Crazy Questions w/ Camila – Hybridisation Experiment #2: Satire

Posted on by
Reply

Throughout this week I was fascinated by the riveting class discussions and readings about satire and parody.

I found the interrelation interesting to note from my own personal experiences of the same thing. Before attending class this week I admittedly struggled with (and still do at times) the differentiation of satire from comedy as separate concepts; as my professor (personal communication 2024) contends, the two are also generally used ‘interchangeably’.

However, what I’ve come to understand are two different, though at times similar, definitions for each comedy mode. I differentiate satire and comedy by separating it as satire relates to outward social issues, while parody relates only to a genre/media conventions itself.

What I mean by this simplistic definition is that though the two are confused (and that satire can and frequently does use parody within itself) they are different in what their innate purpose is.

In class, we watched various examples of satire, some of which related to comedy. For example, episode 2 of ‘Brass Eye’ (1997) parodied a news network TV show broadcast; we know it was a parody thanks to the use of conventions (such as mid shots, diegetic sound in the form of dialogue with particular vocal intonations typical of news broadcasts, the use of graphics similar to news shows etc.) and how they ridicule these (such as when the news reporter commenting on drugs notes that alcohol doesn’t count as it’s ’a liquid’) indicating the intended irony.

Likewise in another example we watched Chappelle’s Show (2003). This example was more reminiscent of a specified satire. While Brass Eye obviously parodied news broadcasts through the use of conventions, Biggums didn’t have such an obvious form it was attempting to replicate; rather, the humour comes from how he satirises different issues such as the education system, for example when he acts as a still addicted drug user who tries to teach kids not to do drugs but acts inappropriate and foolish the whole time, limiting his credibility.

Evidently, satire and parody are incredibly interrelated within the wider genre of comedy, and in examples such as those above, these concepts can be used in a multifaceted way in a variety of genres, media types, and conventions.  As Graham Meikle states,  “Brass Eye exposed and undermined not only the textual conventions of TV news and current affairs, but also …the often questionable foundations upon which…claims to authority are built.” (2012).

I feel my group’s work encompasses these findings by having elements of a clear TV game show parody, evident through our use of conventions such as long shot camera angles, zooms, colourful graphics and specific sound effects and backing track. Likewise we also emphasise elements of satire, by including a direct mockery of the current price of living, particularly how expensive groceries are, evident by the host’s diegetic dialogue talking about how much her simple dinner cost to an actor playing the character of a Coles CEO.

References

  • Graham M. (2012), Find Out Exactly What to Think-Next!’: Chris Morris, Brass Eye, and Journalistic Authority.” Popular communication 10.1–2: 14–26.
  • Michael Cumming (director) (1997) ‘Drugs’ [television program] Brass Eye (season 1, episode 2), Talkback, UK
  • Dave Chappelle (director) (2003) ‘Tyrone Biggums’ [television program] Chappelle’s Show  (season 1, episode 2), Comedy Central, USA

“Keeping Up With The Assessment” — Hybridisation Experiment #1: Parody

Posted on by
Reply

My understanding of parody as a comic form has vastly evolved since studying and producing a media artefact this week. I found it interesting within the weekly reading ‘Definitions Genres and Forms’ by Neale Stephan and Frank Krutnik (1990) the emphasis on comedy as a traditional method of portraying the working and lower class. It’s interesting to ponder how comedy has evolved over time, from references to Aristotle to modern day film, however, its traditional origins of basking in humour through depictions of the middle-lower class has still been maintained in modern media, and I wonder why this may have come about/ been sustained.

“Even within the more restricted fields of cinema and television, comedy is, and always has been, marked by its formal diversity. ” (1990)

A prominent component of this week’s readings that I understood was the true multiplexity of comedy as a genre, and how it compares as a mode, means of narrative, and component of media; particularly how it combines and melds with other genres so consistently through time. The genre is incredibly multifaceted, and many media can be considered ‘comedy’ even without meeting specific criteria within comedy as a definition of genre (such as having a happy ending [1990]), which is part of why it’s so difficult to define and analyse at times, and what made this week’s explorations quite intriguing to me.

