Comedy Theory and Practice

From mediaartiststudio

What exactly is this word we call comedy? What makes certain sounds and images invoke laughter or a smile? There are many different theories on what is “comedy” as applied to film, but as relative as humor may be, we all know it when we experience it.

Have you ever seen a Steven Seagal movie or a poorly made Chuck Norris television show and thought for sure that it must be a comedy? The intent of a film can seem vastly different between a filmmaker and an audience member, but there are certain devices a filmmaker can use to get the point across that their work is supposed to be comedic. For thousands of years these comedic devices have been refined and applied but still quite often miss the mark. This proves that comedy is not a formula but a continually growing and evolving process based on ones own experiences, surroundings and time. Slapstick comedy was very popular at the turn of the twentieth century for its use of humor through physical movement since audio wasn’t available yet. However, Slapstick is scene nowadays as being lowbrow and seemingly unpopular; only appearing in hilarious (irony) Dane Cook movies.

Often a comedies intent is not to make you laugh but reflect and see life in a different perspective. Some comedies try nothing but to invoke laughter which often leaves the viewer exhausted and unfulfilled. In this presentation, comedy, humor and many other trivial things shall be examined and brought to light, hopefully leaving the audience in a delirium of jocular intoxication.