This film is part of Free
Screenwriter Tess Morris on how to write a romcom
The writer of romantic comedy Man Up talks about screenwriting in the genre, and offers tips for aspiring romcom creators.
Overview
The writer of Man Up (2015), Tess Morris, talks about this specialised genre and the different structures behind film and TV romantic comedies. Drawing upon the book “Writing the Romantic Comedy” by Billy Mernit, Morris provides tips on writing romcoms, using examples from Annie Hall (1977) and Tootsie (1982) to illustrate the formulas and resolutions of love.
Related
The Kiss in the Tunnel The Kiss in the Tunnel
Comedy 1899 2 mins Silent
A snatched kiss in a railway tunnel, played by real-life married couple GA Smith and Laura Bayley
Dear Margery Boobs Dear Margery Boobs
Animation & Artists Moving Image 1977 5 mins
Agony Aunt finds her romantic match in a man with increasingly complicated sex fantasies.
Three Big Words Three Big Words
2002 4 mins
Miles (played by Simon Ludders) faces a challenge that many have stumbled over before and since.
Paris, Brixton Paris, Brixton
Romance 1997 13 mins Location: Brixton
Breaking Bad’s Laura Fraser stars in this delightful short about a student who falls in love with a burglar.
The Private Life of Don Juan The Private Life of Don Juan
Comedy 1934 87 mins
Husbands lock up their wives when the renowned Romeo returns to Seville; but the man wooing the city’s ladies is not what he seems.
Madness of the Heart Madness of the Heart
Melodrama 1949 90 mins
The path to true love never runs smooth, but poor Margaret Lockwood gets more of a bumpy ride than anyone deserves in this post-war melodrama.
Laura Mulvey in Conversation Laura Mulvey in Conversation
Inside Film 2025 76 mins
Laura Mulvey in conversation, following her BFI Fellowship Award.
George Clooney in Conversation George Clooney in Conversation
Inside Film 2025 74 mins
George Clooney visited BFI Southbank to look back on his life and career.
Chloé Zhao Screen Talk | BFI London Film Festival 2025 Chloé Zhao Screen Talk | BFI London Film Festival 2025
Inside Film 2025 65 mins
The Oscar®- winning director of Nomadland discusses her unique approach to filmmaking and the inspiration behind the adaptation of Hamnet.
Edgar Wright on The Running Man Edgar Wright on The Running Man
Inside Film 2025 28 mins
The director talks to Mark Kermode about putting Stephen King's dystopian life-or-death gameshow thriller through its paces.
Richard Linklater Screen Talk | BFI London Film Festival 2025 Richard Linklater Screen Talk | BFI London Film Festival 2025
Inside Film 2025 69 mins
Richard Linklater discusses his remarkable and wide-ranging body of work, including Blue Moon and Nouvelle Vague.
Daniel Day-Lewis Screen Talk | BFI London Film Festival 2025 Daniel Day-Lewis Screen Talk | BFI London Film Festival 2025
Inside Film 2025 73 mins
Daniel Day-Lewis, the ultimate actor’s actor discusses his career in conversation with Mark Kermode.