Comedy Short Film Analyses

Today, I'll be watching two short films that fall primarily within the comedy genre and analyzing how they recreate this genre most effectively.

Lie Detector:

This film was hilarious. It essentially follows a man as he undergoes a job interview, but as you might've guessed, he is attached to a lie detector which obnoxiously beeps whenever anyone in the room tells a lie. 

The mise-en-scene elements work to assert the environment quite vividly, as both the costume and set design make the office setting come to life, and it is truly believable that this could be a real job interview.

For the most part, the use of editing is limited, but extremely motivated, as whenever a character has a notable reaction or response, the continuous two shot cuts to one of their faces on a close up. However, something that this film does that I would really like to create is the interruption of some sort of third party on a continuous sequence, as this serves as a nice break up from the continuous dialogue while also reinforcing the comedic aspects

The repeated interruption of the lie detector in response to anything separate from the truth helps the short film use this repetition to its comedic advantage. The lie detector even turns on the interviewer as his boss comes in to ask if he's finished an assignment, to which he must reveal he hasn't. 

Overall, this film is hilarious not only because of the writing, but also in part to its masterful use of deadpan delivery to make certain lines all the more hilarious.

Stapler:

This film was very over the top and best serves as an example of the power physical comedy holds on creating absurdity and humor. It follows two office employees as they discover that they are both out of stables, and engage in an extreme face off to let fate decide who ultimately deserves the staples retrieved from the other side of the office.

It uses really unique visuals to amplify the overall absurdity of the film, such as following the staples as they fly through the office like bullets. The use of action-packed, fast paced music accompanying these absurd shots reinforce the degree of action. The overall juxtaposition of two such unlike concepts, an office building and a high-stakes fight sequence works most effectively to create the level of ironic humor this short film contains.

Something I really enjoyed and can take inspiration from is the ending. The film ends just how it started, only this time, both employees realize they are out of coffee, ending on a cliffhanger suggesting these unlikely and over the top fights are seemingly a neverrending cycle. I feel like the thrillers I watch that most stick with me are the ones with inconclusive endings, so incorporating something like this into my own production would be cool.