research

 

Modern vs old slapstick 

From watching Charlie Chaplin's slapstick comedy, I noticed that charlie doesn't talk but you do hear the sounds of the objects being used, the sound of him falling etc. The music gets very intense when something goes wrong, for example in modern times he falls into the machine and the music starts playing really fast. The picture is in black and white because it was made in the 1930's and they didn't have the technology like we do now.  

Rowan Atkinson's Mr bean however is a more modern version of slapstick and has colour because it was made in the 1990's. There isn't any music playing when he does silly thing's, but there is a laugh track that they use instead of the intense music in the charlie Chaplin's slapstick. You do hear Mr bean sigh and moan but he doesn't speak throughout the series.


The life of Charlie Chaplin

Charlie Chaplin was born in London in 1889, Charlie got his fame from doing slapstick comedy. He  is mostly famous for his role as the tramp which his character had a bowler hat, a mustache and a cane. He also won awards for his acting, in 1929 he was the recipient of the Honorary Academy Award  for 'versatility and genius in acting, writing, directing and producing. In 1972 he received  the award for the incalculable effect he has had in making motion pictures the art form of this century'.

One of Charlie Chaplin's best slapstick movies was modern times which was made in 1936 the movie was about a factory worker who is thrown out for manic behavior. Charlie Chaplin has a net worth of 400 million dollars. He sadly died in 1977 at the age of 88 of a stroke. 


Goofy gymnastics

Goofy gymnastics was made in 1949 and was one of the first colour animated slapstick comedy there was. The episode is about goofy wanting to get big and fit and while attempting the exercises he keeps hurting himself. I noticed that goofy was very energetic which was similar to other slapstick comedy's, its like they can't sit still they have to be doing something. During the episode there is a narrator telling Goofy what to do so it fills the silences instead of a laugh track which they have in more modern slapstick comedy's.


Tom and Jerry

Tom and Jerry is a cartoon series that was first made in the 1940's. Its about a mouse called Jerry who is always running away and trying to avoid Tom the cat, they are both the main characters and don't speak throughout the series which is common in slapstick comedy. The cat Tom is the main part of the slapstick for example he will always fall and bang into things, he will also think he's being clever but he is actually setting himself up. Tom rarely catches Jerry but when he does he escapes or tom usually feels bad and lets him go.


Laurel and Hardy

Laurel and Hardy were a slapstick comedy duo act, Laurel was an Englishman and Hardy was an american. They were well known during the 1920's to 1940's for their slapstick comedy during the early classical Hollywood era of american cinema. Laurel's character is very clumsy and childlike for example Laurel will sit in a wheel chair because its more comfortable without knowing that people will think he really needs the wheelchair. Hardy's character is a pompous bully for example Hardy is about to get into a fight and wants everyone to know because Hardy likes the attention.

In this episode of Laurel and Hardy they are driving to work. While driving to work they play music in the car which is being played by a record player in the trunk of the car. When they get to work they proceed to keep hitting there head on wood that's being carried passed them which is similar to what I am going to do in the way they hit there head. When they get to work they start fixing a window and Hardy ends up getting stuck which has given me an idea I may use in my final short film. In one of the scenes Hardy is on the floor hurt and laurel proceeds to hit him with the door and something also falls on his head which is the idea I am definitely going to use. I'm thinking of using a weight to fall on my head and I've got an idea of how to film it without getting hurt.

How has my research influenced and developed my planning? 

From researching into slapstick comedies and analyzing the settings of the films I decided that I am going to film at my house, From watching Laurel and Hardy and Charlie Chaplin I noticed that they either film in large spaces or small spaces, the large places are usually for when they are running away from something and the small spaces they get stuck and fall a lot so I have decided to film and a small space because it fits really well with my idea. From this I filled out my location recce and risk assessment for my house and bedroom.

I researched into the movies shot types to give me an idea for my screenplay, so I looked at charlie Chaplin modern times and learnt the different camera angles for certain cuts and why they used them for example if they were pulling a facial expression it would be a close-up so you could see that he was confused. 

When writing my treatment I looked into the story lines of different slapstick comedies, for example I watched laurel and hardy busy bodies and it gave me the idea of what I was going to film for my project and the story line.