Codes and Conventions of a Comedy

AS Media Studies

1. аNASTASIJA NESIC AND MATIJA SEKULIC Codes and Conventions of a Comedy G E N R E S

2. Introduction This week we had an assignment of making a codes and conventions presentation based on the genre of the initial film idea we chose- ours being COMEDY.

3. Comedy Many comedies are set in settings that are always crowded with people such as offices, schools, and occasionally even just regular public locations. As a result, there is room for individuals to embarrass themselves or find themselves in difficult situations which heightens the humor of the movie. Having a variety of settings also makes it possible for the main protagonists to engage with a larger cast of characters. The set is typically a well-lit, sunny location since lighting can depict the mood of a movie.

4. Characters play a significant role in comedy as well. Comedy movies frequently capitalize on offensive stereotypes. It is customary to pair two radically dissimilar characters together so that jokes about one character can bounce off of the other. It frequently happens that one of the characters is a joke in and of themselves; they might be nerdy or foolish, inclined to be "ugly” or be out of touch with popular culture, for example. This persona frequently befriends someone who thinks the opposite of them, and their connection sometimes develops into a comedy. Characters

5. Comedy filmmaking frequently strives for a naturalistic shot in which every character is depicted as being on an equal footing and no one is made to appear superior to the others. Couples in comedies frequently share the same social standing (they are typically outcasts), which lets the viewer see that they are the same. Cinematography

6. Another significant comedy film convention is the use of props. Props are frequently the focus of jokes, with the laughter centered on that particular item. For instance, in Bridesmaids, the humor centers around puppies near the end, but in Diary of a Wimpy Kid, the prop that the joke centers on is the slice of cheese. Jokes can be started with props, and by using that particular thing, they keep the audience interested. Props

7. Many diverse kinds of comedy, including slapstick, dark, wordplay, etc., incorporate elements of these conventions. There are regional differences in humour, with American comedy being significantly different from British comedy. British humour is more awkward and sardonic than American comedy, which tends to be more joke-based and slapstick. Comedy also varies by generation; what my dad would think hilarious, I might not, and vice versa. Therefore, humour comes in a wide variety and is always evolving. Different types of comedy

8. Todorov’s narrative theory Todorov's Theory of the narrative Todorov put up a notion in 1969 that he thought applied to all movies. He thought that every movie follows the same five-stage narrative structure. These are the five states of equilibrium: equilibrium, disequilibrium, acknowledgment, solution, and equilibrium again. Comedy films frequently comply to Todorov's theory of the story, but what distinguishes them from other genres is the fact that every occurrence in the story will be funnier than usual, giving the movie a considerably lighter tone than other movies. For instance, character deaths are frequently intended to be humorous events in movies, yet in the majority of other genres, they are serious and painful events.

9. These are some of the most viewed comedy films…