Comedy Genre Codes & Conventions - AS Media Studies

1. АNASTASIJA NESIC AND MATIJA SEKULIC
Codes and Conventions of a Comedy
G E N R E S

2. Introduction
This week we had an assignment of making a codes
and conventions presentation based on the genre of
the initial film idea we chose- ours being COMEDY.

3. Comedy
Many comedies are set in settings that are always crowded with people such as offices,
schools, and occasionally even just regular public locations.
As a result, there is room for individuals to embarrass themselves or find themselves in
difficult situations which heightens the humor of the movie.
Having a variety of settings also makes it possible for the main protagonists to engage with a
larger cast of characters.
The set is typically a well-lit, sunny location since lighting can depict the mood of a movie.

4. Characters play a significant role in comedy
as well. Comedy movies frequently capitalize
on offensive stereotypes. It is customary to
pair two radically dissimilar characters
together so that jokes about one character
can bounce off of the other. It frequently
happens that one of the characters is a joke
in and of themselves; they might be nerdy or
foolish, inclined to be "ugly” or be out of
touch with popular culture, for example. This
persona frequently befriends someone who
thinks the opposite of them, and their
connection sometimes develops into a
comedy.
Characters

5. • Comedy filmmaking frequently strives for a
naturalistic shot in which every character is
depicted as being on an equal footing and
no one is made to appear superior to the
others. Couples in comedies frequently
share the same social standing (they are
typically outcasts), which lets the viewer
see that they are the same.
Cinematography

6. • Another significant comedy film convention is the
use of props. Props are frequently the focus of
jokes, with the laughter centered on that
particular item. For instance, in Bridesmaids, the
humor centers around puppies near the end, but
in Diary of a Wimpy Kid, the prop that the joke
centers on is the slice of cheese. Jokes can be
started with props, and by using that particular
thing, they keep the audience interested.
Props

7. • Many diverse kinds of comedy, including slapstick,
dark, wordplay, etc., incorporate elements of these
conventions. There are regional differences in humour,
with American comedy being significantly different
from British comedy. British humour is more awkward
and sardonic than American comedy, which tends to
be more joke-based and slapstick. Comedy also varies
by generation; what my dad would think hilarious, I
might not, and vice versa. Therefore, humour comes in
a wide variety and is always evolving.
Different types of
comedy

9. Todorov’s narrative theory
• Todorov's Theory of the narrative
• Todorov put up a notion in 1969 that he
thought applied to all movies. He thought that
every movie follows the same five-stage
narrative structure. These are the five states
of equilibrium: equilibrium, disequilibrium,
acknowledgment, solution, and equilibrium
again.
• Comedy films frequently comply to Todorov's
theory of the story, but what distinguishes
them from other genres is the fact that every
occurrence in the story will be funnier than
usual, giving the movie a considerably lighter
tone than other movies. For instance,
character deaths are frequently intended to be
humorous events in movies, yet in the majority
of other genres, they are serious and painful
events.

10. These are some of the most
viewed comedy films…