1. Unit 10: VideoProduction
Section 1: Genre
In this report I will be analyzing the stylistic codes and conventions of comedy films. By
looking at the films Superbad (2007) and Project X (2012), I will be able to explain in detail
how generic conventions and characteristics of the comedy films are present, and how they
help the audience recognize and interact with what they see onscreen.
Theorist Steve Neale states that genres all contain instances of repetition and difference, a
film must match the genre’s conventions to be identified as part of that genre.
One of the most iconic scenes from Superbad, where the protagonist Fogell shows his
friends his new fake ID to buy alcohol for the party, portrays multiple codes of comedy films.
This scene takes place in school which is a common setting used in comedy films, this
relates to the teenage audience by putting them in a familiar setting which also conforms to
Neale’s theory. The scene uses soft lighting for comedic effect in order to create a cheery
illumination of the actor’s faces. In comedy especially, facial expressions are critical to
actors’ communication of humor, the soft lighting makes the scene very bright in order
present to the audience the expressions and emotions on the characters faces.
Props are very important in this scene when creating comedy, in ref.1 a POV shot is used to
show the ID Fogell got. We are put in the shoes of his friend Evan, this makes the audience
feel as if they are within this group of friends. The prop itself is a convention of comedy
films as they are commonly used to create humor, in this case it’s a terrible fake ID that will
never work. The POV shot allows the audience to clearly see the prop which will humor the
audience as they can see it will never work.
Ref.1
In this scene and throughout the film, close up shots are used. This is a common convention
of comedy films as this camera technique allows the audience to see the characters facial
2. expressions and reactions. The diegetic sound of the characters speaking and telling crude
jokes is complimented by the close up shots used as the characters expressions to the jokes
create humor.
Project X is another film that uses stylistic codes and conventions of the comedy genre.
Lots of POV shots are used to give the film a unique mockumentary/found footage feel as
the group of friend’s record their crazy party they throw and people on scene acknowledge
and converse with who is behind the camera. The use of POV shots gives the film a sense of
realism which makes the film more relatable to the audience. POV shots aren’t a typical
convention of the comedy genre, however, the natural camera movements makes the
audience feel as if they are actually there, which makes it funnier for the audience.
Ref.2
In this scene, the prop of a Taser is used by one of the security guards on the neighbor who
is coming to shut the party down. This conforms to the typical codes and conventions of a
typical comedy as props are commonly used in the comedy genre, it is known as slapstick
comedy, and Slapstick is a style of humor involving exaggerated physical activity which
exceeds the boundaries of normal physical comedy.
As you can see, both Superbad and Project X have used stylistic codes and conventions of
the comedy genre which help the audience recognize and understand the film. The use of
these codes and conventions allows the audience to derive pleasure from the recognition of
familiar forms. In both films props are used in order to create humor (the fake ID in
Superbad and the Taser in Project X) as well as close up shots to show the actors emotions
to create realism in order to make the jokes funnier.
3. Section 2: Narrative Theory
As well as stylistic codes and conventions, we can look at films in terms of narrative code,
convention and structure. I will be looking at the films Spiderman (2002) and the dark knight
(2008) when analyzing the narrative theory.
Theorist Tsetzvan Todorv states that most story's or plot lines follow the same five step
pattern or path, this traditional story arc format is known as a linear narrative:
1
The narrative starts with an equilibrium
2
An action or character disrupts the equilibrium
3
A quest to restore the equilibrium begins
4
The narrative continues to a climax
5
Resolution occurs and equilibrium is restored
Almost all superhero movies follow this same format and there is evidence in both
Spiderman and The dark knight to support this as both films use these 5 steps.
In Spiderman the equilibrium is Peter Parker living his normal teenage life, the disruption to
the equilibrium is peter being given powers after being bit by a radioactive spider, the
realization of the equilibrium being broken is when peters uncle ben dies and as a result
peter becomes Spiderman in order to help people, then the complication comes when the
green goblin causes chaos in the city, finally the equilibrium is restored when Spiderman
defeats the green goblin.
The dark knight closely follows this arc as well. The equilibrium is Bruce Wayne helping
Commissioner Gordon keep the city free of crime, the disruption comes when the joker
offers to kill batman in return for a sum of money, the realization of the equilibrium is
batman and Commissioner Gordon working together after the death of Commissioner Lowe,
the attempt to restore the equilibrium comes with batman trying to defeat the joker, finally
there is a new equilibrium when peace is restored to Gotham
Another theory that can be applied to both of these films is Vladimir Propps character types,
after studying fairytales, Vladimir Propp developed a character theory for studying media
texts and productions. Prop discovered that all characters fall into 7 broad character types:
The villain: Locked in a constant struggle with the hero, often trying to harm princess.
The donor: Gives the hero an object or a piece of information that helps them prepare for
what is to come.
The helper: Assists the hero with their quest, often referred to as their 'sidekick'.
The princess: Needs assistance from the hero, usually because they are in some form of
danger, typically the princess is the victim within the narrative.
The dispatcher: Is the character who sends that hero on their mission or quest.
4. Hero: Reacts to the donor and saves the princess, often resulting in them falling in love with
the princess.
False hero: May appear good but has an ulterior motive, or attempts to take credit for the
hero's actions.
In The dark knight we can clearly see that batman is the hero as he drives the narrative, the
joker is the villain as he goes against batman and causes disruption. The princess is Rachel
dawes as she is a target for the joker, the donor is luscious fox as he helps batman along the
way by providing him with gadgets, the false hero is Harvey dent as he can be seen fighting
crime in the courtroom however it is later shown that he is corrupt. Finally, Commissioner
Gordon takes the role of both the helper and the dispatcher as he helps batman in combat
while also giving batman quests to fulfil.
Spiderman is very similar to The dark knight in terms of character types. Spiderman will take
the role of the hero while the green goblin will take the role of the villain. Mary Jane will be
the princess as she is peter parkers love interest, Spiderman’s aunt and uncle play a small
role in the film as the donor and dispatcher. Even though they are not aware that he is a
superhero, they still offer him advice and care for him which helps the resolution of the
narrative. Finally, harry Osbourne could be seen as the false hero, this is because he is
originally peters friend however he later goes on to become the new green goblin.
Both of these superhero films have successfully followed Propps and Todorovs theories.
