Mastering the Comedy Genre in Movies And TV1 min read
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Filmmaker Jason Hellerman writes:
Comedy is one of the most malleable genres in film and television. Comedy can brighten a scene, tell us a lot about a character’s mood, and even help sustain long expository explanations and speeches.
Still, there are lots of tropes and characteristics of comedies that people expect when they’re reading your screenplay or pilot. Comedy might be the hardest thing to pull off, and it’s certainly one of the riskiest things to pitch or develop. A comedy that doesn’t work is super cringe-y.
But take the risk! Because we NEED more comedy! When the world around us gets shrouded in hate and darkness, comedy is the bright light that shows us the way back to joy. Back to our humanity.
If you ever need proof of the POWER of the comedy, consider Cinema’s first great artist and one of the world’s first true global celebrities. Charlie Chaplin.
Photo credit: No Film School