“In considering comedy, then, we are confronted by a set of terminological distinctions, a variety of forms, and a number of different generic criteria, all of which only correspond with one another to a limited degree.”

I also understood parody further thanks to Joe Toplyn’s chapter ‘Parody Sketches’ (2014). His detailed steps on writing parody inspired me and my group in the formulation of our own parody ideas. For example, his first listed step “For your topic, choose a video that’s ripe for parody.” quotes that it is important to choose a media where “most people have seen it.”. This directly influenced my group’s decision to make a parody of reality TV. Reality TV is consistently watched within Australia (76% according to ACMA [2021]). We also noted that our ‘angle’ in reference to Toplyn’s work could be summarised to something like “It’s a reality TV show but it’s about some students doing a project with an incompetent classmate”, instead of the typical associations of drama, wealth and upperclassery typically associated with this genre. Our production was heavily influenced in tandem with specific reality TV shows such as The Bachelor, Staged (a large influence on the Zoom call aesthetic), Keeping Up With The Kardashians and even simply the vast talent in shows like Masterchef, unrelatable to the ordinary young adult cooking frozen meals). Similarly in alignment with Neale and Krutnik’s appraisal, our content focuses heavily on the middle-lower class, in this case students.

 

References

  • Neale, S. & Krutnik, F. (1990), “Definitions, genres, and forms” in Popular Film and Television Comedy. London: Routledge, pp. 10–25.
  • Toplyn, J. (2014), “Parody SketchesLinks to an external site. to an external site.” in Comedy Writing for Late-Night TV, New York: Twenty Lane Media, pp. 239–261.
  • Executive Summary: A brief summary of key data found within ACMA’s 2021 study ‘Australians’ viewing experiences of, and attitudes to, Australian-made reality television programs aired on commercial free-to-air channels’. Source: adapted from ACMA 2021.
  • Setuniman (2015) Coup 1E42 [Song]. freesound website, accessed 01/04/2024. https://freesound.org/people/Setuniman/sounds/276266/

 

my boyfriend is real!? the not isekai movie — Experiment #3: Sketch (Week 3)

Posted on by
Reply

During this week, we discussed the concept of the comic frame as well as the structure of comedic story sketches. 

As Ben Voth elaborates, the comic frame is intrinsically tied to the media component of context; he states “…The contextual cues leading the interpretation of a message is centrally important to how we make symbolic sense. The symbolic structures humans use to impose order upon their lives are called frames.”(2014:149). 

Essentially, the comic frame refers to contextual clues influencing audiences to find something humorous. For example, you might laugh at more moments in a film knowing what you’re watching is labelled as a comedy, than you otherwise might have. This is one aspect of comic frame. Others include Kenneth Burke’s technique that Voth referenced “perspective by incongruity”(Voth, 2014).

Dustin Goltz contends “Tragedy provides no emancipatory power but merely identifies the flawed cycle of human constructed perfection and victimage…Burke’s intention was to promote his comic corrective as a way of dismantling the tragic cycle of human victimage to promote “peaceful social change (2007).

This technique explains that by utilising incongruity and subversion, innate human principles of violence can be challenged to instead emphasise acceptance of the ‘other’ through humour (2014:150). 

In comparison, Joe Toplyn expertly lists out a simple formula for how to write comedic story sketches. Toplyn’s experience in late night TV writing was fascinating to endeavour, and I found his direct steps and accompanying notes incredibly helpful in my own aspirations in writing comedy. 

