How do you write a script for an iRiff?

[carlin]

That's a pretty smart process, recording your first run through as improv to capture the original reaction and spirit of the joke.

[mr.b.natural]

Wow.  I'm not criticizing, but some of these methods sound pretty complicated.  But there's a lesson in there: it's the method you come up with yourself that's going to work best for you.  I was a little confused at first as well but I just tried to figure out what would be the simplest way.  It is refined over time as well but as of now my writing method is a little something like this:

First I watch the film by itself, without even trying to come up with jokes.  Naturally jokes will come but if they're any good you'll remember them for the writing later but for now you're trying to get a feel for the movie as whole.  I do it all on my computer and for the movie I make sure to use a program that clearly shows the time code (hours/minutes/seconds) while I keep a Word document open for writing.  I do the necessary window resizing to fit both on a single screen with the word document below the movie.  I would say the time code is extremely important and must contain the seconds but I'm sure it could be done otherwise.  As for references, I'm extremely lazy and have a great memory so I don't use them.  Sometimes I'll put a little note like, "In woman's voice" or "Singing" before a joke but that's about it.  So for the first writing session I just watch and write jokes as they come, not forcing anything.  When a joke comes I just pause, type out the time code, and type out the joke next to it.  I hit enter twice and repeat the process.  The script looks like a humble list when I'm done.  Later I indentify long periods between jokes (using my handy time codes) and try to fill them in with a second writing session.  I'm then convinced I'm done writing and proceed to do my first recorded rehearsal.  After that's over I realize I don't have nearly enough jokes so I go back and do a final, usually very long, rewrite.  When it comes time to record I have the same setup with the dual windows and all I have to do is use the mouse wheel to inch my way down the script as I go through the movie.  Pretty simple.  

As for recording, I couldn't imagine doing all that editing.  I have been driven to the brink of madness just trying to get my VODs to sync up when there was only half a second discrepancy to repair or during the mind-numbing task of adding silence between jokes.  What I do is simply record it over and over until I get it right in a single take.  Some benefits to this are I continue to come up with jokes and refine the performance as well as memorize the script.  As for sync-up, well, start the movie and just hit the record button at the exact spot you want your Rifftrack to start within the movie.  Some editing will be required for sound quality and proper sync-up.  In my case it's adding some audio effects, inserting silence between all the jokes, and usually adding or removing half a second of time.  Pretty simple.  Using these methods of writing and recording I finished my second iriff, "Cat Women of the Moon" in eight days.  I'm not sure how long my third, and lengthiest, iriff "Them!" took but I know it was under two weeks.

I don't know if this will help anybody or not but there it is.  If you'd like to see how effective my style is you should check out my iriffs: http://www.rifftrax.com/iriffs/Mr.B.Natural/user

[carlin]

What editing and recording software do you use, if you don't mind me asking?

[MisterRiffley]

[n00b] What's "VOD" stand for? [/n00b]

[carlin]

It is an iRiff with the DVD included, like an MP4.

[mr.b.natural]

VOD stands for "Video on Demand."  I use Adobe Soundbooth for sound recording and editing.  When it comes to making VODs I've had the best luck using the humble Windows Movie Maker or Nero.

[carlin]

Oh, video on demand. Now it all makes sense!! 

[mr.b.natural]

Glad I could help but to really wrap your head around the concept you should buy one of my VODs.   

[carlin]

You know, it's funny, but I feel "compelled" to buy one of your VOD's...wierd.   

[k1]

Heh heh. Buy my Lone Ranger one so you can see what we did in GarageBand while you're at it. 

[mattwnelson]

Heh heh. Buy my Lone Ranger one so you can see what we did in GarageBand while you're at it. 

In reality, the only way for you to truly comprehend all of our processes is to purchase one or more from each of us. I highly recommend any of these.

[Americas Favorite Guy]

Those are good examples.  This, this, and this are also excellent examples of feature lengths.   Also, shorts that are great are here, here and here.

[MPF]

pitching in late, but why the hell not:

We'll pitch movies/shorts that we've watched individually to the three of us to watch together, at which point we'll start hollering out whatever comes to mind - if there were no long instances of us being silent, or groaning in pain, or just repeating "WTF???" over and over, we'll set up a google spreadsheet (timecode|riff|alternate riff|etc|notes), and sit down individually to get writing. 

We all have individual writing styles (I watch and pause every 2 seconds,. clusterbombing jokes, knowing that the majority of them are going to get cut for (time/stepping on setup lines/being too obscure/sucking)), but we'll eventually have the script filled with way more jokes than we can possibly use.

At this point, we have bare-knuckle boxing matches to determine who gets their jokes cut, followed by knife fights. followed by assigning lines to riffers. We've usually ended up recording about 3-4 takes of each iRiff... we'll then have more boxing matches and knife fights when we're listening to them and editing them down even further.

http://www.rifftrax.com/iriffs/team-swizzlebeef/ is where you can find the outcome of all these shenanigans, and I think if everyone bought 50 of each, there's probably something to be learned about riffing from that.

[mr.b.natural]

I guess I'm just not talented enough to riff on the spot like that.  Mostly the timing screws me up because I'll start talking and end up interrupting dialogue or something and I freeze up.  Plus I know the jokes aren't very good and aren't getting laughs so I feel stupid.  I need time to digest and timing is everything.  If you don't know the film, good timing is impossible.  That's one of the many reasons timecodes are so very important.

Yesterday I watched a great interview with Mike Nelson and Kevin Murphy talking about MST3K and a little about their writing process: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IlVdQn2uuXg  It's almost thirty minutes long and while I'm pretty sure I've seen it somewhere before I really enjoyed it again.  Out there somewhere is a special they did for SciFi (I refuse to use that stupid "SyFy" or whatever it is) that was a kind of behind the scenes of MST3K where they described their process.  I haven't seen that in years.   While I could never officially condone the use of torrenting websites I think it can be found at the Pirate Bay under one the "MST3K DVDs."  And while I would never suggest someone do this it is possible to find a copy of the last movie I riffed entitled Them!  I was unable to make a VOD for the movie and it isn't selling.  I assume it's due to availability of the film.  It's everywhere though, including at torrent websites.  Cinemageddon for example.  

Amazingly, the Best Brain's writing for the movie took place over the course of just a couple of days.  People will say "well they had a lot of writers" but I think that would slow things down.  How do you decide which jokes get in and all that?  It's true that no one wants to buy single performer riffs but that's one thing I like about working alone, no democracy.  What I want to know is how do people handle group riffs over long distance?  I've pondered the logistics of that many times and it would be hard.  Of course to me normal group logistics would be hard.  Another benefit to solo riffing, you're only on your schedule.  And how do you assign jokes?  On MST3K it was done by a non-performer party like Frank and Mary.  

I agree with K1 and the others.  Buy all our iriffs.  Start with my first one: http://www.rifftrax.com/iriffs/atomic-rulers-world  It may just spoil you on all iriffs though as no other can measure up.    I think I have that Kenya West disease that makes your ego crazy.  But then again I am the greatest...

[k1]

We also have each of us record a majority of our non-improv lines and pick whichever delivery works best to fit the flow of things.