What Makes Comedy vs. Drama?

When you're writing or filming, you tend to know if you're creating comedy or drama. But do you know why? If you knew why, would you be better able to make GREAT comedy or GREAT drama?

Definitions

When what you expect to happen DOESN'T happen, that's comedy.

When the WORST thing that could happen occurs, that's drama.

These definitions are overly simplistic, but they apply in nearly every circumstance.

Examples

In Casablanca, the worst thing that could happen to Rick is that he'd meet Ilsa again. Then she walks into his bar. Then she needs his help. THEN she tells him she's married. And THEN she tells him she's still in love with him.

That's drama.

In It's a Wonderful Life, the worst thing that could happen to George Bailey is that he'd get stuck in Bedford Falls his whole life. Then he does. Then he goes broke. Then he gets into a fight, crashes his car and considers suicide.

THAT'S drama.

And just because a story has elements of one side, it doesn't mean it can't have elements of the other. (In fact, it needs some amount of balance, or else it becomes melodrama or farce.)

For example, in It's a Wonderful Life, George Bailey is about to commit suicide by jumping off a bridge... but his guardian angel, Clarence, jumps into the water first, pretending to be a drowning man so George will have to save him. (That's drama.)

Then, after rescuing Clarence, George discovers he's hopelessly antiquated and out of touch, rendering him nearly inoperable in public. That's comedy.

THEN, when Clarence finds his opportunity to help George see the error of his ways -- showing him what his life would be like had he never been born -- he does so. At first, this is comedy. But as George sees just how dire everyone ELSE'S lives are as the result of the absence of his, the situation very quickly turns from comedic to desperately dramatic.

Without that ebb and flow between comedy and drama, most satisfying stories would fall apart from a top-heavy nature.

Practicality

Whether you're writing a blog, filming a video, recording a song or otherwise telling a story, what kind of story is it? What will make your drama more dramatic or your comedy more comedic? What's missing from your story that will help counterbalance it?