G321 Idea Comparisons to Other Films

Our film has themes of competition, relationships and school life and there are many other that share a similar storyline or set of themes. There are references to sex, minor violence and few (if any) references to drugs and so I have also looked at successful comedy films which include these things. By comparing the ideas of these mainstream films to the ideas of my group's opening, I will see if we have created a plot and themes that suit the audience and, if not, what we can do to change it.

Superbad (2007) Cert. 15





Superbad is about 3 friends who try to seduce some popular girls by supplying their party with alcohol in order to lose their virginity in time for college. Themes in this film include friendship, sex and parties and the main protagonists are three teenage boys who struggle socially, as seen in our own film.  There are also similarities in the appearances of the characters and so this gives us a good idea of what our final product will look like. As the certificate of 15 is the same as our film, it also gives us an idea of the tone and type of humour that should be used in our opening.

Role Models (2008) Cert. 15

Role Models is about two guys who get into trouble when their wild behaviour causes them to earn community service with an organisation called 'Sturdy Wings'. Though the film does not include many characters of the same age of those in the opening I will be creating, the character of 'Augie' is perfect for getting inspiration as to the appearance, attitudes and behaviour of our protagonist geeks. Since he loves medieval reenactments, will will bare in mind his character when casting for the character of 'Stuart' in our opening. Themes in this film also include sex, jail and relationships and so we can take inspiration from a few of these themes and show how they are portrayed through dialogue and mise en scene when filming our opening. 

American Pie (1999) Cert. 15 

In American Pie, the audience follows four teens who make a pact to lose their virginity before prom night with themes of sex, friends and high school. Though the characters in my group's opening are in college and not high school, they're around the same age and this can be helpful when casting for 'Tom' and 'Stacey' since they are seen as the popular characters at some point in the film. We also have a competition involving sex as included in this film and this suggests that we have the right kind of storyline for a mainstream audience.x

G321 Initial Actor Ideas and Appearance

Since the film my group will be producing is a comedy, I will look at comedians who often star in films similar to ours. I have researched into films similar in themes and genre to ours and have selected a few actors that I believe would suit the characters in our film. When casting for our opening, I will bare in mind these actors and the overall look they give to their films and who we can cast to achieve similar results. Since the characters are similar, it will mainly be their appearance and the way they express themselves that differs and so we have to be aware of this when it comes to casting actors for our film.

Tom Burges, 18 - Michael Cera

The character of Tom struggles to climb the social ladder but is determined to do so. He's a bit of a 'momma's boy' and enjoys rules as they protect him from further abuse from his peers. In order for this character to be played successfully, he should be slightly strange in his stage presence, shy but able to express his emotions through his facial expressions and mannerisms.

An actor suitable for this character would be Michael Cera, who is renown for awkward, often quiet, characters. His quirkiness often adds charm to characters he plays and the films he is in. It also makes him appear more mysterious as a character and moments more shocking when the character makes quick or rash decisions. Michael Cera is known to have played in comedies such as 'Evan' in Superbad (2007) and 'Paulie Bleeker' in Juno (2007) with similar characters to 'Tom Burges'.


Bob Phillips, 17 - Jonah Hill

Bob's character is a prankster who thinks he has a shot with the 'ladies' though he's a bit of an odd-ball and thoroughly enjoys spending time on computers.  To play this character, the actor would preferably be slightly overweight with a bright personality and not shy, like the character of 'Tom'. Furthermore, someone who can avoid laughing in awkward situations is a must!


Bob is a little overweight and wears glasses; surprise, surprise, I have chosen Jonah Hill. Known for his roles in Superbad (2007) as 'Seth' and 'Jonah' in Knocked Up (2007), Jonah Hill is a confident actor who plays stereotypical and immature characters well without overdoing it. When casting for our comedy opening, I will think about Jonah Hill's appearance, performances and the characters that he plays in order to cast the right actor for Bob. 

