Genre:
Comedy
Comedy is a genre of film that focuses mainly on humor. Comedy films are intended almost solely on making the audience laugh. Comedy itself is the oldest genre of film, but many new sub-genres have come about within this one big genre over the course of time.
Genre Conventions: Content
In comedies, situations are often exaggerated or characters may be so stereotypically one way that many people just can’t help it but laugh. This is on purpose. Directors carefully choose this because they know what catches the viewer’s attention and know what they want. It’s the physical content that the viewer will see so it must be funny and memorable. Also, directors make good use of irony within their comedies as well. Irony brings a sort of mature immaturity to a film. Most of the time, ironic things involve serious events but give them an immature twist. That is what makes it funny and why it is greatly used and embedded in comedic films.
Comedy films also almost always have a happy ending. When people go to comedic films, it is because they wants to feel good or have a laugh. When films have sad or cruel endings, it has a completely negative effect on the viewer. Some people may have the argument that dark comedy or dark humor isn’t happy because it mainly focuses on death and other catastrophes, however if used carefully and properly, it can insight happiness or even relief among the viewer.
Genre Conventions: Production Techniques
In comedies, camera tricks are often used to set up for an incoming joke. A heavily used trick is known to some as the wait for it trick. This is where the camera stays still, allowing a joke to happen on its own with action going across screen. This trick works because lots of times, we expect something to happen a certain way and when it doesn’t it gives the director a perfect opportunity to use this technique. For example, when a character goes off screen but we know they were supposed to go the other way, the camera is still and waiting for them to come back across the screen to correct their mistake and go the right way.
Added in sound also plays a huge role in comedic films. Nothing beats a perfectly timed sound effect. In a playful fight scene, sound effects can either make the scene or break the scene. Any delay in the sound of a punch as compared to it visually can throw the audience off and cause confusion rather than laughter.
Institutional Conventions: How Is Genre Marketed
Like many other genres, comedy markets itself extremely well in previews and advertisements. However, it seems as if comedies really connect to audiences through social medias and networking sites. Lots of times, accounts will be made specifically for the film and it will become interactive with its viewers. These accounts also have the ability to make jokes comments that are funny aside from the movie to attract more fans.
Comedies also use current analogies a lot of the time when marketing. They do this to keep their younger audience intrigued as they can understand and relate to what is being advertised to them.
People can mostly tell when a comedy is being presented to them by looks however. Comedies usually are displayed in previews and posters with bright colors and headlining comedic actors or actresses. This is the main way comedies are marketed and probably the most effective.
Film sample:
TED (2012)
This film embodies my genre in every aspect that I have previously explained. Many things are exaggerated throughout the film and a ton of irony is used, sound effects are perfectly timed and placed throughout as well. This film however nailed it in the marketing aspect. It sent out previews and ads like every genre does, but it also did something only a comedy can do. It created an interactive twitter account that still runs to this day. The main purpose of this account was to make jokes to and about their fans in hopes to attract more followers, and that they did. Ted also relates heavily to current humor and does a great job of making jokes that mostly all intended viewers can understand.
Film sample:
Superbad (2007)
The film Superbad is in most people’s books known as a classic. This is because of the all-star headlining cast as well as a perfectly modern and original plot. The film is based on the exaggerated problems that teenagers run into as they are trying to prepare for an “epic” party. I say this had a perfect plot because most everyone can relate to what is going on in the film and can look back and laugh at the moments. Also, each role is stereotypically exactly what you would expect it to look like, from a highschooler to a cop. This film really hit the nail on the head in proving that it is truly a great comedy.
Other Examples:
The Hangover (2009)
Shaun of the Dead (2004)
Borat (2006)
Happy Gilmore (1996)
Airplane! (1980)
