Dumb Dog Productions LLC

SUN TZU QUOTE

Dumb Dog Production is a full-service Film Production Company. We hope you find the site informational and answers any questions you might have about the entertainment industry.

We do not claim that this site is a be all and means to an end, but to help guide and learn how the entertainment industry work.

Please do not hesitate to contact us for any questions.

Thank you,

Sherri (Bisbey) Rowe / Bruce Bisbey / James Bisbey

Email: brucedumbdog@gmail.com Dumb Dog Production Phone: +1 319-930-7978 Dumb Dog Productions LLC / Bus Lic.: 5084725 https://dumbdogproductions.com/ https://dumbdogproductionsllc.blogspot.com/ https://www.facebook.com/DumbDogProductionsLLC/

SUN TZU QUOTE...“Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.”

Sunday, August 18, 2019

WHAT IS PASTICHE IN FILM? (In the Entertainment industry.)

Pastiche in Film / Photo Credit: Stand by Me - Stranger Things - Netflix - Le Point

WHAT IS PASTICHE IN FILM? (In the Entertainment industry.)

Bruce Bisbey…please follow me at: https://dumbdogproductions.com/

https://dumbdogproductionsllc.blogspot.com or https://www.facebook.com/DumbDogProductionsLLC/ thank you.

What is Pastiche in Film?

Pastiche in Film

Pastiche can also be a cinematic device whereby filmmakers pay homage to another filmmaker's style and use of cinematography, including camera angles, lighting, and mise en scène. A film's writer may also offer a pastiche based on the works of other writers (this is especially evident in historical films and documentaries but can be found in non-fiction drama, comedy and horror films as well). Italian director Sergio Leone`s Once Upon a Time in the West is a pastiche of earlier American Westerns. Another major filmmaker, Quentin Tarantino, often uses various plots, characteristics and themes from many lesser-known films to create his films, among them from the films of Sergio Leone, in effect creating a pastiche of a pastiche. Tarantino has openly stated that "I steal from every single movie ever made." Director Todd Haynes' 2002 film Far from Heaven was a conscious attempt to replicate a typical Douglas Sirk melodrama - in particular All That Heaven Allows. The film works as a mostly reverential and unironic tribute to Sirk's film-making, lovingly re-creating the stylized mise-en-scene, colors, costumes, cinematography and lighting of Sirkian melodrama.

In cinema, the influence of George Lucas' Star Wars films (spawning their own pastiches, such as the 1983 3D film Metalstorm: The Destruction of Jared-Syn) can be regarded as a function of post-modernity.

References & Credits: Google, Wikipedia, Wikihow, WikiBooks, Pinterest, IMDB, Linked In, Indie Wire, Film Making Stuff, Hiive, History Channel, Film Daily, New York Film Academy, The Balance, Careers Hub, The Numbers, Film Maker, Film Site, TV Guide Magazine, Blurb, Media Match, Quora, Creative Skill Set, Chron, Investopedia, Variety, No Film School, WGA, BBC, Daily Variety, The Film Agency, Best Sample Resume, How Stuff Works, Studio Binder, Career Trend, Producer's Code of Credits, Truity, Production Hub, Producers Guild of America, Film Connection, Variety, Wolf Crow, Get In Media, Production Beast, Sony Pictures, Warner Bros, UCAS, Frankenbite, Realty 101, Careers Hub, Screen Play Scripts, Elements of Cinema, Script Doctor, ASCAP, Film Independent, Any Possibility, CTLsites, NYFA, Future Learn, VOM Productions, Mad Studios, Rewire, DP School, Film Reference, DGA, IATSE, ASC, MPAA, HFPA, MPSE, CDG, AFI, Box Office Mojo, Rotten Tomatoes, Indie Film Hustle, The Numbers, Netflix, Vimeo, Instagram, Pinterest, Metacritic, Hulu, Reddit, NATO, Mental Floss, Slate, Locations Hub, Film Industry Statistics, Guinness World Records, The Audiopedia, Imagination for People, Literary Devices,

