Genre
Comedy
Genre conventions (content)
Comedies are light-hearted films that are made to amuse and provoke laughter (with jokes, etc) within the audience by exaggerating situations, language, characters, action and relationships. The comedy genre includes sub-genes: Screwball, slapstick, parodies, and romantic comedies. The usual age for someone watching a comedy movie is very dependent on the content of the film. For example, children’s films rated PG can have comical scenes that appeals to young children, as well as parents, because they are often family films. However, the audience would be completely different for a comedy film rated PG-13. These films have a target audience of a certified age that's given to the movie, such as teenagers. PG-13 movies can appeal to people over the labelled age of the film because comedy has a large target audience. For rated R movies, only people who are seventeen and older can view the film. These films are often more explicit in terms of language and scenes, making the film heavily aimed at individuals over the age of seventeen.
Genre conventions (production techniques)
Comedies usually occur in bright settings, and locations that are known for social events are often used. The lighting is naturally bright in order to create a realistic environment. Bright and happy colors are used to show that the scene is jolly, and that it is done in daylight. Additionally, the camerawork for most comedies is naturalistic and characters are filmed in a way that shows that no one is better than the other. Additionally, sound is very important for the comedy genre. Diegetic sound, like dialogue, needs to be very clear to make sure it can be heard and laughed at. Non diegetic sound is also very important. This can be used for editing sounds to place emphasis on certain scenes. Also, idiotic characters are usually used in contrast with a group of “normal” people, showing the difference in personalities and emphasizes the stupidity of the folly character.
Institutional conventions (how is genre marketed)
Timing is incredibly important for marking comedies. Marketers must build up as much hype in the short amount of time leading up to the launch of the film as possible. Word of mouth is a powerful form of marketing. Making something that is worth talking about can spread and advertise the film like a wildfire. In order to do this, marketers need to create a visually compelling picture to make the audience find a sense of humor in what they are looking at. For example, the cover of the movie “Dumb and Dumber” shows two guys smiling and acting goofy. One is pulling the others hair while the other guy is pulling the others ears. This shows that these two characters might inflict a variety of funny actions within their lives. Furthermore, persona making also comes into play for marketing comedy films. A film will most likely have a character that the audience connects with in some way or another. Many film marketing campaigns have played on their audiences love (or hate) for certain characters by building a persona around those characters on social media. Based off of the movie “Ted” directed by Seth MacFarlane, the Ted character, with almost a million followers continues to post funny comments that spread across the internet. It’s effectively free marketing for the film now and on any given day Ted can tweet something driving thousands of retweets.
Film sample #1-Grown Ups
This film embodies my genre because each character in the film is a grown up with problems and challenges that seem amusing to the target audience. Grown Ups is about how five teenage boys rekindled thirty years later along with their families. They all come together and seem out of place with everyone else, which gives the film an unusual and funny situation. By now, Marcus is alone and drinks too much. Rob, an ugly father with three beautiful daughters he rarely sees, is always deeply in love until he turns on his next ex-wife. Eric is overweight and out of work. Kurt is a househusband who is spoon fed by his wife and mother-in-law and Lenny is a successful Hollywood agent married to a fashion designer while their kids take their privilege for granted. When they all gather together with their families, many of their own problems really start to come out in a funny manner when they go out. Each character thinks that they are doing the norm when in reality, they are being made fun of by other people. These foolish characters are in contrast with other regular people, showing the difference in personalities really emphasizes the stupidity of the five characters.
Film sample #2- 21 Jump Street
This film embodies my genre because it shows how two opposite people can attempt to work together on a common goal in a humorous manner for the target audience. In the film, the two main characters Morton Schmidt and Greg Jenko were polar opposites in high school. Schmidt did well in school, but his geekish personality made it hard to him to gain acceptance from his peers. Jenko was a popular jock with plenty of friends, but didn't do so well in school. Seven years later, these two join the police force and end up becoming friends. Because they are young, Schmidt and Jenko are assigned to go undercover as high school students to catch the supplier of a certain drug that had been roaming around the school. After their identities are accidentally mixed up, Schmidt finds himself with the popular kids, while Jenko finds himself disliked by most of the students. It is very amusing to see how their identities switched up, and how they try to not blow their cover.
Ex 1- Superbad
Ex 2- We’re The Millers
Ex 3- Step Brothers
Ex 4- Napoleon Dynamite
Ex 5- Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
