Our project specifies that it should be filmed with a fixed camera, as if we were using a tripod. I want to investigate examples of comedies which use this filming style in order to get a better understanding.
Friends
Friends was an American sitcom which aired between 1994 to 2004. It centred around a group of friends as they navigate their lives.
It was filmed with a fixed camera, which focused on the 6 main characters
The interesting thing about how Friends was recorded, was that it was actually done in front of a live studio audience. This meant sets and camera placement had to be strategically setup before hand, in order to allow a scene to flow. There were still multiple takes between scenes, however the director felt like the audience played an essential role in the comedy. Certain key events such as two main characters Chandler and Monica sleeping together, were shown to 3 separate audiences in order to see how they would react. This reaction is then played in audio while the scene plays out in the final film.
Sets had to be open in order to allow not only the audience to see, but also to allow for filming. Although the sitcom is set in New York, it was actually filmed in a studio in LA. This meant sets had to be constructed to resemble a New York lifestyle.
The Office
The Office is a mockumentary style sitcom, which follows the lives of everyday office workers. There are two iterations of the show, the British Office and the American Office, with the British version being the original
The image above perfectly captures the difference between the two shows. On the left is the British Office character David Brent. He's a slightly overweight, unkept man who works in a messy office environment. On the right is Michael Scott, he wears a nice suit, his hair is well kept, he has a nicer office with brighter colours and he is even airbrushed in the image in order to make his skin look nice. Both characters are designed the way they are in order to fit the overall theme of each show. David Brent is written as a ignorant man, who's attempt at being relatable make him embarrassing. His appearance as a white, unkept man in a suit, play into the typical office higher up stereotype. Michael Scott on the other hand is obnoxious, but with the intent of being a good boss. His well meaning yet flawed personality often leads to situations which could have been avoided, however he is seen more as a child who doesn't know better then a bad person/boss. David Brent is created with the intention of being laughed at, whereas the audience is meant to laugh with Michael Scott.
The two shows share the same concepts, however are both executed in very different ways. The British version is realistic. It depicts the office life as being depressing, the colours are dull and the actors look like regular people you would see on the street. The American Office is the complete opposite, presenting the workplace as somewhere fun, it features bright colours and bubbly characters who are attractive. The dramatic change in tone is all down to the different cultures of England and America and what is deemed as comedy. England is know for its very self deprecating, realistic humour and so the show finds its comedy in being realistic. The American version has situations which are far less realistic for an office workplace, however bring out the characters personalities. The jokes are told directly to the audience as opposed to being found in the irony of the situation.
However, what both programmes have in common is the filming style. As they are a parody of a documentary (a mockumentary), they are filmed with a single camera setup, shots are often loose and done by hand. When there is action in a scene, the camera man will awkwardly zoom in on it. Characters lines and characteristics are also done in a way to look unscripted to really sell the idea that this could be a real documentary, with characters also seeming awkward in front of the camera as they are being 'recorded'. The characters are regularly seen talking directly to the camera either for an interview style skit or to explain events which have happened in the episode.
They use the camera man as if they are a character themselves, which makes the delivery of certain jokes much funnier. A memorable scene in The American Office is from an episode in season 2 called "The Carpet". In the episode someone has pooed in Michael's (the main characters) office. Michael is doing a camera interview about this, talking about the situation. When he is done he leaves the room and it is revealed from the camera zooming out, that the camera man is actually filming from outside of the room, looking in through the glass. This is due to him not wanting to be in the office with Michael as it smells. Other instances of the camera man being their own character are scenes where a character may go off to the side on their own and unknown to them, are being filmed by the camera man. This is a funny way to incorporate reaction shots to certain jokes and gives more depth to the characters themselves, as they don't want to be caught on camera doing whatever they are doing.
There are also no laugh tracks or a studio audience, which works in favour of both versions of the show, allowing the deadpan and absurd humour to shine through. Both shows are also shot in real office buildings in order to make them more realistic.
By researching the two programs it has taught me the importance of the camera in relaying comedy. Writing a funny scene is one thing, however if you are unable to convey the comedy in a creative and clear way, you don't have a successful comedy scene. I want to incorporate the type of set designs when referring to our own project and use the creative camera angles to ensure we create a successful comedy skit.
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