THIS ARTICLE IS FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. THE INFORMATION IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND BRUCE BISBEY MAKES NO EXPRESS OR IMPLIED REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES, INCLUDING WARRANTIES OF PERFORMANCE, MERCHANTABILITY, AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, REGARDING THIS INFORMATION. BRUCE BISBEY DOES NOT GUARANTEE THE COMPLETENESS, ACCURACY OR TIMELINESS OF THIS INFORMATION. YOUR USE OF THIS INFORMATION IS AT YOUR OWN RISK. YOU ASSUME FULL RESPONSIBILITY AND RISK OF LOSS RESULTING FROM THE USE OF THIS INFORMATION. BRUCE BISBEY WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, SPECIAL, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES OR ANY OTHER DAMAGES WHATSOEVER, WHETHER IN AN ACTION BASED UPON A STATUTE, CONTRACT, TORT (INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION NEGLIGENCE) OR OTHERWISE, RELATING TO THE USE OF THIS INFORMATION.

Pastiche in Film / Photo Credit: Stand by Me - Stranger Things - Netflix - Le Point

Friday, August 16, 2019

WHAT IS PARODY IN FILM? (In the Entertainment industry.)

Parody Space Balls / Photo Credit: Ain’t It Cool News - Mel Brooks - Space Balls

WHAT IS PARODY IN FILM? (In the Entertainment industry.)

Bruce Bisbey…please follow me at: https://dumbdogproductions.com/

https://dumbdogproductionsllc.blogspot.com or https://www.facebook.com/DumbDogProductionsLLC/ thank you.

What is Parody in Film?

Parody in Film

A parody film is a subgenre of comedy film that parodies other film genres or films as pastiches, works created by imitation of the style of many different films reassembled together. Although the subgenre is often overlooked by critics, parody films are commonly profitable at the box office.

A parody; also called a spoof, send-up, take-off, lampoon, play on (something), caricature, or joke, is a work created to imitate, make fun of, or comment on an original work—its subject, author, style, or some other target—by means of satiric or ironic imitation. As the literary theorist Linda Hutcheon puts it, "parody ... is imitation, not always at the expense of the parodied text." Another critic, Simon Dentith, defines parody as "any cultural practice which provides a relatively polemical allusive imitation of another cultural production or practice". Parody may be found in art or culture, including literature, music (although "parody" in music has an earlier, somewhat different meaning than for other art forms), animation, gaming, and film.

Some genre theorists, following Bakhtin, see parody as a natural development in the life cycle of any genre; this idea has proven especially fruitful for genre film theorists. Such theorists note that Western movies, for example, after the classic stage defined the conventions of the genre, underwent a parody stage, in which those same conventions were ridiculed and critiqued. Because audiences had seen these classic Westerns, they had expectations for any new Westerns, and when these expectations were inverted, the audience laughed.

The writer and critic John Gross observe in his Oxford Book of Parodies, that parody seems to flourish on territory somewhere between pastiche ("a composition in another artist's manner, without satirical intent") and burlesque (which "fools around with the material of high literature and adapts it to low ends"). Meanwhile, the Encyclopédie of Denis Diderot distinguishes between the parody and the burlesque, "A good parody is a fine amusement, capable of amusing and instructing the most sensible and polished minds; the burlesque is a miserable buffoonery which can only please the populace." Historically, when a formula grows tired, as in the case of the moralistic melodramas in the 1910s, it retains value only as a parody, as demonstrated by the Buster Keaton shorts that mocked that genre.

Parody Space Balls / Photo Credit: Ain’t It Cool News - Mel Brooks - Space Balls

Wednesday, August 14, 2019

WHAT IS VERBAL IRONY IN FILMS? (In the Entertainment industry.)

Verbal Irony / Photo Credit: Stockvault-Grunge

WHAT IS VERBAL IRONY IN FILMS? (In the Entertainment industry.)

Bruce Bisbey…please follow me at: https://dumbdogproductions.com/

https://dumbdogproductionsllc.blogspot.com or https://www.facebook.com/DumbDogProductionsLLC/ thank you.

What is Verbal Irony in Films?

Verbal Irony Films

This type of irony occurs when a speaker says one thing but means another. Many people consider verbal irony to be akin to sarcasm. For example, after a hard day at work, we might say the day was, "Really, really spectacular."

