4.4 Narrative gags

  • 4.5A Jokes: Structure and core types

  • 4.5B Jokes: Advanced patterns and practice

Part 5: Revise and complete comedy texts

  • 5.1 Feedback and notes

  • 5.2 Editing and refining

  • 5.3 Final copyright checks

  • 5.4 Working to deadlines

  • 5.5 Proofreading and editing

  • 5.6 Using screenwriting software

Formats: PDF and editable Microsoft PowerPoint

B. Summary slides for short courses

Condensed presentation resources for shorter courses, workshops and other abbreviated delivery formats.

Included files

  • Part 1 summary slides

  • Part 2 summary slides

  • Part 3 summary slides

  • Part 4 summary slides

  • Part 5 summary slides

  • Complete combined summary slide deck

Formats: PDF and editable Microsoft PowerPoint

4. Learner Assessment Workbook

Assessment activities designed to support the development and completion of learner comedy writing projects.

Included files

  • Assessment 1: Quiz

  • Assessment 2: Plan and prepare two comic texts

  • Assessment 3: Draft, edit and revise a monologue

  • Assessment 4: Draft, edit and revise a script

  • Complete Learner Assessment Workbook

Format: PDF

5. Assessor Marking Guide

Companion assessment resources for facilitators and assessors reviewing learner work.

Included files

  • Assessment 1: Quiz

  • Assessment 2: Plan and prepare two comic texts

  • Assessment 3: Draft, edit and revise a monologue

  • Assessment 4: Draft, edit and revise a script

  • Unit of competency mapping

  • Complete Assessor Marking Guide

Format: PDF

6. Course Administration Resources

Supporting resources for organisations planning, configuring and administering Learning Comedy programs.

General administration tools

  • Certificate of completion template

  • Co-delivery and assessment strategies

  • Pricing strategy tool

Formats: Microsoft PowerPoint template, PDF and Microsoft Excel

Australian senior secondary framework guides

Separate guides are supplied to help schools and other providers consider the program in relation to senior secondary education frameworks across Australia.

Included guides

  • Australian Capital Territory

  • New South Wales

  • Northern Territory

  • Queensland

  • South Australia

  • Tasmania

  • Victoria

  • Western Australia

Format: PDF

7. Marketing Toolkit

A collection of practical resources to help organisations position, launch, promote and grow their Learning Comedy offering.

Marketing guides

  • Marketing and Course Launch Guide

  • Pathways, Partnerships and Audience Development Guide

  • Institutional Integration and Recruitment Guide

  • Publicity and Showcase Guide

  • Copy Library and Template Companion

Format: PDF

Campaign playbooks

Short, practical guides for common marketing and course-development tasks.

Included playbooks

  • Build a Local Partnership

  • Convert a Taster into Longer-Course Enrolments

  • Engage a Guest Comedy Professional

  • Fill a School Holiday Program

  • Launch a Three-Hour Workshop

  • Pitch a Local Media Story

  • Promote a Student Showcase

  • Promote an Institutional Elective

  • Review a Completed Campaign

  • Run a Weekend Intensive

Format: PDF

Digital marketing templates

Editable templates for producing common online marketing assets.

Included templates

  • Square social post, 1:1

  • Portrait feed post, 4:5

  • Story or reel cover, 9:16

  • Landscape social post, 1.91:1

  • Standard widescreen graphic, 16:9

  • Wide website hero, 12:5

  • Email banner, 3:1

  • LinkedIn personal banner, 4:1

  • YouTube thumbnail, 16:9

  • Profile or logo tile, 1:1

Format: Microsoft PowerPoint templates

Digital assets

  • Learning Comedy banner logo

  • Learning Comedy square logo

  • Example QR code for replacement with your organisation’s own QR code

Formats: SVG and PNG

Print marketing templates

Editable templates for common print promotional formats.

Included templates

  • A3 landscape flyer

  • A3 portrait flyer

  • A4 landscape flyer

  • A4 portrait flyer

  • A5 portrait brochure

  • US Letter landscape flyer

  • US Letter portrait flyer

  • US Tabloid landscape flyer

  • US Tabloid portrait flyer

Format: Microsoft Word templates