I believe my own work corresponds to these concepts by having identifiable character traits and goals as Toplyn notes (2014:237). For example, the character I play, is insecure about what others think; she knows her partner is real, but she needs external validation; for others to know he’s real and how well he treats her. She evidently has dramatized traits garnering on insecurity and wanting external validation. In contrast, my video also encompasses Voth’s theory by creating a scenario that most would find upsetting in a realistic context; the notion of nobody believing your beloved exists would be traumatic realistically and promote many extreme feelings and actions, however, in the context of my film, these feelings are replaced with ones of humour and nonchalance.

Some feedback I received on my previous work denoted that my comedy had good expressiveness, framing, and premise. Some areas identified for improvement included to make the punchline and escalation more dramatic; a classmate quoted that the punchline “felt like it didn’t peak” (personal communication, 2024). Because of such feedback, in future work I will be paying more attention to my structuring and working towards dramatizing my comedy further in order to increase humorous effect and audience understanding of the intended joke and punchline. 

 

References

I want to experience cool things — Experiment #2: Sketch (Week 2)

Posted on by
Reply

Reflection

Throughout this week I predominantly explored the theories of Relief and Benign violation humour. 

The Relief theory focuses on the physical, and biological reaction of laughter, and how psycho-social components collaborate to enact a physical sensation (‘relief’).

As John Morreall quotes; “A good analogy is the way excess steam builds up in a steam boiler. These boilers are fitted with relief valves to vent excess pressure, and, according to the Relief Theory, laughter serves a similar function in the nervous system.” (2009). In simpler terms, the Relief theory explains that laughter occurs as a result of internal pressure that’s built up by the psychological and mental subversion of expectations.

For example, in a scene during Buster Keaton and Edward F. Cline’s 1921 film “The High Sign“, a background character drops a banana peel on the ground, and the main character marches towards it obliviously.

According to this theory, the audience is on edge building up internal pressure, expecting/dreading for him to slip on it. To their surprise (and in compliance with the Benign violation theory), however, he stares directly at the camera, and completely avoids the banana. As a result of the character avoiding a trope, and relieved that he isn’t hurt, the audience laughs at the subversion of a stereotype, and releases that internal pressure in the form of physical laughter.

The Benign Violation theory however, specifies that people only laugh when they appraise the subversion of social norms as unimpactful, either to the victim or themselves. The quote “…the victim who is crushed with an anvil or slips on a banana peel is not actually hurt (it is often just an act) or the viewer does not care about the victim’s wellbeing, or both.” by Caleb Warren (2015), explains this more; there needs to be both a subversion of expectations, and an assessment of victim welfare for viewers to laugh.

My video is set up to have a punchline be some dark humour about a lack of parental love, however, the real joke presented is that I haven’t been to a concert; connotations with a lack of parental love can range from loneliness to abusive, and hence by not making that the joke but instead a lack of a harmless experience relieves and surprises viewers, adhering to the subversion of expectations present in both theories, as well as components of harmlessness/ victim welfare in the Benign theory.

While I did not personally receive feedback on my Week 1 work as I wasn’t able to participate due to illness, reading through that class’s notes about feedback and what encompasses usefulness and how to genuinely improve upon your work through counter opinion was invaluable and something I will certainly use going forward. 

References 

  • Moss-Wellington W. (2021) ‘Benign violations in the suburban ensemble dramedy’, Comedy Studies, volume 12(1):2-14, https://doi.org/10.1080/2040610X.2020.1850100
  • Warren, C. & McGraw, A.P. (2015), “Benign Violation Theory,” Mays Business School Research Paper No. 2015-11.
  • Warren, C. & McGraw, A.P. (2010) ‘Benign Violations Making Immoral Behavior Funny’, PubMed, 21(8):1141-9, 10.1177/0956797610376073.
  • Buster Keaton & Edward F. Cline (directors) (1921) The High Sign [silent comedy film], Metro Pictures, United States.
  • Morreall, J. (2009), “No Laughing Matter: The Traditional Rejection of Humor and Traditional Theories of Humor” in Comic Relief: A Comprehensive Philosophy of Humor, Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell, pp. 1–26.