Stuart Thurgood, 17 - Christopher Mintz-Passe

Stuart has a passion for medieval history and all things numerical, tactical or political. The actor who plays this character should look quirky, naturally geeky and be strong-minded as an actor to show this in Stuart's character. Since Stuart does not like mainstream, he should look and act uniquely.


Christopher Mintz-Passe is a relatively new actor but is already popular for his performances as 'Fogell' in Superbad (2007) and 'Augie' in Role Models (2008). As with both of these characters, Christopher is often cast as geeky roles with a character struggling to survive in the mainstream world but who thrives in his own ideas and small circle of friends. Christopher, like Michael Cera, plays awkward characters well and suits roles as seen in our film. For our final geek character, I will ensure that I look for someone who brings the same humour to our film as Christopher has done in the past. 

Stacey Munez, 18 - Lindsay Lohan 

Stacey is known as the 'popular girl' at school but has a hidden, geeky side which she keeps from those she knows. Keeping her perfect exterior, on the inside she's a nerd crying to get out. The actress playing Stacey should be attractive, confident and not afraid to make a fool of themselves.


An example of an actress suitable for this character is Lindsay Lohan, most recognisable for her role as 'Cady Heron' in Mean Girls (2004) which is a similar character to 'Stacey Munez'. She can pull off the stereotypical 'bitch' characters in a comic way as well as being down to earth without going over the top. When casting for the character of 'Stacey', I will think back to Linsay's performance in Mean Girls and bare in mind the type of performance we want from our actress.

G321 Research into Stereotypes

Harry and Lloyd

The representation in media and stereotypes of teenagers is rarely a positive. However, in comedy, the media tends to portray different sets of social groupings, organised by their interest, looks and status in school or other social events. These groupings are known as the prototypical groups of the teenage stereotypes and are popular in films about high school or teenagers in general. American media tends to stick to the extremities of these groups, such as the characters of 'Harry' and 'Lloyd' in Dumb and Dumberer (2003) but they also appear in UK film, such as the groups in St Trinians (2007). Since the opening of my group's film includes stereotypes, I have researched into the different representations of teenagers in order to help portray the right characters in our opening. The stereotypical teenage groups usually consist of the following:

Jocks (often also popular) 

The 'Jocks' are the kids who love and live sport. Typically in American media, boys will play American football or take part in athletics and, in the UK, boys will most likely play football or rugby. As masculine sports, this helps them to display their strength and speed, therefore asserting themselves over those around the school. Though they're uncommon, a female jock will usually take part in athletics, cheerleading, swimming, gymnastics or a sport that displays agility and elegance, as well as power but in a more subtle way than males. They usually wear hoodies or sportswear at school and males tend to have short hair whilst females will have their long hair tied back. Sometimes, the jocks are also portrayed as the popular characters or the bullies further reinstating their power and social status in the school. 

A good example of a 'Jock', would be the characters of 'John Tucker' and 'Heather' from John Tucker Must Die (2006). They're popular at school and do lots of sport to show their dominance. The plot of the film also centres around John as he is the popular male that the girls are after. In the opening of our film, a jock will throw a sandwich at the geeky boys and a popular girl will be seen getting ready for school. When casting for our film, I will bare these characters in mind and look at the appearance and stage presence the actors create.

Emos 

Andrea

An 'Emo' (short for 'Emotional Child') will often keep to themselves. Stereotypically, an emo will be introvert, shy and emotional person who may also suffer from social problems or have issues at home that they will deal with through self harm or expression through writing and drawings. Typically, they wear dark clothing, slim-fit jeans, tight t-shitrs of their favourite bands and dark makeup but are not afraid to express their feelings through colour.

There are few characters from films in which an emo will be the main character of a film but, in St Trinians (2007), they are represented through the character of 'Andrea'. With dark hair, pale skin and piercings she has the stereotypical appearance. She's also clever but quiet and this is a common portrayal of an emo character. We do not have any emo characters in our opening but I will bare in mind the traits of them when selecting costume and makeup in order to avoid portraying this stereotype.

