Week 7 Reflection

Week 7 was the week after all our individual week 1 through to 3 and group sketches from 4 to 6 and I missed this class but was notified by Nia, Chloe and Zach that they added me to their group which I was extremely grateful for (but I’ll never let them know that). The inception of ‘Situation Tragedy’ I think came from an amusing and slightly grotesque incident in Building 57, Level 4, at EJ’s Cafe. During a causal study session much earlier on, Zach, one of our group members, bit into a chicken sandwich containing a condiment that suspiciously resembled a clear, sticky liquid. This sparked the hilarious notion of having a food item filled with something that shouldn’t be there and he lingered on the whole “condom in a sandwich idea,” leading to our film’s incident. This combined with the ‘American Vandal’-esque idea, the initial inspiration came from the mockumentary style of “American Vandal,” which brilliantly satirises true crime documentaries through high school pranks. This approach allowed us to blend humour with investigative storytelling, creating a narrative that is both engaging and comical. Though it’s a bit weird it provided a fertile ground for exploring the unexpected and often humorous drama that can arise in mundane settings.

One significant breakthrough was the decision to have the investigation led by a superfan, Mira. This choice added a layer of authenticity and relatability, as Mira’s character embodies the passionate curiosity of fans who often delve deeper into the lives of their favourite shows and actors. It also allowed us to explore the contrast between the over the top cheesy sitcoms and the messy, seriously taken investigation drama behind the scenes.

Thinking comedy, more specifically parody, we embodied some of Toplyn, J’s ideas in ‘Parody Sketches’ when discussing how to execute the parody we were thinking of regarding ‘American Vandal’ but mainly sitcoms and the cheesy over the top aspects and how instrumental they were in shaping our narrative. 

Our group contract facilitated an environment where we could foster a healthy collaboration (we did make a few jokes in the contract and that helped bond us together i think). The informal pitch where ideas could be freely shared and critiqued. were particularly effective in refining our concept. By presenting our ideas and receiving immediate feedback, we could iterate quickly and enhance our storyline.

Reference

Toplyn, J. (2014), “Parody Sketches” in Comedy Writing for Late-Night TV, New York: Twenty Lane Media, pp. 239–261.