 

How does Heaven even work? — Experiment #1: Sketch (Week 1)

Posted on by
Reply

(please let me know if you’re having trouble viewing)

Reflection

From my research, I’ve found comedy to be a multifaceted and underrated genre of media in terms of its complexity and creation. Similarly to my own understanding, Stan Laurel quotes “a friend once asked me what comedy was. That floored me…” (2014:6)

 

Evidently humour is hard to define, yet another barrier preventing this is the common opinion of comedy as an unserious genre. As Emilio Audissino quotes “…when comedy and humour are not seen as aspects of the human species but as art expressions…seems to deter critics from taking comedy and laughter seriously…”. (2023:3-4). I believe this quote greatly encompasses a general social attitude towards comedy as something not innately deep or human enough to be worth researching, and admittedly reflects my own opinions before I began to study the genre also.

 

Because of previous connotations such as this, I admittedly  found our class discussion more difficult than I thought I would. Seth Simons paragraph from his article “Six Small Essays about Comedy: What is Comedy?” (2023) explains my feelings quite well. “Comedy is the art of telling the truth. Comedy is the art of lying. Comedy is the art of calling things what they are. Comedy is…”. I feel what encompasses comedy is what encompasses life, something ever changing yet felt by all individually in which there is no one answer, just as Simons expertly alluded. 

 

In order to explore this concept further, I looked into four primary theories of humour, however I took a special interest in the Incongruity theory. 

 

The incongruity theory contends that humour and the act of laughter, amusement, and general comedy as an experience, arises from the disruption of our expectations just as Simons states in his essay ‘Why People Laugh’ (2023), “Because they hear something surprising…Because they hear a funny sound…”.

 

I feel I’ve encompassed key concepts of the incongruity theory within my sketch, particularly the element of surprise and thwarted expectations; the notion of what’s later revealed as a doctor dealing with a terminally ill patient in a strange, casual and even sassy way is not a professional expectation, and such subversions enhance the concept in itself as funny. The video also enhances a sense of comedic value due to its inclusion of a twist ending showing the doctor’s incredibly inappropriate behaviour prior to announcing horrible news, very much in line with the surprise element that defines the incongruity theory of humour.

 

References 

  • Simons, S. (2023) “Six Small Essays About Comedy, What is Comedy?,” Humorism, 

https://www.humorism.xyz/six-small-essays-about-comedy/.

  • Simons, S. (2023) “Six Small Essays About Comedy, Why People Laugh,” Humorism, 

https://www.humorism.xyz/six-small-essays-about-comedy/.

  • Dikkers, S. (2014), How To Write Funny: Your Serious, Step-By-Step Blueprint For Creating

 Incredibly, Irresistibly, Successfully Hilarious Writing, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform,

Chicago

  • Audissino E, Wennekes E (2023) The Palgrave Handbook of Music in Comedy Cinema,

 Palgrave Macmillan Cham, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-33422-1

Generic Update because I like my silly little blog

Posted on by
Reply

Happy new semester year 2 for me, I’m writing this first day back, just got internet access again after two hours yippee. I like to think about my funni shows and movies I like so I’m making a list of cool stuff I’ve watched/ remembered exist recently in case future me needs inspiration or something. This also counts as a list of comedy media I like because it’s fun to me to compile lists of images, and it was assigned to me in my comedy class so i can technically count this as homework/ relevant extra study.

Comedy class activity 2 Notes

Analysing comedic clips;

What are moments that show a disruption of expectations?

  1. Car robbery video – the guy comes in and doesn’t look like the other two guys
  2. Bamanda Strip club video – the song isn’t what you’d expect from a strip club as it’s quite depressing and slow, the model isn’t conventionally attractive or what you’d expect from a stripper model, she dances very unconventional, the stripper takes off her hoodie, then shirt, only to reveal a third shirt is unconventional, the comment by the announcer about her getting surgery at the end is very personal and not expected from an impersonal strip club.
  3. my home town ad- language and negative/extreme things he’s saying that aren’t deemed socially appropriate especially in ads. Personally as someone who similarly comes from a fucked up small town I found it especially funny and relatable.