Janis Ian

Goths

A goth, primarily, will be quiet, reserved and wear a lot of dark clothing inspired by the Victorian era and black makeup. Often confused but not to be mixed with emos, goths stereotypically have their own culture of voodoo dolls and an obsession with those who they hate (usually those who pick on them). They are also associated with self-harm and suicide. However, beneath the dark exterior typically lies a genuine character. Gothic characters don't tend to be a a main role in films but are smaller ones or extras. This is because they tend not to be exciting enough to fufil central characters and are too dark for a comedy film.


An example of a gothic character is 'Janis Ian' from Mean Girls (2004). She wears dark makeup and has dark hair but has slightly lighter costume with greys and the odd colour. This character is slightly more out-going than most goths portrayed but still includes the emotional aspect of a goth's personality. Like emos, we do not have any gothic characters in our opening and I will bare in mind the traits of gothic characters in order not to portray the wrong stereotype when deciding on costume and makeup.

Geeks/Nerds

Napoleon Dynamite

The geeks and nerds are known to put their cravings for intelligence above their social lives and prefer to spend their time on computers or intellectual activities. A geek will be interested in computer technology whilst a nerd will have hobbies to do with a specific topic or subject as school, such as science or maths. Typically, not only will a geek or nerd be socially awkward but they will be physically awkward too. They will often be slouched or stood proud, wearing glasses with poor skin. Stereotypically, a nerd/geek will wear smart clothes with their shirts tucked into their trousers which may be a little bit too short. Props associated with these characters are digital watches, belts and mathematical equipment and so when creating the costumes for our three geeks, I will make reference to this research.


A good example of a geek is 'Napoleon' from Napoleon Dynamite (2004). He is both socially and physically awkward with his best friend, 'Pedro', a fellow geek. His smart, old-fashioned appearance along with his inability to interact properly with others creates a humourous character perfect for our opening. Since we have three geeks in our opening, I will take inspiration from the character of Napoleon in order to create an original and creative costume for each of our characters. I will also think about his stage presence and use of voice, comparing it to those who audition for our cast.

Popular/Cool Kids
The popular kids, often also jocks or a bully/bitch, rule the school and tend to dominate the canteen sitting at a certain table each day. They associate themselves with only others like themselves socially, aesthetically and financially creating a close circle of friends. However, they do mix with others in order to keep their high-status exterior and may run for or be the class president in films. A popular character will also receive respect from their peers. Stereotypically, a popular character will either come from a wealthy background where they are supported emotionally or a poorer background where they are not (this is often revealed to the audience in a film and suggests motivation of any bullying behaviour). Stereotypically, a popular kid will have expensive or designer clothing and accessories and dress to the latest trends to build their high status.


The character of 'Regina George' from the film Mean Girls (2004) is a stereotypical representation of a popular girl. She wears designer clothes, is admired by many boys around the school and is considered a nasty character to those who threaten her social position. In our film opening, we have the popular character of 'Stacey' showing her get ready for school. When casting the actress for her role, I will bare in mind the stage presence that Regina brings to Mean Girls and use the findings of my research to help create an individual character, both in appearance and personality.

High School Musical 2
(Main cast: 2 males in blue and
female in white between)

The Rest
These are the regular kids who cannot be classified into any of the above and are often friends with several people from a variety of groups. They will be pretty plain and listen to mainstream music but don't push the boundaries or draw attention to themselves creating plain characters. The rest is often just seen as extras in order to fill a school population in a film since they play no significance to the plot. They're seen throughout the film industry and often are dressed in plain, dull clothes in comparison the the main characters in order for them to blend into the background and create atmosphere for the rest of the cast. Though we will not need extras for our opening, it is helpful to remember that there will most likely be several extras in our film since it's based at a college and this will help us to design the main character's costumes to be unique and stand out.

G321 Investigating Titles and Timings

Since comedy is the chosen genre for my group and the titles are important to the opening of a film, I have selected two comedy openings and listed the credits and the times they appear. By doing so, I hope to learn the order in which they appear in a comedy film, the effect this has and apply my findings to my own opening.

