1. Editing
• Vision – cuts, wipes, fades and dissolves can show varied IT skills and continue a slick view for
the audience. A parody will need blatant and vital vision edits to ensure a representation of a
film being mocked is obvious to notice.
• Slow Motion – can give a funny view to the audience providing laughter about the original film
again.
• Sound – fades in and out provide a smooth and crisp transition between dialogue, music
changes or shifting scenes. A key element of any film, however a parody film will have more
non-diagetic comedy elements, funny misfit sounds and unsmooth transitions to make things
more comical.
• Sound FX – this adds extra emphasis, atmosphere or laughter to a scene of shot. A comical
element is easily provided with the added ‘blooper’ or ‘explosion’ sound adding extra benefit to
the audience.
• Superimposing – This can provide dramatic irony to an audience and really captivate our target
audience into our plot. The cunning effect this can give a viewer can allow a complex storyline to
unfold with simple understanding and also provide the audience with humour and laughter.
• Synchronous & Asynchronous – This is linked to superimposing. Synchronised non-diagetic
sound can match the comedy elements and provide an impressive variety of sound. An
asynchronous non-diagetic noise can also provide a comical element but also set the scene. If it
is used incorrectly it can cause confusion. A parody film will need non-diagetic music to build
suspense in a humorous way and relate back to the original film.
Lighting
• Bright – can showcase an important moment and add the connotations of good and innocence.
It can also provide a daylight effect and add supposed fake drama.
• Dim – can provide a scary or evil connotation in a laughable way. It can also showcase
something or someone in a particular way. It can also provide a night time effect.
• Spotlight – is when something or someone is in a bright beam of light amongst a dark
backdrop. Can provide tension and surprises. It is widely used in actions and comedies for
varied effect.
Sound
• Diagetic – involved and/or from within the scene (a radio or clock), can add a funny element.
• Non-Diagetic – not involved or within the scene (music or superimposed sound), can also add a
funny element.
• Dialogue – can be diagetic, non-diagetic or superimposed, and is purely what the actor says.
Can vary depending on pitch, pace, tone, intonation and stress.
• Voiceover Narrator – can be used to mediate the audience’s interpretation of the visuals,
particularly if the tone is moderate, assured and reasoned. It can also manipulate the audience
and provide very dominant and laughable moments.
Mise en Scene
• Location – the location doesn’t need to be recurring but does need to be easily recognisable to
the original film. It needs to link well to the genre and characters. Depending on the plot,
comedies will have a variety of locations; a parody is more likely to have more related locations
and to return to them more frequently to make the audience laugh more.
• Costumes & Props – every film and film genres will require different costumes and props. A
parody will have cheaper version of the original films.
• Colours – colours provide a key addition to any film. All have different connotation from red
being associated to blood and death; green being linked to the environment and yellow being
linked to new-borns and the summer.