Comedy

Definition

Comedy is a genre of literature, film, and television that aims to entertain and amuse the audience through humor, often involving exaggerated situations, witty dialogue, and the clever use of language. It typically explores themes like social norms, relationships, and human flaws, providing a light-hearted perspective on serious topics while offering resolution through laughter.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Comedy often starts with a cold open or teaser that sets up a humorous premise or situation to grab the audience's attention right away.
2. In comedy, resolution and denouement usually involve characters overcoming obstacles through humorous means, leading to a satisfying and often exaggerated conclusion.
3. Crafting a logline for a comedy requires capturing the central humorous conflict or unique character dynamic in a concise way that piques interest.
4. Comedies often draw inspiration from successful films and franchises, establishing familiar tropes that audiences love, like quirky characters or misunderstandings.
5. Understanding genre conventions is crucial in comedy because it helps writers meet audience expectations while also finding innovative ways to surprise them with humor.

Review Questions

• How do cold opens and teasers in comedy serve to set the tone for the rest of the narrative?
  • Cold opens and teasers in comedy are crucial because they grab the audience's attention immediately with humor. They introduce key characters and the comedic premise, giving viewers a taste of the style of humor they'll encounter. This sets expectations for the type of jokes and situations to follow, ensuring that the audience is engaged right from the start.
• Discuss how resolution and denouement in comedy differ from other genres and why this is significant.
  • Resolution and denouement in comedy often culminate in a light-hearted or absurd conclusion that ties together various humorous threads. Unlike dramatic genres where resolutions may involve serious themes or emotional closure, comedies prioritize laughter and relief from tension. This difference is significant because it reinforces the comedic purpose of providing entertainment while allowing audiences to escape reality through exaggerated situations.
• Evaluate how genre conventions influence the creation of effective loglines for comedic projects.
  • Genre conventions play a vital role in shaping loglines for comedic projects because they help writers encapsulate what makes their story funny within a brief format. By highlighting familiar comedic elements—like quirky character traits or absurd situations—loglines can attract an audience's interest more effectively. Evaluating these conventions allows writers to balance originality with audience expectations, making their project appealing while still delivering unique humor.

Related terms

Satire: A genre that uses humor, irony, and exaggeration to criticize or mock societal issues, often aiming for political or social change.

Slapstick: A style of comedy characterized by exaggerated physical actions and visual humor, often involving pratfalls and other clumsy antics.

Farce: A comedic style that relies on absurd situations, mistaken identities, and improbable events to create humor.