Superbad (2007)



0.04 - Institution/Distributor Logo/Name (a SONY PICTURES ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY)
0.18 - Production Company Logo/Name (Columbia Pictures)
0.24 - Production Company Name (Columbia Pictures Presents)
0.27 - Production Company Name (An Apatow Company Production)
0.29 - Film Title (SUPERBAD)
0.32 - Lead Actor Name (JOHNAH HILL)
0.35 - Lead Actor Name (MICHAEL CERA)
0.38 - Lead Actor Name (SETH ROGEN)
0.40 - Actor Name (BILL HADER)
0.43 - Other (Minor) Actors (KEVIN CORRIGAN, JOE LO TRUGLIO, MARTHA MACISAAC, EMMA STONE)
0.47 - Actor Name (AND INTRODUCING CHRISTOPHER MINTZ-PLASSE)
0.50 - Casting (BY ALLISON JONES)
0.53 - Costume Designer (DEBRA MCGUIRE)
0.55 - Co-producer (DARA WEINTRAUB)
0.58 - Music Supervisor (JONATHON KARP)
1.00 - Music Creator (LYLE WORKMAN)
1.03 - Editor (WILLIAM KERR)
1.06 - Production Designer (CHRIS SPELLMAN)
1.08 - Director of Photography (RUSS ALSOBROOK, asc)
1.11 - Executive Producers (SETH ROGAN, EVAN GOLDBERG)
1.14 - Producers (JUDD APATOW, SHAUNA ROBERTSON)
1.17 - Writers (SETH ROGAN, EVAN GOLDBERG)
1.20 - Director (GREG MOTTOLA)


The opening credits appear regularly with gaps of about 2 - 3 seconds between each one and in time with the non-diegetic music. They also appear in an obvious order, almost hierarchy, from who is in the film to who has helped create it and the film title is within the first 30 seconds of the opening. The font is consistant and the colour fits with the genre and block coloured, background imaging. These opening credits are also simplistic with their transitions and positioning but effective in keeping the audience's focus on the figures dancing. 

Step Brothers (2008, embedded unavailable)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sczh_KjjFNU

0.03 - Institution/Distributor Name (COLUMBIA PICTURES presents)
0.06 - Institution/Distributor Name (in associating with RELATIVITY MEDIA)
0.09 - Production Company Name (an APATOW COMPANY/MOSAIC MEDIA GROUP production)
0.12 - Production Company Name (a GARY SANCHEZ production)
0.15 - Screenplay/Writer (a film by ADAM MCKAY)
0.28 - Lead Actory Name (WILL FERRELL)
0.32 - Lead Actor Name (JOHN C. REILLY)
0.38 - Actor Name (RICHARD JENKINS)
0.45 - Actor Name (MARY STEENBURGEN)
0.55 - Actor Name (ADAM SCOTT)
1.00 - Actor Name (KATHRYN HAHN)
1.04 - Actor Names (ANDREA SAVAGE, ROB RIGGLE)
1.12 - Casting (by ALLISON JONES)
1.17 - Costume Designer (SUSAN MATHESON)
1.21 - Music Supervisor (by HALL WILLNER)


Though the clip does not show all the opening credits, it's apparent they are in a similar order as Superbad. The font also suits the comedy genre and the colour is plain but helps the text to stand out from the film in the background. The credits also appear at regular intervals and with simple transitions fading them on and off screen. 


When creating our own comedy opening, I now know that we should try to include the main actors names and film title early on and I'm aware of the order of the following credits. I have also learned that often less is more and so to be simplistic when creating ideas on how the titles should appear. The titles should also appear regularly throughout the opening and at a suitable pace for the non-diegetic music in the background or for the pace of the editing in the opening.

