In the second week of this course, I approached a new concept of comedy called relief theory and benign violation theory, incorporated with silent comedy. Firstly, relief theory is the relaxation after a period of suspense and strain or simply expectation. The focal point of this theory is the build-up of tension, then suddenly appears a joke that makes the whole expectation superfluous (Clayton 2020). Secondly, benign violation, I understand, is the occurrence of both benign and violation, which stimulates laughter when a “painful” event occurs that is not painful or when the character receiving the painful treatment is not cared about by the viewer. Finally, silent comedy is without verbal language and utilises timing, framing, distance and disclosure to provoke comedy.

In my second sketch, I did not use verbal language to tell the story but rather physical language and facial expressions: the action of preparing to sleep and the annoyance shown on the face when the pillow is not comfortable enough, combined with the ominous sound at specific timings: 00:46, 00:52, and 00:55. Notably, the disclosure of the video is the dramatic reveal of the crime culprit which is the pillow and the particular framing for this part is the point of view of the main character. Moreover, repetition is applied when the main character repeatedly punches the pillow a bit more aggressively each time. The benign violence in this sketch is the main character getting choked by the pillow. Moreover, relief theory is used when horror music is used, expecting to reveal a menace and when the main character suddenly opens her eyes. The tension is relieved when the anticipated menace is just a pillow. 

From the last feedback session of Sketch 1, I found two pieces of feedback from my peers that could be applied to the second sketch: increased volume and suitable outfits for characters. Therefore, all of the sound effects volumes from my Sketch 2 have been significantly improved and I make sure to have an appropriate outfit for the comic event.