Genre Blog: Comedy- To Laugh Or Not To Laugh

     Welcome back, dear reader. The first genre on our list to explore is that of comedy. Right off the bat, I think it's important to establish that comedy is, contestably, the most intricate genre to work with. It is entirely subjective, whether or not a joke lands or is well-received is an experience that differs on a viewer to viewer basis since everyone's sense of humor varies. Comedy is not a clear, cut-and-dry, formulaic genre in which certain steps can be followed to get every single audience member to laugh, even if it is a slight giggle. No, it is a nuanced art form, where specific filming choices are handpicked and crafted to try to create a universally enjoyable (perhaps not funny for all) experience for the majority of those who give a particular movie a watch. Said filming components are outlined below.

Camera Angles, Movement, and Shots:

    Comedy can be expressed in different manners, that being on an inter-subject level to a subject's interactions with their environment, and even the "involvement" of the audience. Looking first at the ways in which environmental interactions may be taken to the extreme, one might be familiar with the 2005 film, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, where an overdramatized zoom-out sequence is used to elicit a sense of amusement within the audience. That is not to say that zooming in is not also a great way of achieving a comedic effect, like when giving way to a ridiculous scenario where the subjects are framed in two shots, three shots, and medium shots to fully immerse the audience into their hijinks. With said subject-to-subject level of exchanges contained solely within the realm of the film, it is common to find high angles to indicate power dynamics, as in Matilda (1996), with Mrs. Trunchbull's domineering appearance, whereas low angles are used to instill a sense of irony in the viewers, as with 21 Jump Street (2012). Referring back to the relation of the environment to the subjects via the usage of camera techniques, one will find that establishing shots are relatively common in comedies, serving the purpose of providing the necessary context for the film's location.

    As one might expect, comedy is all about relating to one's audience, and what's one surefire way to make absolutely certain they cannot miss the point of the joke? Make it the entire focus of a scene with the help of close-ups and extreme close-ups, which may give way to the aforementioned audience interaction with the film itself. A noteworthy example of this occurs in the 1987 film, Spaceballs, where the Dark Helmet is hit with the camera itself. Another way of making the viewers feel as though they can get in on the action themselves is with the occasional usage of point-of-view shots, making them feel as though they are the subject themselves, a tactic used in the Year One (2009). My team and I definitely feel as though this type of shot can be used within our short film to make it more engaging for the audience, whether or not it is used with comedic intent. Tracking shots serve a similar purpose, although they ensure to remind the audience of their role as an observer rather than an active participator as they allow viewers to peer into the lives of subjects, typically as they get ready for the day.

    When speaking specifically in terms of camera movements, whip panning and tilts seemed to appear the most often during our investigation. Whip pans disrupt the flow of a particular scene, whilst still managing to create energy that keeps the audience in a sense of momentum, like in the introductory sequence of The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014). As for tilts, they are typically employed with the purpose of conducting an anti-climatic reveal that the audience would have otherwise believed to be a danger to the main subject, as in Top Secret! (1984), where a set of enemy boots are revealed to be unoccupied. 

Sound:

    The usage of sounds in comedy is oftentimes essential to allowing the audience to understand the joke, although it can be the joke itself, in the form of auditory gags like bodily humor or an overstatement of a subject's injuries in the form of an overreaction. Hence why sound effect usage is the most widespread within the comedy genre. Sound in comedies, such as the 2001 Legally Blonde movie, can also be used to show a conflict between how a character perceives themselves in comparison to what those around them find them to be with the help of specific songs in the soundtrack to do just that.

Editing: 

    Like some of the camera movements, editing works to the effect of disturbing the pacing of a film in a way that shows the director's awareness of the fact that using choppy transitions was done with the intention of finding fault in them, as opposed to being poor cinematographic decisions, such as with the incorporation of older and less used transitional techniques like the dissolve. Even split screening can be used to showcase multiple subjects at once, like in Mean Girls (2004) with the four-way phone call scene. Occasionally, font types and their coloration in titles and opening credits of comedies will be used to make a joke, such as with Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975). 

Mis-Én-Scene: 

    The first aspect of mis-én-scene is costuming. The subjects of comedies will usually wear mismatched apparel, or in the case of more dated films, a clown costume, if it means eliciting some form of laughter from the audience. In Edward Scissorhands (1990), the main subject is given pairs of scissors for his hands as a means of highlighting his difference from fellow society members.

    

    Scenes within comedies will usually be well-lit and lively, an effect achieved with the help of soft, bright, and high-key narrative lighting, which rarely gives way unless a joke is to be made regarding the seriousness of the subject, which would be matched with darker tones instead.

    

    As previously mentioned, acting is often over-the-top and blown way out of proportion in terms of how individuals would react to certain situations in real life. The outlandish situations in which the subjects of comedies find themselves in are all the more entertaining to the audience, like in The Mask (1994).

    

    Makeup is also relied upon to sell a comedic aspect of a film, with subjects being made to look extremely out of the ordinary or with exaggerated physical features. For instance, the 1993 film, Mrs. Doubtfire, features a father who is dressed like an old nanny, fitted with a wig and prosthetics, all for the sole purpose of seeing his children again.    

    

    When it comes to the props used in comedies, there is no set limit to what can or cannot be included, since comedy is so subjective, and different objects may be funny for a number of reasons. Therefore, things like weapons, puppets, and breakable furniture are not off-limits.

        

    Lastly, comedy is found everywhere, so the location of such films is not necessarily defined and can take place virtually anywhere, indoors in places like schools, such as the School of Rock (2003), offices, or the great outdoors.

Takeaways:

    Comedy can take a film in any direction imaginable, putting in the audience in full view of the absurdities and antics that are yet to come. From our research, my groupmates and I are particularly interested in the genre's application of close-ups, high angles, and point-of-view shots, since they can take audience interaction with the film a step further and enhance their viewing experience. 

    Comedy might just be the way to go, and if we do pursue that route, we'll have you "...laughing on the outside" (Bernadette Carroll 1946).