G321 Research into Institution Logos

In order to create unique designs for the institution logos I need to create for 'Emerald Productions' and 'Wisecrack Studios', I have looked at current mainstream institutions and the logos they use at the start of their films. Since we have decided to be a mainstream institution and aim our film at a mass audience, this will give me inspiration as to the traits of mainstream logos and what I need to incorporate when I create my designs. I have also looked at a few independent companies and their logos, comparing them with the mainstream ones to prevent me from designing the wrong style of logo.


Universal Pictures


As a large and popular institution, this logo was created for Universal's 75th anniversary. This logo was revolutionary as it uses CGI and bright, high quality visual effects to display the text and images - a large jump from animation or still images. At the start of any film, this logo makes a statement and the high quality suggests that the film is going to be of a high standard too. The globe connotes the fact Universal is a large, global institution and the use of primary colours is simple but effective and professional. The soundtrack used is orchestral with both low and high pitched instruments to build up tension and excitement amongst the audience for the film they're about to watch. 


Warner Bros Pictures


This logo, like Universal Pictures, is a CGI animated logo suggesting that it's a large, mainstream institution with lots of money in order to create this logo. It also connotes that the company supplies mainstream film to mass audiences. The bright gold shield connotes wealth and power as an institution whilst the background is simple with primary colours in order for the main logo to stand out. The non-diegetic, orchestral music builds tension and excitement for the audience, as well as connoting further that Warner Bros is a large institution.


In comparison, the two institutions are similar in the way CGI has been used and a central object/image is the iconic logo for each company. They also both use orchestral, non-diegetic music to build tension and create an excited atmosphere for the audience. Both logs also use a simplistic but bright colour scheme to create their iconic logos and have a similar duration. These characteristics connote that these institutions are large and powerful in the film industry, catering for a mass audience. As the company for our piece is mainstream, I will incorporate some of these traits when creating designs for the logos.


Warp Films

This is the logo for Warp Films, an independent, British institution. This logo is a 2D, colourless design connoting a lack of power in the film industry and small budgets suggesting that this company would fund films for niche audiences, rather than mainstream film. However, the simple design and use of the globe and electricity bolt suggests enthusiasm and a company that funds a variety of film with global themes. There is no sound and this further suggests that the company is small and a hidden institution against others, such as universal or Warner Bros.

Film 4

Like Warp Film, this is also the logo for an independent, British institution. As a still image without animation, it has the primary colours of red and white connote excitement or a passion for film. However, the lack of CGI effects also connotes low budgets and niche audience film. There is no sound suggesting that Film 4 is a small company though the design is professional and simple and funding for any films may be produced from a variety of other sources. 

In comparison, both the Warp Films and Film 4 logo include still mages lacking animation or much colour connoting small institutions with low budgets for niche film, furthermore smaller target audiences. There is no specific duration of each logo so they could appear for any time length, maybe a positive for independent institution logos. Since these traits define smaller companies and our companies for our opening piece are mainstream, I will make sure I avoid these traits when creating designs for the logos.

There are significant differences between the logos of mainstream institutions and independent companies. The larger institutions use CGI or animation, a variety of colours and orchestral music in order to create a lasting impression on the audience and the iconic images known today. In comparison, the smaller institutions stick to still images with little colour and music in order to stay within budget. Since we will be creating logos for mainstream institutions, I will ensure that my designs include the traits seen in the Universal or Warner Bros logos and avoid those seen in the Warp Films design. 

G321 Research on Film Titles

As a group, we struggled to think of a catchy film title for our group. In order to help me produce some ideas, I looked at other names of comedy films and compared them to other genres.


Superbad (2007, comedy)
Superbad is a three syllable, short and catchy title which suggests comedy through the odd use of the oxymoron of 'super' and 'bad', together in one word. It does not reveal much about the film but is memorable as well as suiting the main characters of the film. 


Easy A (2010, comedy)
Like Superbad, this is also a three syllable, short title which is catchy but does not reveal much about the film or it's plot. The "A" creates connotations of school and gives the audience an idea of what the film may be about, as well as the audience that may prefer to see it. In this case, themes of school would suggest a teen comedy and a target audience of 15 to 25 year olds.


