Five Most Popular Types of Comedy That Filmmakers Can Develop On Screen
There are different comedy styles and each one entertains the audience in unique ways.
Comedic plots often feature light-hearted humor and are solely written to induce rib-tickling laughter. They exaggerate the language, actions, situation, characters, and relationships. Perhaps comedy is the broadest genre of all. Comedy has to be hilarious, and screenwriters working under this banner must master the genre to create a masterpiece. Read on to explore the five most popular types of comedy that filmmakers can develop on screen.
Black Comedy
Black comedies seek humor in disturbing subjects such as death, crime, war, and violence. The difficult part about writing a script for a black comedy involves the risk of limited box office potential in contrast to lighter fare. Some examples of black comedies include American Psycho, Bad Santa, Fargo, Very Bad Things, and many more.
Slapstick Comedy
The greatest example of Slapstick comedy is Charlie Chaplin — one of the best-known pioneers of this comedy genre during the era of silent films. Slapstick comedy primarily involves actions of falling, tripping, bleeps, blunders over dialogue, and practical jokes. These films employ little to no conversation, and the same applies to character and plot development.
Situational Comedy
Situational Comedies a.k.a sitcoms are mostly associated with television series than the silver screen. Sitcoms typically characterize a group of people who experience various humorous misunderstandings and situations that pass from one episode to another. Sitcoms are generally filmed in a studio, in front of a live audience, and they generate humor from the dynamics and relationships shared between the characters. Some beloved sitcoms include Seinfeld (1989–1998) and Friends (1994 – 2004).
Anecdotal Comedy
Anecdotal comedy typically comprises personal comic stories, meaning the events depicted on screen are partly true or entirely true, but embellished. Stand-up comedians usually employ this anecdotal comedy to induce laughter, but it is also common in teleplays and screenplays. One of the most popular anecdotal comedy series on tv is the Goldbergs. It is based on the family experiences and real-life events of Adam Goldberg, the creator of the show.
Action Comedy
Action comedy features hilarious action scenes. To put it in simple words, the sub-genre of comedy seamlessly blends action scenes with humorous consequences. These films are typically lighthearted, replete with plenty of frantic chases and car smashes that rarely depict serious injury or death. Some of the best examples of action comedy films include Jackie Chan’s movies like Rumble in the Bronx (1995), Heart of Dragon (1985), The Myth (2005), The Spy Next Door (2010), and more.
Which type of comedy do you enjoy watching the most on tv?