Verbal irony occurs when a speaker speaks something contradictory to what he intends to say. It is an intentional product of the speaker, and is contradictory to his/her emotions and actions. To define it simply, it occurs when a character uses a statement with underlying meanings that contrast with its literal meaning; it shows that the writer has used verbal irony. Writers rely on the audience’s intelligence for discerning the hidden meanings they intend to convey. Writers also use ironic similes to convey exactly the opposite of what they intend to say, such as “soft as concrete.”

Verbal irony is an excellent tool of the writing trade. It allows readers to exercise a little bit of perception and omniscience. This type of irony occurs when a speaker says one thing but means another.

Many people consider verbal irony to be akin to sarcasm. For example, after a hard day at work, we might say the day was, "Really, really spectacular." (Spectacular being in air quotes.) While you might file that under sarcasm, it's actually more of an instance of verbal irony.

What's the difference? Verbal irony occurs when people say one thing but mean another. Sarcasm, however, connotes a little bit of a mean twist or a derogatory statement. In their purest form, that's a good way to distinguish the two whenever you're uncertain.

With that out of the way, let's dive a little deeper into these mirrored waters with a wealth of examples of verbal irony.

Use of Verbal Irony

Verbal irony is used in a variety of circumstances. We may stumble upon it in general conversation, the media, and, of course, literature. Television sitcoms and movies love to keep us on our toes with verbal irony. Are a thousand Friends episodes reeling through your mind right now?

Verbal irony often brings levity to a situation, exposes double entendres, or pokes fun at a situation. Sometimes, it's intended to highlight a certain situation that the writer knows is going to carry weight in future scenes. Other times, it's a plain and simple deployment of humor.

Functions of Verbal Irony

Verbal irony is very common in everyday speech, plays, novels, and poetry, and usually occurs in the form of sarcasm. It depends upon timing and suitable circumstances to achieve its effect. Verbal irony develops funny and dramatic situations. Through verbal irony, writers and poets can convey their bitter messages indirectly, in a less bitter and more effective way. It makes a literary piece more effective by provoking readers into analyzing and thinking harder about a situation. By contrasting and comparing suppositions with reality, the readers can better understand the writer’s intent.

Verbal Irony / Photo Credit: Stockvault-Grunge

WHAT IS SITUATIONAL IRONY IN FILMS? (In the Entertainment industry.)

Situational Irony / Photo Credit: Meme

WHAT IS SITUATIONAL IRONY IN FILMS? (In the Entertainment industry.)

Bruce Bisbey…please follow me at: https://dumbdogproductions.com/

https://dumbdogproductionsllc.blogspot.com or https://www.facebook.com/DumbDogProductionsLLC/ thank you.

What is Situational Irony in Films?

Situational Irony Films

Situational irony is a literary device that you can easily identify in literary works. Simply, it occurs when incongruity appears between expectations of something to happen, and what actually happens instead. Thus, something entirely different happens from what audience may be expecting, or the final outcome is opposite to what the audience is expecting. Situational irony generally includes sharp contrasts and contradictions. The purpose of ironic situations is to allow the readers to make a distinction between appearances and realities, and eventually associate them to the theme of a story.

Situational irony occurs when something happens that is very different than what was expected. Every type of irony involves some contrast between what seems to be the case on a surface level and what is really happening.

Situational irony is the difference between what is expected to happen and what happens on the screen or page. I like to think of it in terms of Pixar's masterpiece, Monster's Inc. The whole movie is built on the premise that monsters, scary and terrifying monsters, are emotional beings just trying to give their world some electricity.

Pixar sort of built their name on situational irony. It's present in almost all of their films, from what if Toys had feelings to what if Feelings had feelings. What they do with these ironic situations is to imbue them with empathy and wonderment to keep audiences connected.

Function of Situational Irony

The function of situational irony is to lay emphasis on important scenes and make strange and unusual images vivid. It creates an unexpected turn at the end of a story, and makes audience laugh or cry. Therefore, situational irony could be tragic or funny. Usually writers employ strong word connections with situational irony and add fresh thoughts, variations, and embellishments to their works. It may range from the most comic to the most tragic situations. Its comical use usually creates an unexpected turnaround in a plot for the betterment. Sometimes, these forms of irony occur because people identify certain events and situations as unfair or odd.

