Genre Research Blog Activity

As someone who has watched all 12 seasons of Big Bang with my family, I'm surprised it never got old to me. The Simson's has been going on since 1987, I'm sure there's some one out there who is still watching that show. The entertaining quality of comedy films has made them my favorite genre by far.

A genre is basically something that makes movies easier to market. They set the expectation for a movie before it is watched by the viewer, with conventions being things that make up the genre. Romantic comedies, for example, tend to have two characters that can’t stand each other be forced into close proximity. In the comedy genre as a whole, however, there are many conventions. Things are shot in the same place, like the bar from How I Met Your Mother or the study room in Community. Characters are placed into intentionally uncomfortable situations for laughs and there is always conflict driving the plot forward.

Inside the incredible world of comedies, it’s easy to find sitcoms and romantic comedies and think that they are all the same. Sure, the jokes are unique to the storyline and characters but the camera framing isn’t. Stagnate shots, little to no use of cinematography, comedies don’t tend to expand on their appearance like other genres. Rarely are there gems that use all sorts of camera work for comedy. For example, the link below leads you to a compilation of films made by the director Mel Brooks, where she uses push ins as comedy. I find her creativity extremely admirable. 

 

https://vimeo.com/230990210 

 

Most comedies use the standard way of promoting films. Social media advertisements, celebrity collaboration, and trailers are all ways that companies promote their films. And comedy's are no expectation. However, comedies have been known to include their funniest bits in the advertisements and their trailers. Not to mention, some actors on the productions have begun posting content on social media, including jokes, dances, and vlogs on set.