Pirates of the Caribbean; The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003, adventure)
This is a much longer and elaborate film title, with 10 words and 14 syllables. It suggests a long or extensive plot and also makes the film appear to be more exciting and action packed compared to Superbad or Easy A. Also, because there is an extension to the main clause of the film title, it is suggested that there is more than one film to this title which is not common amongst the comedy genre.


Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981, adventure/action)
Similarly to the Pirates of the Caribbean title, this film appears to have more than film one to the same title. It has 7 words with 11 syllables connoting action and a more exciting or complex storyline than Superbad or Easy A.




The Grudge (2004, horror)
This title has 2 words and 2 syllables making it a short, catchy statement. The use of the word "the" puts emphasis on the following word of "grudge" to create a sinister tone. It also connotes horror or a disturbance but reveals little about the plot of the film. Unlike the action and adventure film titles, this title does not suggest much about the film and is more like the titles of Superbad or Easy A. 


Se7en (1995, horror/thriller)
Like The Grudge, this film title is extremely short and snappy. It's 1 word with 2 syllables, with the number 7 replacing the 'v'. This connotes mystery or an elaborate plot of which the audience must pay attention to, unlike our comedy film which is for entertainment purposes with no deciphering needed. 


From this research, I have learned that when producing a title for our film that we need to be aware of other films have done in regards to the length, word usage and genre of their title. I now know that I should avoid titles with long names as these are more common with action or adventure films and connote a more complex plot than our comedy. I also know not to be too simple as this could give the wrong impression as to the tone of our film and to be careful of how many syllables we use. 


Now that I learned what length and tone of title we should produce, I began to think of ideas as to what our film could be called. To help me, I created this mind map using geek themes and aspects of our film:




Now, when it comes to helping my group produce a film title, I will be more prepared will be able to provide ideas of what the title should be and how it should be presented.

G321 Demographic Grouping, Certification and Audience Theories

After looking at audience expectations and before creating our opening, as a group we had to decide on a plot for our film to judge how much information should and will be given in the opening. In order to do this we first looked further into our audience.

First, it was the audience size. Depending on the theme and plot of the film, the audience size will vary. A mass audience makes up 40% of the population and is a large and broad audience which enjoys mainstream media and film whereas a niche audience is a select group with a common, particular interest. We decided that to get the most enjoyment out of our opening and to entertain the widest audience that a mass audience would be appropriate.

The audience size and interests would also depend on the demographic grouping of our audience to suit the plot and themes of the film. The groups are as followed:

Group A: top management, bankers, lawyers, doctors, etc.

Group B: teachers, graphic designers, etc.

Group C1: supervisors, junior management, nurses, clerical staff, etc.

Group C2: skilled workers, etc.

Group D: semi-skilled, manual labourers, etc.

Group E: unemployed, students, pensioners, etc.

The audience and those allowed to see the film would also be limited due to its certification. The BBFC (British Board of Film Classification) control the films released to the public in the UK by setting age restrictions of U, PG, 12A, 12, 15 and 18 decided through the amount of violence, language, sex and nudity, drugs, discrimination, imitable behaviour and themes of the film. However, these are only guidelines and councils can choose their own rating. As a group, we decided that we wanted adult themes for our film and it to be enjoyed by both adults and teenagers. This made our film around the rating of a 15. 


Using different audience theories, we can also understand how a film can be viewed or interpreted and the effect this can have on the audience.


The Hypodermic Needle Theory describes how the audience can be manipulated throughout the film as they take the film as it is. Films of this theory are just for entertainment purposes as the audience does not need to do much working out and the plots tend to be basic and linear. However, the theory describes media as a syringe injecting beliefs and attitudes into the audience which can influence an audience. This can be damaging and there have been several cases with young children watching violent films and then repeating this violence.


