This ‘We’re Trying’ Sketch is a Lesson in Heightening

By the end of We’re Trying, I was laughing out loud, and that was for a couple of reasons. First, the jokes were just funny. Throughout. This is a strong piece, with really solid writing. Second, and more technically, the video heightened perfectly. It introduced a relatable and believable premise that entertained and gradually escalated to outlandishly silly terrain in a way that felt earned. That’s hard to do. So often, there’s a temptation to get to what’s wacky or crazy about a premise as soon as possible, because that’s the most fun. “That’s what’ll hook the audience!†We’re Trying proves that an airtight core joke – in this case, friends who constantly talk about having babymaking sex as if it were Nobel prize worthy – allows a lot of runway for nuance before building to the kind of absurdity that WILL make your day.

Luke is an executive producer at CollegeHumor and a watcher of many web videos. Send him yours @LKellyClyne.

This ‘We’re Trying’ Sketch is a Lesson in Heightening