 

What is the norm, convention, anticipation, prediction, or common logic that is disrupted?

  1. Car robbery video – you expect the guy to wear the same outfits as the previously established characters (who also have more points for looking ‘edgy’ and ‘threatening’ not aboriginal attire

2. Bamanda Strip club video – The stripper was very bad at performance, her face was a constant poker face rather than say erotic like expected, her twerking was terrible and looked more like a humping dog yet somehow she was still like a metre away from the man who was equally confused, the depressing song made everything connected and both began sand accentuated the comedy of the clip.

3. my home town ad- Ads are usually expected to be professional and not cross certain social boundaries, yet the guy talks and presents his town as a genuine at first and then subverts expectations through his language describing his shitty town.

 

How exactly does this moment create incongruity? e.g. language, visual, humour, performance etc.

1. Car robbery video – language (pun? misheard word) and visual humour work together to create a gag.

2. visual humour (bamanda unconventional looking stripper, her reactionless face), audio humour (dj hyping her up, the song, shes getting her jaw done next week line, ), performance (strange dancing/twerking, going back to the guy twice agaisnt expectations)

3. language is dry humour, exaggerated and unexpected

Comedy media I’m enjoying/ have enjoyed recently

 

  1. Hazbin Hotel

Hazbin Hotel Episode 7: Release date, time, where to watch and more | Web Series - Hindustan Times

Mad funny, love the crude humour and touches of drama throughout I think it’s a great combination. I also find it interesting to combine comedy with a darker setting and musical theatre its a clusterfuck I very much enjoy.

2. SuperWog

Superwog - Wikipedia

Peak aussie suburban wog eshay humour enough said.

3. What We Do in the Shadows

FX's WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS Is Ending With Season 6

amazing dynamics and hilarious hijinks in a found family of vampires

4. Anything by Dan Howell

Daniel Howell - YouTube

depression trademark incredibly relatable deadpan humour

5. Uramichi Oni-san

Life Lessons with Uramichi Oniisan Omnibus, Vol. 1 by Gaku Kuze | Goodreads

again, deadpan existentialism ftw

6. The Nanny

The Fashion Comeback of Fran Drescher in “The Nanny,” with Help from Cardi B | The New Yorker

this show is very sweet and i love how earnestly herself and feminine fran is; she refuses to change to upper class standards and knows her worth as a person, its very heartfelt and her large personality makes her quite funny

7. Given

Given (TV Mini Series 2019) - Episode list - IMDb

suprisingly i find this show quite funny; the over the top reactions and relatable lgbt experiences are funny and endearing to watch

8. Story of Undertale Youtube video

Lhugueny Story Of Undertale GIF - LHUGUENY Story Of Undertale - Discover & Share GIFs

this is one of my favorite Youtube videos of all time purely because of how nonsensical and batshit absurd it is; ‘Story of Undertale’ is funny to me in itself due to the crazy connotations with the Undertale fandom in a social media context (the fandom is known as absurd). This, along with the mental image of someone’s house burning down while this parody song of a meme game plays in the background of such a traumatic event, is hilarious to me, especially due to its alleged realism (and certainly contributed to the fact the person was fine after the event/ it was a small fire with no drastic injuries reported).

9. Priscilla, Queen of the Dessert

The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert: rewatching classic Australian films | Australia news | The Guardian

I love sassy clapback humour and also serving cunt (I really hope my professors don’t mark me down for this if they ever read this)

10.

New Panty and Stocking Anime Confirms Staff

Honestly iconic I love fucked up women who are passionate about their hobbies (sucking dick and eating cake) they’re based for that and also hilarious due to subverted expectations.

