Today I began researching genre conventions for comedy films so that I have a better understanding of how comedies are supposed to look. The purpose of comedies are to make audiences laugh. They often exaggerate the situations the characters are in, the way the characters speak, the way they act, and their personalities. One of the sources I explored was Film Site. They described comedies as films that,“observe the deficiencies, foibles, and frustrations of life, providing merriment and a momentary escape from day-to-day life.” Comedy films often have happy endings, even if the humor they employ is cynical.
General Formats
Through my research, it became apparent that there are two “general formats” that comedies follow: comedian-led or situational. Comedian-led comedies depend on a popular comedian (such as Tina Fey, Kevin Hart, Amy Schumer, etc.) to guide the viewer through various sight gags, jokes, and sketches. These types of comedies often require the actors to improv in order to get the feel of the scene right. Examples of comedian-led comedies include Sisters (2015), Night School (2018), and Grown Ups (2010). Situational comedies are narrative-driven movies that include comedy elements. They have a clear story arch and don’t focus on a popular comedian, even if one happens to be in the film. These types of movies are often combined with other genres to form hybrids. Examples of situational comedies include Clueless (1995), Eighth Grade (2018), and Friends (1994-2004). For my title sequence, I will be relying on situational comedy since I will not have access to a well-known comedian.
Types of Comedy
While researching, I also discovered different types of comedy:
One type of comedy is slapstick. Slapstick comedy is characterized by bold, physical actions that are meant to make the viewer laugh. Tripping someone or throwing a pie in someone’s face are examples of this type of comedy. Home Alone (1990) is a film that employs this form of humor, specifically in the scenes where the burglars break into Kevin’s home. I feel like this form of comedy will come in handy when making my title sequence since it doesn’t require dialogue.
Another type of comedy is deadpan. Deadpan humor is “the deliberate display of a lack of or no emotion, commonly as a form of comedic delivery to contrast with the ridiculousness of the subject matter.” This is also known as dry humor. An example of this form of comedy can be found in the red wire scene from The Office (2005).
There is also verbal comedy. Verbal comedy is when a person uses a play on words to express humor. Oxymorons, hyperboles, understatements, misuse of language, onomatopoeias, double entendre, and puns are examples of ways to incorporate verbal humor. The key here is that it must be said; if it is just an action, it is not verbal comedy. An example of this in a film can be found in Avengers: Infinity War, when Peter Parker’s friend Ned yells, “We’re all gonna die!”. I don’t think I will be able to use much of this form of humor in my title sequence, however it is important to know about.
Dark comedy is when a film uses sardonic humor to explore serious topics. It can be used in many different types of film (thriller, documentary, horror, etc.) in order to provide comedic relief after those serious scenes. The ending scene of Get Out(2017) is a great example of this. While Get Out is a thriller/horror film, it contains elements of dark humor throughout. I won’t be using this in my title sequence, since the early scenes of a film don’t often have enough serious scenes to warrant using dark comedy.
Parodies/spoofs can be defined as,“a humorous or anarchic take-off that ridicules, impersonates, punctures, scoffs at, and/or imitates (mimics) the style, conventions, formulas, characters, or motifs of a serious work, film, performer, or genre.” The Starving Games (2013) is a great example of a parody. From the trailer, it is clear that the filmmakers are making fun of The Hunger Games (2012). I won’t be doing a parody, however it is important to understand this form of comedy.
Genre Conventions
After learning about the different types of comedies, I researched common themes, settings, character types, story formulas, and presentation methods for comedy films. It’s important to note that comedy is a very fluid genre; it can be combined with other genres very easily, so there are some conventions that will be more useful to me than others. However, it is still important to research all of them so that I can pick which ones I want to include.
- I’ve noticed that common themes in comedy films are:
- Good vs. Bad
- Idiocy/Stupid Mistakes
- Drugs/Drinking
- Friendship/Family
- Conflict
As for settings, comedies can really be set anywhere depending on 1) if it is combined with another genre and 2) the plot of the film. Still, some common settings include schools, houses, and bars.
- Some common character types include:
- A group of protagonists that has members with the following traits: the idiot, the worry-wart, and the level-headed leader.
- A single protagonist with one of the above conditions is also common.
- An antagonist who has something the protagonist wants or teases the protagonist.
- A mentor/parent who bosses the protagonist around and often gets annoyed with them.
- A person that the protagonist meets during the progression of the story. They can either have a positive or negative impact on the protagonist.
- A group of protagonists that has members with the following traits: the idiot, the worry-wart, and the level-headed leader.
- Comedies often star male leads with women in supporting roles.
Comedies can have any assortment of story formulas since they are such a fluid genre. However, there are a few common story formulas unique to the comedy genre. A lot of comedies feature an epic party that is essential to the plot line. There are often drunk people who the audience can laugh at. Other comedies feature a plot that is driven by school activities, such as football games, pep rallies, and classes.
As for presentation, comedy films often use high-key lighting. Lots of long shots are used to show the action that is occurring, and close ups are used to show reactions to the action. Push-in shots are used to show realizations and “A-ha!” moments, while pull-back shots are used to show abandonments (only in situations where it would be funny to do so). Brightly-colored decor is used in comedies.
Sources
- https://www.filmsite.org/comedyfilms.html
- https://www.filmsite.org/funniestscenes1.html
- https://www.pearsonschoolsandfecolleges.co.uk/AssetsLibrary/SECTORS/Secondary/PDFs/English/EdexcelGCSEDigitalCommunicationStudentBooksamplepages.pdf
- https://www.allmovie.com/genre/comedy-d648
- I used various IMDB and Youtube links throughout this post. Their specific URLs can be found when clicking on them.
A Lot To Learn 