Situational Irony / Photo Credit: Meme

WHAT IS DRAMATIC IRONY IN FILMS? (In the Entertainment industry.)

Dramatic Irony / Photo Credit: Icanhas Cheezburger

WHAT IS DRAMATIC IRONY IN FILMS? (In the Entertainment industry.)

Bruce Bisbey…please follow me at: https://dumbdogproductions.com/

https://dumbdogproductionsllc.blogspot.com or https://www.facebook.com/DumbDogProductionsLLC/ thank you.

What is Dramatic Irony in Films?

Dramatic Irony Films

Dramatic irony occurs when the audience knows something that is going on in a situation but the characters are unaware of what is going on. Because of this understanding, the words and actions of the characters take on a different meaning. This can create intense suspense or humor.

Learning how to use dramatic irony in film and TV is crucial to your development as a filmmaker. There are times when we're writing when we want the audience to be in on something that the character is not. These juxtapositions between character knowledge and audience awareness make up the foundation for irony.

But what is dramatic irony? And how can it help you communicate ideas from your screenplay or film to the audience?

Intentional Use of Dramatic Irony

Dramatic irony exists when the audience knows information that the main characters do not. Since the audience is aware of something that the characters are not, tension builds, creating suspense, and even comedy, throughout a film, book, or play. The writer uses this technique intentionally to keep the audience engrossed and engaged while watching what is on the screen or stage.

Dramatic Irony / Photo Credit: Icanhas Cheezburger

Friday, August 9, 2019

WHAT IS IRONY IN FILMS? (In the Entertainment industry.)

Do Not Enter Irony / Photo Credit: Toluna

WHAT IS IRONY IN FILMS? (In the Entertainment industry.)

Bruce Bisbey…please follow me at: https://dumbdogproductions.com/

https://dumbdogproductionsllc.blogspot.com or https://www.facebook.com/DumbDogProductionsLLC/ thank you.

What is Irony in Films?

Irony Films

Irony in film is a technique that writers of all kinds use, sometimes for laughs, to create an outcome that is contrary to what was, or might have been, expected. In movies and TV, these are lines given that directly contradict what we see on screen. A lot of times these can be sarcastic comments, but they're not always supposed to be mean or snippy.

Sometimes these are self-deprecating, or lines that one character believes, but the audience knows there's humor behind. Sort of like the "You either die a hero..." line from The Dark Knight. We know that Harvey is describing Bruce's alter ego. Even though Harvey thinks he's delivering a sick burn.

Verbal irony is encapsulated in the use of words to mean something different than what they appear to mean.

There are four major types of irony:

Verbal…
Dramatic…
Situational…
Cosmic…

What is Irony?

In general, irony involves a contradiction between appearance and reality. In literature, irony is a deliberate gap between the language used and what is being discussed. Irony results when there is a difference in point of view between a character and the narrator or reader. There are four major types of irony: verbal, dramatic, situational, and cosmic.

Four Major Types of Irony:

Verbal Irony. Verbal irony refers to spoken words only. Verbal irony occurs when a character says one thing, but suggests or intends the opposite. The contrast is between what the speaker says and what he actually means. For example, in Julius Caesar, Mark Antony repeats the words "and Brutus is an honorable man" in the famous “Friends, Romans, countrymen” speech. Mark Antony’s meaning, however, is that Brutus is completely dishonorable because Brutus, Caesar’s best friend, joined the other conspirators and plunged a knife into Caesar’s chest.

Note: Verbal irony may be confused with sarcasm, but sarcasm is harsh and direct, while verbal irony is implied.

Dramatic Irony. Dramatic irony involves more than just spoken words. Dramatic irony occurs when the meaning intended by a character's words or actions is opposite of the true situation. The contrast is between what the character says, thinks, or does and the true situation. Further, the character cannot see or understand the contrast, but the audience or reader can. For example, in Othello, dramatic irony occurs when Othello refers to Iago as “honest Iago.” Unknown to Othello, Iago is a villain who deceives him into thinking that Desdemona (Othello’s wife) has been unfaithful. For this, Othello unjustly kills his wife, believing the whole time in Iago’s honesty.

