compare with Chinese low-budget comedy film and high budget comedy film

1 what are their benefits?

As for Chinese high-budget comedy film, their advantages are 1 have enough money to invite famous director,actors,and outstanding production team  2 can be able to make spectacular scenes 3 have good post production (Meng and Li).   

However, as for Chinese low-budget comedy film, they do not enough money to do this. their main benefit is the plot (Meng and Li). 

2  talk about the comedy script creation between Chinese low-budget comedy film and high  budget comedy film .
./.Basically, as for low-budget comedy script, their material root in mass culture. That means they accord to the fundamental of comedy creation. Their plots represent the daily life of unimportant people. Actually, the consistent generation of laughter is from there (Aristotle). Meanwhile, They are dependent in part upon Chinese social-culture, convention and condition (Terry, 1990). So their plots are easily realized and understood by audiences.

However, as for high-budget comedy script, I cannot say they are not good, some plots are very brilliant we have never seen before, but their material does not root in mass culture. so sometimes it is difficult to realize and understand their funny situation. 

So I think that Chinese low-budget comedy film is a better type to make funnier for audience. And if the production team of low-budget comedy film earn enough money to make a better one , middle-budget enough, and can get a very high return.  Like <Lost on the journey 2>. 

earn low profit

earn middle profit



Reference:      Zhong, M., the Trends of the Low-Budget Comedy Film Script Writing. [online],    03/02/2013. Available at: http://blog.sina.com.cn/s/blog_415433e80100juyk.html.

earn high profit

research sound in comedy film

According to Dai illustrate, in the film, the sound of the characters can shape characters and develop the plot.

However, It seems that if siting the plot that can change or exaggerate the voice of the characters can make funnier in the comedy films.There is an example.

Reference：

Yi, L., The Sound in the film. [online], 03/04/2013. Available at: http://blog.sina.com.cn/s/blog_53471df30100iasz.html. 

Yidai, H., the Sound Effects In the Film. [online], 04/02/2013. Available at: http://wenku.baidu.com/view/758e412d647d27284b73510d.html. 

research gags

•       Gag comes to mean ‘a pre-prepared piece of action.’
•     they each constitute digressions or interruptions in the progress of a plot or a piece of purposive narrative action. They hence each tend also to involve a degree of surprise.

•       Coursodon discuss the feature of a gag. There is a fundamental difference  between gags, on the one hand, calls’ comic effects’. 

Like <two stupid eggs>,applying simple gags made funnier,the gags were applied by  visual sense, physical action, and dialogue.

• 
  
•     on the other hand, sequence. The sequence contains three linked but separate stages: 1, a laying out of its basic components; 2 development of the situation in a particular direction; 3 reversal and ‘punchline’.

I do an experiment about the complicated gags, in the third scene, 1 basic components: Nancy prepare to spit into Susan's milk.  2 development a particular direction: Rita found her behavior, and she knew that Nancy spited in her milk. 3  reversal and ‘punchline’: Susan suddenly came to the kitchen, and want to drink the milk.

reference:

Steve, N., and Frank, K., 1990. Popolar Film And Television Comedy. third ed. London: Routledge.

research comic event

• The fact that their principal function is to be funny and   thus to occasion laughter. 
• It can exist only within a narrative context.
• There are a few of narrative ways in comedy films.
• The linear narrative structure and non-linear narrative.
• non-linear narrative: ring-shaped structure, The false or true-proof structure, the embedded structure,Multiple narrative.
• As for comic event, if want to apply it in a comedy    script and make the film funnier.there is a better narrative structure we can use--- embedded structure. We can embedded one or more comic events in the comedy script. And this way not only can show another story, but also can so directly make funnier because the  principal function of comic event is to be funny and   thus to occasion laughter. 

Reference：

  RUI, Z., 23/03/2013. the non-linear narrative in film. [online], http://wenku.baidu.com/view/fd7340d1b14e852458fb57a3.html

research satire for the script and Chinese low-budget comedy

•  Satire high lights social conventions
•  Satire works to mock and attack. It uses  the norms  within its province as a basis against which to measure deviations. .
• Thus, if want to apply the element of satire in a script and make the plot funnier, it seems that it can be site one or some ridiculous characters whom self-knowledge are false.
• or siting the irony in the script, which can expose or attack the negative things in real life. But it should be in a condition of happy ending.