The Uses and Gratifications Theory (McQuail), however, explains the audience's participation in a film to be more active and engaging to gratify individual needs. The basic need is entertainment; the audience watches the film to relax and to be entertained. The audience can also engage through personal relationships or social integration in which the audience can identify with the film and it's characters, as well as through personal identity in which the audience member compares their life to the character's in the film. An audience may also watch a film to gain information and be educated about the world or others in it. 


The Reception Theory, like the Uses and Gratifications Theory, explains the audience's participation further specifically when the enigma code has been used in a plot. The media is encoded by the producer and it is up to the audience to decode and understand it. This creates questioning as to whether each audience member receives the same experience and watches the same film. 


With an understanding of these three audience theories and the target audience we will be targeting, it will be able to help us to decide on a narrative for our opening and to be aware with what we put into it and which certification it should have. It has also let me think about other mainstream film and what their target audiences and certifications are and why they have been chosen.

G321 Audience Expectations

In order to gain a better understand of what the audience want when it comes to the comedy genre, we devised a questionnaire to ask various age groups. It consisted of several questions about favourite comedy films and why, what is expected when going to see a comedy and comments about mise. These are the findings and results that I felt were important:


What is your favourite comedy film?
Most of the films chosen in response to this question were recent, modern comedies such as Superbad (2007) or Role Models (2008). These mainstream films suggest that this and the widespread humour of kids is what an audience looks for when going to see a comedy. However, the older generations chose classic films from Charlie Chaplin (1900s) and Carry On films (1950s - 70s) suggesting that the comedy they grew up with and their parents is the comedy they prefer, relating to the gratification of integration and social interaction of the time.  


Why?
The obvious response was that their chosen film made them laugh, however, it's through the selection of films from each age category that shows how humour has changed. For example, Charlie Chaplin and slapstick in silent film has progressed into the present, stereotyping and ironic comedy seen in Superbad. The characters and plot also was key. Without a well-rounded plot and entertaining characters the films would not be as engaging or enjoyable. 


Who do you expect to see in a comedy (e.g. age, personality, appearance)?
Many responded with young adults or teenagers to this question probably due to the increasing amount of films about the struggles of adolescents and peer pressure. Many stereotypes of 'jocks', 'nerds' and 'popular' kids were listed and may represent audience gratification of personal identity or social interaction, specifically in young audiences. Adults, however, who listed modern film, such as Date Movie (2006), may just watch for entertainment or to laugh and reflect on their younger years. 


What sort of props do you expect to see?
Objects such as drugs, alcohol, cigarettes and cars were frequent in response to this question and are common in modern comedies as they seem to follow themes about adolescents and teenage struggles. Even in responses from the older generation, travel objects such as cars came up continuously and this may suggest that though comedy has changed, elements have passed down through the generations.


These results suggest that present comedy revolves around young life, almost taking a black comedy approach and creating humour in topics that tend to be a serious issue throughout teenage life. Not only for social integration in the younger generations but for the older generations, it means they can relate and think back to when they were younger and watch for pure entertainment. Comedy film tends to be taken as it is through the hypodermic needle theory and is designed to be enjoyed, not deciphered. With these findings, I hope to produce creative ideas that are sure to entertain our mass, mainstream, target audience.

G321 Preparation for Comedy Opening

After creating our openings for Juno, The Strangers and Vertigo, we decided on the genre of comedy for our opening. We felt this would be the most enjoyable to do, like the Juno opening, and thought it would challenge us and allow us to produce an original opening.

As a creative way to prepare for making of our film, we used jelly babies to produce a basic opening of a comedy film, creating characters and a shot list as practice. We had to decide on sound, titles, camera angles, the characters and the duration. 


These are the characters we created:

The 3 main protagonists

Female Protagonist

Male Antagonist

The use of the stereotypical teenagers is common amongst the comedy genre and we used them as easy characters to create a basic storyline with. In the opening, the female approaches the three protagonists before moving past them and stepping into the house of the male antagonist. The titles would appear as throughout the shots of the various characters and the title of "Her" would be shown in the first shot of the woman to distinguish that it was the title and related to that character.

These are the notes we used to help create the shot list: