Types of Humour

I have done some research on different types of humour in order to see which one would best fit my narrative for my main task. After this piece of research I'm going to start looking into what themes, characters and general narrative elements I can add in my main task and start a small amount of planning.

Anecdotal: Anecdotal comedy revolves around an anecdote which is a small personal story. These stories usually have aspects of comedy and the delivery of them should also be comedic.

Burlesque: This type of comedy ridicules by imitating with exaggerated characters and somewhat cartoonish representations of people. Used heavily in films like Zoolander.

Dark: This is usually based around grim or depressing situations dealing with misfortune with a pessimistic approach.

Hyperbolic: Very similar to burlesque, comic representation marked by exaggerations and outsized characterisation.

Juvenile: Humour including childish themes like pranks, name-calling and general immature behaviour.

Situational: This is humour that rises out of certain situations. Often used in sitcoms or specifically situational comedies.

Bibliography: http://www.dailywritingtips.com/20-types-and-forms-of-humor/

Main task thoughts

I want my main task to be really upbeat and fun to watch. The Brooklyn Nine Nine opening credits is exactly the type of thing I'd like to have for my opening. Obviously I would have a scene to introduce certain characters and themes beforehand, but i would like a 20-30 second section after the scene along these lines.

I could do this by recording each character for a few seconds doing an action that suits their personality, use jump cuts to slightly zoom into them and then photoshop to create an edited image of them.

Preliminary Self Evaluation

My preliminary task had many features that can be improved on, though there are also a few good factors. I didn't put all of my effort into my preliminary task, instead i attempted to spread out my effort across my blog posts and the production of my film. This resulted in my task not having 100% of my attention, therefore not being nearly up to the standard my main task will be.

My first problem was the general approach I had to the filming process. The set I used often had lots of people in or around it, meaning I couldn't film on specific days. This meant I had to complete all filming on one day, due to continuity issues otherwise. Having to film all on one day was a huge struggle, as I had to arrange a time for all actors to be prepared, though they couldn't always do it due to being busy with other work. All of these things resulted in a very rushed filming process, I couldn't get the result I wanted and didn't end up creating a substantial narrative. In future I will make sure there is nobody in or around the filming location, and ensure all people involved are able to participate. Another problem in the filming process was lighting. After messing around with it half way through the process, it changed slightly within the clip and it couldn't be changed back. This made for a bad continuity error, and I know now not to change the set at all in the future midway through filming.

There were also some problems within the editing process but i managed to learn a lot from it. Going into it, i had no idea how to use final cut, i had lots of trouble initially in terms of editing my clips with very little experience with the programme. Towards the end of the post production process, i learned more about the software and was able to use slightly more advanced techniques. 

I need to develop my camera skills as there are multiple times throughout the video where the focus isn't used correctly. In some cases the camera loses focus too much, as opposed to being controlled creating good effects. My time management also needs to be improved on multiple fronts, including the film process, post production process and also organise time to sort out my narrative. My directing skills also need to improve, as the actors had too much freedom, and one ended up swearing a lot more than i would have liked.

I also didn't follow the brief to 100% accuracy. I didn't incorporate the 180 degree rule, and this would've been a huge problem in my main task. I have now learnt to follow the brief a lot closer, and won't make the same mistake again. I also loosely followed the general outlines, as a person does walk into a room to exchange dialogue, but doesn't sit down.

Though i have a lot to improve on, and i learnt a lot during my preliminary i did do a few things well. I have appealed to a certain audience with my film, that being people of both genders aged 16-25. After showing my prelim to lots of people from this age group I believe i made the film suitable to that audience in terms of the type of comedy, though in the future and my main task i would like to have a different type of humour displayed. I developed my editing skills in final cut quite well, as I was very new to the programme which will aid me in the future. The characters i used were also generic and stereotypical, which specifically appeal to my target audience.

Overall I learned a lot from doing my preliminary task, and I will hopefully be able to improve the quality of my main task dramatically.

Mitchell Oliver Preliminary Task

Self review

Textual Analysis (Shrek)

I do not intend to do an animation for my main task, the reason i am analysing the Shrek opening is to look for the use of comedy and character structure throughout the scene, as well as mise-en-scene and use of audio. These things can be used in both animation, and live action film so they will be of use to me and what i decide to do in terms of my main task.

We are instantly introduced to the main protagonist of the story, a low angle shot is used to make Shrek look more powerful as opposed to the viewer. An establishing shot is then used to set the scene, this is evident as it lingers on the shot for a good 3-4 seconds. Due to this, the setting has connotations of importance suggesting this is going to be a major part of the narrative.

Throughout the entire scene, audio is used in different ways to create different effects. The music used within the opening is integrated with the visuals. For instance, when the camera shot changes, the music has a significant beat or change in tone, this makes the scene run a lot smoother, mixing non-diagetic sound along with the other aspects of the scene, as opposed to leaving them as two separate entities. An example of this is when the music heavily changes tone, Shrek swipes the mud to reveal the title of the movie. This is also a very good aspect of the scene which i could use in my own work, integrating the typography within the actual scene. This makes the scene more fluent, and wont take the audience out of the experience with bold writing that isn't at all relevant to the narrative.

Although the character throughout the scene has no dialogue, we get a substantial introduction to his character, with the comedic tendencies that a wide audience will appreciate. It is a simple opening that shows Shrek doing various activities around the swamp, but we see some of his personality throughout. His facial expressions, body language and general way he acts has connotations of enjoyment and happiness, this gives audiences the impression he is an upbeat fun character even though he is an unconventional protagonist.