PRODUCTION TIPS: Pedro Almodovar's 4 Pointers on Directing Comedies
Film fans are no stranger to the works of Pedro Almodovar . He has established himself among the greats with his signature style composed of flairs for whimsical irreverence and melodramatic colors taken to a hysterical artistic level. Although they might not seem to, they possess a certain gravitas because as ridiculous as the characters seem to act and are, they're still grounded with a sensual spirit and authentic emotions. Upon the release of his newest comedy in 20 years, I'm So Excited! , Almodovar wrote notes for The Paris Review (but first published by El País) on his process of making comedies and I distilled 4 points of advice filmmakers can use in making theirs. EVEN COMEDY THAT SEEMS SPONTANEOUS REQUIRES REHEARSAL. "Although we associate comedy with spontaneity, the comedies I’ve made to date—including this new one, I’m So Excited! —are rehearsed exhaustively during preproduction and afterward during shooting. Spontaneity is always the product of reh