Note the difference in examples for verbal and dramatic irony: Antony calls Brutus “honorable” and knows he is not honorable, while Othello calls Iago “honest” and does not know of Iago’s deceit.

Situational Irony. Situational irony defies logical cause/effect relationships and justifiable expectations. For example, if a greedy millionaire were to buy a lottery ticket and win additional millions, the irony would be situational because such a circumstance cannot be explained logically. Such a circumstance seems “unfair.” This sense of being “unfair” or “unfortunate” is a trademark of situational irony. Because people cannot explain the unfairness, it causes them to question whether or not the world makes sense.

Cosmic Irony (or Irony of Fate). Some irony goes beyond being unfair and is morally tragic. Such irony is often so severe that it causes people to question God and see the universe as hostile. For example, if an honest, hardworking, and generous person buys a lottery ticket and wins ten million dollars, only to die in an auto crash two days later, the irony would reach tragic proportions. When situational irony reaches this scale, it is often called cosmic irony or irony of fate. Such irony typically suggests that people are pawns to malicious forces.

Remember: In general, irony involves a contradiction between appearance and reality. In literature, irony is a deliberate gap between the language used and what is being discussed. Irony results when there is a difference in point of view between a character and the narrator or reader. There are four major types of irony: verbal, dramatic, situational, and cosmic.

Irony Examples in Disney Movies:

Snow White's Apple – Snow White and the Seven Dwarves…
Remy – Ratatouille…
Mufasa's Death – The Lion King…
Monster's Inc…
Hercules and the Magic Potion – Hercules…
Numerous Fish – Finding Nemo…
Aladdin's Wish to Be Rich – Aladdin…
Mr. Incredible – The Incredibles…

Common Examples of Situational Irony:

A fire station burns down…

This is unexpected because one would assume the fire chief would keep his own building safe.

A marriage counselor files for divorce…

This is ironic because the expectation is that a professional who coaches couples through rough patches would herself have a strong marriage.

The police station gets robbed…

Again, the expectation is that professional crime fighters would be able to help themselves; in this case, by securing their own station.

A post on Facebook complaining how useless Facebook is…

This is ironic because one would expect someone who dislikes Facebook to stay away from it instead of using it to make their point.

A traffic cop gets his license suspended because of unpaid parking tickets…

Because the traffic cop is usually the one issuing tickets, most people would assume he always followed the rules.

A pilot has a fear of heights…

This situation is ironic because airplane pilots spend most of their time at work high in the air.

A member of PETA wears leather shoes…

Because PETA members work to protect animal rights, one would assume they would avoid products made from animal skins.

The teacher fails the test…

Teachers are usually the ones giving tests rather than taking them, so most people assume they would be expert at passing tests.

A man who needs medical assistance is run over by the ambulance…

In this case, the man got the exact opposite of what he needed from the medical help on the scene.

An anti-technology group sets up a website to recruit new club members…

People who dislike technology aren't likely to be looking for clubs on the internet, so using technology to recruit is unexpected.

Two people want a divorce, but during the proceedings they discover they still love each other and get back together…

This is the opposite outcome of what happens in a typical divorce, which makes the situation ironic.

A child runs away from someone throwing a water balloon at him and falls into the pool…

This is ironic because the child ends up wetter than he would have been, thwarting his expectations of what would happen when he ran away from the water balloon.

The cobbler's children have no shoes…

A cobbler is a professional shoemaker, so the expectation is that her own children would have many shoes, not zero.

The President is wounded when a bullet ricochets off his bulletproof car and into his arm…

This outcome was definitely not what the Secret Service had in mind when they ordered a secure vehicle.

A man leaps out of the road to avoid being hit by a car, only to have a tree branch fall on his head…

This is not the outcome the man expected because he thought he would escape being hurt.

A group of fans enters a stadium excited to see a football game, only to discover that the sign meant soccer rather than American football…

Expectations can also be unmet due to simple misunderstandings.