As for Chinese low-budget comedy film, satire can reflect the    

real life, even the negative social problem.

reference：

Jianqiang, Z., Satire Comedy. [online], 23/01/2013. Available at: http://www.baike.com/wiki/讽刺喜剧.

a new particular motivation for Chinese low-budget comedy film--------Time Stop

There is a new particular motivation, that is Time Stop. This element can able to provide the script a new motivation to telling stories and make funnier.

But I just seen this element was applied in some high-budget comedy film.

Like the Hong Kong comedy film <A Chinese Odyssey>, it repeated to apply the time stop, giving the story the same particular motivation and siting the different plots by repeating time stop.


But I think that the motivation of Time Stop also can be applied in Chinese low-budget comedy films.  

<Flat Story>, I apply time stop in my script, the beginning idea is Nancy and Rita go to another space, their background is white scene. That means this part is their thinking world, but we do not have money to make a white scene, so I change a little bit idea in the script, and the effect is the same.



reference:

GAN, A., 2007. Two Stupid Eggs. Smi Corporation.

GAN, A., 2006. Big Movie. Smi Corporation.

GARRY ,K, M., Comedy Writing For Television & Hollywood. Second ed. Washington: Harper & Row.

the research of Particular Motivation

 Bordwell considered one particular kind of motivation, that in certain circumstances causal motivation can be abandoned for, or intermingled with, Coincidence, Luck, Fortune, Fate or the intervention of the Supernatural.

    In Chinese low-budget comedy films, I can find many films apply these elements of humor.

    Like <Crazy Racer>, applying coincidence in the script to make funny. 

    Like <Lost In Thailand>, applying Luck and unlucky in the script to make funny.

    Like <Lost on the journey>, applying supernatural and   fate to make funny.

    

    From many films can be seen, their plots of script apply coincidence to make funnier. It seems that they generally site the plot about bad thing suddenly happen like power cut. or one or some characters get trouble. Because making sure the plot is interesting and this element can develop the story-line or the reversal of the plot. Meanwhile, it is a better way to show the personality of characters (Hu Jian Sheng). 

reference:

Steve, N., and Frank, K., 1990. Popolar Film And Television  Comedy. third ed. London: Routledge

Jiansheng, X., The Effects of the Coincidence and misunderstanding On the Film. [online], 22/03/2013. Available at: http://wenku.baidu.com/view/d04e7e3710661ed9ad51f367.html.

Li, Z., The Coincidence in the Hongkong Film. [online], Available at: http://lovefaye2002.blog.163.com/blog/static/760273520079252158345/.

   

     

    

questionnaire

This is my questionnaire.

        Questionnaire

1     Is this film funny?    (      )

A: Yes      B:  No

2     Which scene interesting?    (       )

A: the 1 scene (dinner)     B: the 2 scene (Susan cooks)  

 C: the 3 scene (milk)         D: the 4 scene (laugh)

      Why?

 

3     Which the character of all three persons you feel funny?  (      )

A: Susan    B: Nancy     C: Rita

Why?

                                                                                                                                    

4     Did you realize some humour elements? You can have multiple choices. (                                           )

A: comic event                         B: gag

C: satire                                    D: surprise

E: coincidence                         F: dialogue

G: sound                                   H: ridiculous action

      I: ugliness

5     Could you think about that what will be happened next for this story and that can be continued funny?

                                                                                                                                    

                                                                                                                                    

6     Would you be happy to watch the next story?   (        )

A: Yes                       B: No

      If I simply tell you their background, could you imagine a story for them?

l  Susan : she comes from north east of china, a country girl. Single. In her hometown, her family is so rich; this is the first time she is far away from her hometown.

l  Rita : she comes from Shang Hai, a big city girl. Single. Her family is middle-class.

l  Nancy : she comes from Bei Jing, a city girl. Has boyfriend. Her family is middle-class.

15 chinese low-budget's benifit

                15 Chinese low-budget's benefit for Flat Story

<!--[if !supportLists]-->l  <!--[endif]-->Style

Low-budget comedy film that can able to make director more freely develop their talent and their own style, which can increase the characteristic of comedy film.

