Cut to the Monkey: A Hollywood Editor's Behind-the-Scenes Secrets to Making Hit Comedies Roger Nygard 9781493061235

Cut to the Monkey is the story of a filmmaker's journey through Hollywood-revealing all the secrets behind how the experts find the funny in any project-by a filmmaker who has worked with some of the funniest people in the business and has edited Emmy-nominated episodes from series such as VEEP, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and Who Is America?

Nobody knows who first said, "Dying is easy, comedy is hard." But almost everyone in the film business agrees it's true. Roger Nygard will share his anecdotal experiences in television, features, and documentaries as a filmmaker and editor-struggles and successes any filmmaker can identify with. Nygard also includes tips for Hollywood professionals and fans alike on how to successfully navigate the business of being funny.

Along with a major focus on film editing, the author also shares filmmaking stories that will leave readers feeling inspired and better prepared to deal with their own struggles. The book also features contributions about writing, creating, and editing comedy from some of the biggest names in the comedy business today, including Larry David (Seinfeld, Curb Your Enthusiasm), David Mandel (VEEP), Sacha Baron Cohen (Who Is America?,Borat), Krista Vernoff (Grey's Anatomy), Alec Berg (Silicon Valley, Barry), Jeff Schaffer (The League, Dave), Mike Binder (The Upside of Anger, Black or White), Judd Apatow (Girls, Love,The 40-Year-Old Virgin), Julia Louise Dreyfus (VEEP, Seinfeld), Steve Oedekerk (Ace Ventura 2: When Nature Calls, Patch Adams), and others.

Roger Nygard grew up outside Minneapolis on the shores of Lake Minnetonka. At age seven he discovered his father's 8mm camera and began making short comedy films-and he never stopped. Nygard has since directed TV series such as The Office and The Bernie Mac Show, and he has edited Emmy-nominated episodes of VEEP and Curb Your Enthusiasm. As an award-winning documentarian, Nygard has tackled serious topics in a humorous way, like Trekkies and The Nature of Existence, and his latest work, The Truth About Marriage, which examines how we can all make relationship happier, or at least, less disastrous.