Media Studies Portfolio : November 2018

Genre Research- Comedy

Target audience of comedy- Comedy has a wide target range, it mostly depends on the film. Some comedies are aimed at young children like Shrek, which ranges from ages 5-13. Others like Grown Ups, or American Pie which contain crude and more adult humor, range from the ages of 15-24, mostly targeting males. The last major target audience is the 15-25 year old woman range, which contains romantic comedies.
Genre Convention (Content)- All comedies share one thing in common, the goal to make the viewer laugh. They all achieve this through the plot. The storyteller gives audiences a clue of what will happen, which creates anticipation. Then, "it happens", and finally the audience is rewarded with the display. Almost all of the jokes them self are told to you through dialogue, not visually. They humorously exaggerate the situation, language, action, and characters. They illustrate frustrations of life, providing a momentary escape from day-to-day life and have happy endings.
Genre Convention (Production Technique)- Most Comedies share some similar production techniques. They use lots of pans from left to right, helicopter shots, and upbeat music to establish setting. Push way too fars to signify importance of the scene, but keep going to establish a comedic relationship. Comparison shots, which are nearly identical shots in the film with a direct comparison that creates comedy. Quick zooms which highlight something funny on scene such as weird looking faces or objects. And the step back editing technique which has the camera in different positions between two shots which make them funny, as a result makes an intimate scene less intimate.
Institutional Convention- Idiotic people are often used in contrast with the “normal people.” There are usually starring a big name actor as there are many that constantly circulate within films. Lots of bright light is used to show the happiness on screen, as well as using relatable locations for social events.
Film sample #1- Happy Gilmore is about of classic of a comedy I can think of. Filled with sick and twisted humor, Adam Sandler is at his best. Many parts of the movie are super unrealistic and make no sense but you have no choice but to laugh. Overall one of the funniest movies I have ever seen.
Film Sample #2- Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby. Another comedy classic filled with over exaggerated stereotypes and stupidity, makes for an hour and a half full of laughs. Whenever Will Ferrell and John. C Reilly are paired together, you know something funny is going to happen.
- 5 other comedy movies:
- Step Brothers https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0838283/
- Just Go with it https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1564367/
- Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0205000/
- Ace Ventura: Pet Detective https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0109040/
- Death at a Funeral https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1321509/

Sources:

Mott, P. (n.d.). Make 'Em Laugh: Comedy Editing Techniques | Art of the Guillotine. Retrieved from http://www.aotg.com/index.php?page=comedy
Tobias, J. (2013, October 20). Genre & convention of comedy. Retrieved from https://www.slideshare.net/tobiaz_man/genre-convention-of-comedy
Kim, L. (2018, April 9). Comedy in Content Marketing: To Be Memorable, Make 'Em Laugh. Retrieved from https://www.wordstream.com/blog/ws/2014/09/10/comedy-in-content-marketing
Anderson, N. (2010, April 30). Retrieved from http://nathananderson7.blogspot.com/2010/04/comedy-film-target-audience-target.html
(n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.filmsite.org/comedyfilms.html

McAfee, R. (2017, September 28). 10 Comedic Camera Techniques Every Filmmaker Should Know. Retrieved from https://blog.pond5.com/16424-10-comedic-camera-techniques-every-filmmaker-know/

Media Studies Portfolio

Tuesday, November 6, 2018

Intro

Film Opening Final

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