Like my film, I am good at observing sense of our life, and observing the characters of all kind of people. So my style is that showing interesting things from daily life and showing attractive characters.

<!--[if !supportLists]-->l  <!--[endif]-->Material root in mass culture

Many materials are made according to the true story, which are very closed to daily life of common people. No big event, no big shot, just describing some unimportant person’s joys and sorrows or their aspiration for a better life. So audiences also can able to make the perception and observation of their own life from the film. In addition, these stories can expose some real social problems. My script also abide that. 

<!--[if !supportLists]-->l  <!--[endif]-->Unique “ugly” aesthetic characteristic

In realistic life, not just having “beautiful”, but also having “ugly”, in low-budget comedy film, “ugly” become a good function.

<!--[if !supportLists]-->1>  <!--[endif]-->Look ugly: not only produce comic effects, but also can give audience a great sense of superiority, which make audiences easily trust the story. Susan is looking ugly.

<!--[if !supportLists]-->2>  <!--[endif]-->Characteristic’s ugly: no one is perfect, not everybody is good person, the drawback of characteristic can increase a sense of reality for audiences. Susan is a good example.

<!--[if !supportLists]-->3>  <!--[endif]-->Scene’s ugly: like dirty sewer; simple inn，crowd and ropey residential area…., directors use these original image, which give audiences a visual stimuli and a huge attraction. Nancy spite into the milk.

<!--[if !supportLists]-->l  <!--[endif]-->Show the rich feature of local culture

     If the movie be made in occurred location, and use local dialect. It not only increase a sense of realistic, but also increase comic effects. This script does not have, the next will have.

reference:

Steve, N., and Frank, K., 1990. Popolar Film And Television Comedy. third ed. London: Routledge.

14 Amusing ridiculous for Flat Story

                                                  14 ridiculous for Flat Story

l  Both for classical and neoclassical theory, the comic is characterized in terms of “the ludicrous” and “the ridiculous”: Comedy is an imitation of baser men. These are characterized not by every kind of vice but specifically by the ridiculous, which is a subdivision of the category of deformity. What we mean by ‘the ridiculous’ is some error or ugliness that is painless and has no harmful effects.(Aristotle)

l  The site of the ludicrous and the ridiculous may either be mind (in the form of ignorance, imprudence, credulity, the making of an error or mistake) or the body (in the form of ugliness, deformity, ill-fitting or inappropriate garments, and so on).

l  People are ludicrous or ridiculous in appearance as well as in speech or action: because of bodily or facial expression, or gesture, or motion, or physical activity, or dress.

So I try to make the character of Susan to produce funny. She is a so ludicrous and ridiculous girl from her mind to her body. Her ideas are always wrong, like free eating food from other people; and she like showing her rich. So selfish and ridiculous. From her body we can see, her motions are always exaggerated, the voice too heavy when she is walking, and laugh loudly….  Meanwhile, her face and garments are both so ugliness. So these ideas are so important for produce funny for this film. 

13 conventions for Flat Story

                                  13 conventions for Flat Story

l  A similar argument has been made by Terry Palmer. What can count as comic is dependent in part upon socio-cultural rules, conventions, and conditions. So there are many differences among Nancy Rita and Susan.  Susan come from a small country, but Rita and Nancy are both come from a bit city. Basically, we can see, Susan does not enjoy a good education, and her behaviors are always so rude. The most reason is that her socio-cultural rules, conventions, and conditions are different with other areas.

l  Comedies tend to involve certain familiar things and they tend to be titled in certain ways rather than others. In the second scene, Susan sing a song, I let Susan sing this song because the song is very popular and vulgar, nearly every Chinese knew that, when they listen this song, they will so happy. So I make sure this funny moment is familiar things for Chinese people.

   

l  These conventions can be marked outside the confines of the utterance itself, forming a part of the ‘narrative image’ of a film or programme. So in my next sequel of Flat Story, if people say iron shoes ( the Susan’s nickname), the audience will make sense who is iron shoes; how does she…..