A Wall Street investor makes fun of others who are afraid of a risky stock pick but later loses all his money…

The investor's expectations were not borne out in his stock performance, but there's an increased sense of irony because he was so confident.

A mother complains about her lazy children, not realizing they have been secretly making her a birthday present…

In this situation, the mother's ideas about her children are thwarted in an unexpected surprise.

A man works hard for many years to save for retirement; on his last day of work he is given a lottery ticket worth million…

The unexpected riches are ironic because the man lived a frugal life assuming he would have to work hard to earn enough to retire.

A husband realizes it's his wife's birthday and rushes to make dinner reservations, only to find that she has forgotten what day it is and stayed at work late…

The husband expected to treat his wife, by the plans end up ruined anyway. It's only the reason why that's unexpected.

Do Not Enter Irony / Photo Credit: Toluna

WHAT IS SATIRE IN FILMS? (In the Entertainment industry.)

Satire Dr Strangelove / Photo Credit: Sony - Park Circus

WHAT IS SATIRE IN FILMS? (In the Entertainment industry.)

Bruce Bisbey…please follow me at: https://dumbdogproductions.com/

https://dumbdogproductionsllc.blogspot.com or https://www.facebook.com/DumbDogProductionsLLC/ thank you.

What is Satire in Films?

Satire Films

Satire in film is a technique employed by writers to expose and criticize foolishness and corruption of an individual or a society, by using humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule. It intends to improve humanity by criticizing its follies and foibles.

Satire is a genre of literature, and sometimes graphic and performing arts, in which vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, corporations, government or society itself, into improvement.

What are the three types of satire?

Horatian Satire. Chances are, if your aim is only to make people laugh, it's Horatian satire you're after…
Juvenalian Satire…
Menippean Satire…

Most satire has the following characteristics in common:

Satire relies on humor to bring about social change…
Satire is most often implied…
Satire, most often, does not go over individual people…
The wit and irony of the satire are exaggerated-it is in the exaggeration that people are made aware of their foolishness…

Examples:

1941 (film)
Airheads
Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy
The Cable Guy
A Clockwork Orange (film)
Dr. Strangelove
Fight Club (film)
Heathers
Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back
Kelly’s Heroes
Monty Python's Life of Brian
The Princess Bride (film)
Wayne's World (film)
Zoolander

Satire Dr Strangelove / Photo Credit: Sony - Park Circus

Wednesday, August 7, 2019

WHAT IS TRAGICOMEDY IN FILMS? (In the Entertainment industry.)

Fargo Tragicomedy / Photo Credit: Coen Brothers – Fargo – No Film School

WHAT IS TRAGICOMEDY IN FILMS? (In the Entertainment industry.)

Bruce Bisbey…please follow me at: https://dumbdogproductions.com/

https://dumbdogproductionsllc.blogspot.com or https://www.facebook.com/DumbDogProductionsLLC/ thank you.

What is Tragicomedy in Films?

Tragicomedy Films

Tragicomedy is a genre that blends elements of both comedy and tragedy. A tragicomedy can either be a serious play with a happy ending—which is not the case with a straightforward tragedy—or a tragic play interspersed with moments of humor in order to lighten the mood.

The definition of tragicomedy was first used by the Roman playwright Plautus. He was a comic writer, and his only play with mythological implications was called Amphitryon. Generally, comic plays did not feature gods and kings, but Plautus was only accustomed to writing comedies. Therefore, in the prologue to Amphitryon, Plautus announced, via the character Mercury, that this play would inhabit a new form of genre.

There is no complete formal definition of tragicomedy from the classical age. It appears that the Greek philosopher Aristotle had something like the Renaissance meaning of the term (that is, a serious action with a happy ending) in mind when, in Poetics, he discusses tragedy with a dual ending. In this respect, a number of Greek and Roman plays, for instance Alcestis, may be called tragicomedies, though without any definite attributes outside of plot. The word itself originates with the Roman comic playwright Plautus, who coined the term somewhat facetiously in the prologue to his play Amphitryon. The character Mercury, sensing the indecorum of the inclusion of both kings and gods alongside servants in a comedy, declares that the play had better be a "tragicomoedia".