 

For now that’s it I enjoy my media anyway yay comedy

Yippee Cat Yippee GIF - Yippee Cat Yippee Kitty - Discover & Share GIFs

A5 pt2 Studio Review

Posted on by
Reply

The Beach Party, Summer Soall, Uncomfortable Filmmaking

I feel that Summer Soall’s ‘The Beach Party’ encapsulated an essence of uncomfortable editing as discussed in Week 6. For example, the film’s purposeful choice to cut to and fro multiple character’s stories, and edit them all into the one film as they happen simultaneously, was subversive. In general editing film conventions, a linear, one perspective is shown to the audience; there is usually a definable protagonist, and the audience is expected to connect and root for the singular character.

In ‘The Beach Party’ this is flipped. There are multiple characters, each whose story is being presented interchangeably. The viewer is thrown back and forth between perspectives, and must follow multiple characters arcs and personalities at once. This subversion of film editing conventions is uncomfortable to the viewer, as it forces them to pay attention to many aspects of the film at once, rather than making it easier for them by showing only one character’s perspective; it portrays an introspective and multifaceted portrayal of humanity and personality, and emphasises the differences between people, as well as poses the question of who counts as a protagonist, and the possible narrative limitations of modern cinema conventions.

Sarah Goh, The It Girl, Uncomfortable Filmmaking

Similarly to Summer’s film, I felt Sarah Goh’s ‘The It Girl’ successfully challenged conventional narrative structure as outlined Week 4. Goh’s film began as an arguably typical romantic narrative, with tropes like the Mary-Sue female character archetype present, and the rambunctious best friend for each of the love interests; Goh successfully set up a conventional romantic narrative through their use of character, setting, and acting.

However, at the end of the film, the narrative (and genre) starkly changes. The film quickly turns from a romantic slice-of-life, to a psychological horror. Similar to the switch in Mulholland Drive, Goh’s film suddenly reflects a deep social commentary and intense genre change.

I feel Goh’s film also encompasses a sense of being physically uncomfortable, primarily through her use of subversive narrative film techniques. For example, in the final moments of the film, after a sweet scene of the two love interests dancing together at a party, we suddenly see the girl stab the boy inexplicably shortly afterwards. This sudden switch up from nostalgic and soft romance to gruesome horror enacts a sense of shock and discomfort, as the audience’s conventional expectations for how the film’s narrative “should go” are being starkly challenged and ignored. Goh utilises a conventional narrative build up to challenge the viewer’s expectations, and commentate on how society treats women, particularly in romantic contexts, and the horror and how detrimental  such treatment that is often not considered from the female POV, can truly be.

2> Choose one other studio from this list (we suggest selecting a studio that you would not normally be interested in). Then describe a key idea that you think the finished media/studio work communicated with reference to two specific examples (i.e. particular individual/group works) – Please note the name of the studio and the name of the work

Phoebe Hewertson, Jaden Arendtsz, and Joey Barclay, Do Geese See God, Uncomfortable Filmmaking

&

Yuci Zhang, Life in 35mm, Uncomfortable Filmmaking

 

 

I feel that Phoebe Hewertson, Jaden Arendtsz, and Joey Barclay’s “Do Geese See God” was a fantastic example of uncomfortable filmmaking, and a great example of introspective media that works in a subversive way.

I appreciated the unconventional use of editing and sound within the film, specifically how the film was edited to be almost completely greyscale, and no audible dialogue was evident. The unique choice of creating a greyscale film within the digital modern age, averted viewer expectations, and was intriguing to watch.