12 Amusing Gags for Flat Story

                              12  Gags for Flat Story

l         Gag comes to mean ‘a pre-prepared piece of action.’

l         Coursodon discuss the feature of a gag. There is a fundamental difference between gags, on the one hand, calls’ comic effects’, on the other hand, sequence. The sequence contains three linked but separate stages: 1, a laying out of its basic components; 2 development of the situation in a particular direction; 3 reversal and ‘punchline’. Thus, in the third scene of Flat Story, I apply the second way of gag. Firstly, Nancy went to kitchen, look around, make sure nobody. Secondly, Nancy spited the milk, Rita found her action. And want to fall the milk. Finally, Susan came here, and want drink the milk.

l   they each constitute digressions or interruptions in the progress of a plot or a   piece of purposive narrative action. They hence each tend also to involve a degree of surprise.

l        So Gags are suited to the articulation of ineptitude and frustration because of the potential ingredient of interruption. just as they suited to the articulation of sudden success because of the ingredient of surprise.  Thus, my script set these two elements. Firstly, Nancy was failure, Rita found her, she also spited the Rita’s milk, and Rita has to fall the milk. Secondly, Nancy was succeed, because Susan suddenly came here, and want drink the dirty milk.

11 joke

       

.as for wisecracks and jokes, just because they are structurally unsuited to narration. They are difficult to use them as a springboard for narrative development. So I did not use them in the script.
· Thus, if I want use them, the script should these two ways, for one thing, . They are instead much more suited to constructing or marking a pause or digression in the ongoing flow of a story. For another thing, special motivation is often provided for wisecracks and jokes by having them spoken by characters particularly given to verbal wit and repartee.

reference:

GARRY ,K, M., Comedy Writing For Television & Hollywood. Second ed. Washington: Harper & Row.

10 Amusing the comic event verbal for Flat Story

       10 Amusing: the remark of comic event for Flat Story

l  One particular mode of comic event is verbal.

l  It is distinguishable from jokes and wisecracks insofar as it is integral to, and dependent entirely upon, the existence of a narrative context to make it funny.  Like the first scene of Flat Story, I use their dialog to produce funny, especially the moment of the time stop, Nancy and Rita talk about their thinking for Susan.

l  Where jokes and wisecracks are self-contained, the type we are thinking of is not.

l  And maybe We do not laugh because the remark is in any sense inherently funny.

9 Amusing: comic event for Flat Story

        9  Amusing: Comic events for Flat Story

l  The fact that they are instances and examples of the comic—forms whose principal function is to be funny and thus to occasion laughter.  So Flat Story is a comic event, its function is for funny and produce laughter.

l  Which it can exist only within a narrative context—as a consequence of the existence of characters and a plot.  like the Flat Story, its story and characters are always continuous, and each details have causal relationship. Like Nancy want to spite into the Susan’s milk, because Susan did not share her chicken like she promised. So Nancy want to revenge.

l  The comic event is so integral to its context that it gives rise to further events of relevance to the plot.  that is why I can continue to write the sequel of Flat Story, I can write the next story according to their characters and present relationship. For example, Susan find the milk have problem, the taste is so strange. so she fight with Nancy and Rita……

                  

8 Amusing: satire of Flat Story

         

l   Before, I have talked about that parody and satire can produce funny. Basically, parody, draws on- and high lights- aesthetic conventions, satire draws on-and highlights- social ones. In Flat Story, I apply some satires, so I will analyze which part I apply satires to produce funny.

l       Satire works to mock and attack. It uses the norms within its province as a basis against which to measure deviations. Like Rita and Nancy give Susan a nickname---iron shoes, that is a satire. This is because that Susan’s behavior always are not normal, basically she do everything is so exaggerated. So her flat mates have to give her a nickname to satirize her from her ridiculous behavior. 

even ending song is also a satire, who let dog out.

l  Sometimes the deviations themselves are attacked, particularly if those who deviate are those who profess to adhere to these norms most strongly. Like Susan’s words, she always said she is so fashion and rich, but in fact, her clothes always so ugly and never have something that can be show her rich.  That means she satirize herself.

       Like in the end, Susan drink other people’s milk, she is so happy, but it is a                      big satire for her because the milk actually is dirty.