Common Examples of Tragicomedy Film

There are many films which can be considered examples of tragicomedy, as they combine both tragic and comic aspects. Here is a short list:

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
O Brother, Where Art Thou?
Juno
Big Fish
The King’s Speech
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Lars and the Real Girl
The Royal Tenenbaums
Sideways
Amélie

Fargo Tragicomedy / Photo Credit: Coen Brothers – Fargo – No Film School

WHAT IS COMEDY-DRAMA IN FILMS? (In the Entertainment industry.)

Comedy Drama / Photo Credit: Doodle - Inkscape

WHAT IS COMEDY-DRAMA IN FILMS? (In the Entertainment industry.)

Bruce Bisbey…please follow me at: https://dumbdogproductions.com/

https://dumbdogproductionsllc.blogspot.com or https://www.facebook.com/DumbDogProductionsLLC/ thank you.

What is Comedy-Drama in Films?

Comedy-Drama Films

Comedy-drama or dramedy (a portmanteau of drama and comedy), is a genre in film and in television works in which plot elements are a combination of comedy and drama. It is a subgenre of contemporary tragicomedy. Comedy-drama is especially found in television programs and is considered a "hybrid genre".

The advent of radio drama, cinema and in particular, television created greater pressure in marketing to clearly define a product as either comedy or drama. While in live theatre the difference became less and less significant, in mass media comedy and drama were clearly divided. Comedies were expected to keep a consistently light tone and not challenge the viewer by introducing more serious content.

By the early 1960s, television companies commonly presented half-hour-long "comedy" series or hour-long "dramas". Half-hour series were mostly restricted to situation comedy (sitcoms) or family comedy and were usually aired with either a live or overdubbed laugh track. One-hour dramas included such shows as police and detective series, westerns, science fiction, and serialized prime time soap operas.

Arguably, one of the first American television shows to successfully blend elements of comedy and drama together was Jackie Cooper's military-themed series, Hennesey. Although the show featured a laugh track, it also contains many elements of character drama that occurred amongst the re-occurring characters and the guest stars. The laugh track was not extensively used in each episode; by the third season, it was eliminated completely from the series.

While sitcoms would occasionally balance their humor with more dramatic and humanistic moments, these remained the exception to the rule as the 1960s progressed. Beginning around 1969 in the US, there was a brief spate of half-hour shows that purposely alternated between comedy and drama and aired without a laugh track, as well as some hour-long shows such as CHiPs in the late 1970s to early 1980s. These were known as "comedy-dramas".

A notable early (1969-1974) example of this genre was the award-winning Room 222, one of the first fully racially integrated television series. The episodes blended comedy with weighty subjects such as race relations, integrity, student smoking and mortality as well as topical issues such as the Vietnam War and the plight of returning war veterans.

The sitcom formula pioneered by Norman Lear in the 1970s in which a half-hour multi-camera situation comedy addressed serious issues in a dramatic format on videotape before a live studio audience is considered another type of comedy-drama hybrid. Examples of this genre include All in the Family, M*A*S*H, and One Day at a Time.

Another example was The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd, which aired from 1987 to 1991. In fact, the term "dramedy" was coined to describe the late 1980s wave of shows, including Hooperman, Doogie Howser, M.D., and Frank's Place.

These early shows influenced how general TV comedies and series (especially family themed sitcoms) were developed. They often included brief dramatic interludes and more serious subject matter. An example of a successful comedy-drama series that distinguished this genre in television was the series Moonlighting. It generated critical acclaim and was a highly rated series worldwide. Another example of a successful comedy-drama was the television series Eight Is Enough. The show was distinct, because it was not a comedy-drama in the traditional sense. It was an hour-long series that used a laugh track, which was very unusual, but is considered a comedy-drama for the fact that it alternated between drama and comedy.

In the United Kingdom, the format first appeared successfully in 1979 with the long-running series Minder, along with other notable comedy-dramas such as Auf Wiedersehen, Pet and Big Deal.

In addition, comedy-drama series have been associated with the single-camera production format.

Comedy Drama / Photo Credit: Doodle - Inkscape