Likewise the editing was subversive due to its introspective nature; in a conventional film, there would be an expectation to include dialogue, as well as other diegetic sounds such as background noise, footsteps, the sound of water pouring over a shot of a filling glass etc. All of these are absent from the film, and make for a fascinating viewer experience. It allows the viewer to truly intake what’s being shown, and allows for a more innate, personal understanding and reflection about what the film is about, individual to each viewer, free of the potentially distracting element of diegetic sound. Likewise, the greyscale colour grading emits a sort of ‘classic’ aesthetic, and highlights the films ties to the long-standing human experience of not feeling like you belong or truly understand the world you’re in.

 

I likewise feel Yuci Zhang’s ‘Life in 35mm’ was a great, unconventional reflection of the director’s honest, genuine appreciation for history the past and the prescience of art and attention in the modern digital age. I felt that Zhang’s unconventional editing through the use of shot placement, particularly at the beginning where she immediately showed some of her photographs in 35mm, captured audiences and immediately garnered attention. The film was similarly introspective, in a way that it prompted audiences to consider their own daily lives.

The film utilised non-diegetic sound in the form of dialogue in order to prompt audiences to ponder the words said, and how this relates to their own lives. For example, thanks to the dialogue about preservation of film in the modern age, I too pondered what historical practices I could participate in, and their place in an increasingly digitised society.

I also felt the subject matter of the film itself, that is, a discussion of traditional film and its place in modern day, was in itself subversive. It surprised me that this was the contents of the film’s narrative, and I was shocked anyone, especially a young person, still used traditional film, however her earnest reflection and reasoning empathised with me, and I gained a newfound respect for traditional methods of media making.

 

 

Reflection – Part 5

Posted on by
Reply

I believe my film engages my audience of  people 15+ who watch a lot of YouTube comedy, as the film uses common conventions present in those types of videos.

For example, I’ve utilised editing and camera in order to engage my audience in a setting they already enjoy and are familiar with. I used quick cutting, witty comments through the editing and addition of text in Premiere Pro in a standard font, and zooms onto my face to create a sense of connection to YouTube comedy content, such as in videos by Dan Howell and Jacksepticeye.

I likewise utilised a front-on camera view where I spoke directly to the audience, in a casual and mainly unedited matter, to similarly highlight my video’s connection to casual Youtube-centric comedy, to enhance the comedy and therefore engagement with my audience through the appease of following standard YouTube conventions.

While I engaged my audience by following some YouTube conventions, I also created an uncomfortable film through purposeful subversion. For example, in the conclusion of my film, I specifically chose to not cut or otherwise edit my rambling; the messy conclusion served no clear purpose, and if I had chosen to strictly follow cinema and YouTube conventions, I would have undoubtedly have cut most, if not all of that section out. I also didn’t follow conventions for University assessments, nor traditional comedy videos. For example, most assessments are expected to be treated or at least presented, incredibly seriously. I took a far more lax approach when constructing my film. While I honestly did put a lot of work into the production, I presented my film as if I hadn’t, subverting multitudes of expectations about what a ‘real’ film is and what hard work means and how that is presented within a media product.

Though it is presented differently, my inclusion of swearing, comical editing and witty remarks were incredibly thought out and purposeful, and I feel the submission of this work is in itself, very uncomfortable and subversive in the real world context of academia.

If I were to continue working on my film in future, I would likely pursue my original idea in using narrative comedy to subvert expectations and cause a sense of discomfort.

However, if I were to strictly work on my film as it currently is in it’s evolved form from my original idea, I’d likely increase discomfort by experimenting with different aspects of film in a subversive way.

For example, I may choose to film my entire monologue in an extreme close up for no apparent reason, to both subvert and enact a sense of physical discomfort in my audience due to a lack of personal space. I also may use unconventional lighting, such as filming completely in the dark while I speak to confuse audiences and cause discomfort at my lack of following cinema (or YouTube) conventions. While these techniques would cause discomfort, I would need to consider the effect on my film’s engagement. For example, if I were to film with no or in low-key lighting, the audience being unable to see my face may cause them to lose engagement and get bored, as some of the ‘visual gag’ has been obstructed.