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fandomhigh2010-05-31 12:08 pm
chosehumanity) wrote in fandomhigh2010-05-31 12:08 pm
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Birth of TV Comedy, Monday, Period 1
"We'll be talking about the difference between multiple-camera and single-camera sitcoms today," Mitchell announced to the class. You know, in case they wanted to know that.
There was very little out of the ordinary about this, beyond the fact that the entire class had been asked to meet on the beach. Mitchell had brought in some beanbags (and, all right, gotten some of the cleaning staff to help out), a laptop balancing on the prime beanbag.
There was also tea and coffee.
"For a long while, sitcoms were recorded in front of a studio audience, like you," he continued. "To best splice that up into something you could actually show on television, they simply put multiple cameras up above the stage, so they could alternate between different viewpoints. The audience's laughter was also recorded, so it could be put under the action going on on screen to show where the jokes were, and get the people watching at home to laugh along." A pause. "In theory, at least. More and more, companies started filming things in this set-up without an audience, and adding in canned laughter afterward. Sometimes, that led to really stupid jokes. Here's a hint for aspiring directors: putting canned laughter in after a line doesn't make that line funny."
He rubbed his hands together. "This became the accepted standard for a long while, although there were several series shot with a single-camera set-up in the 1960s. But as time went on, if you were filming a comedy, you were going to do it with multiple cameras. You had your abberations, sure. Every once in a while, a sitcom would come along, big or small, that used a single camera. Near the end of the 90's, people were starting to chafe at the bit. The Evening Sports came on; they used a single camera. After them, Chris in the Center came around. With that one, Pandora's Box had been opened. Multiple-camera sitcoms became far less plentiful, the laugh track was thrown out the window, and a more filmic approach to comedy was chosen."
He patted the laptop. "I'm going to show you three clips," he said, "And I want you to tell me what the chosen camera set-up does for the story. A while back, I asked you all to find something in your life you could make a sitcom about. Which camera set-up would you use, you think?"
There was very little out of the ordinary about this, beyond the fact that the entire class had been asked to meet on the beach. Mitchell had brought in some beanbags (and, all right, gotten some of the cleaning staff to help out), a laptop balancing on the prime beanbag.
There was also tea and coffee.
"For a long while, sitcoms were recorded in front of a studio audience, like you," he continued. "To best splice that up into something you could actually show on television, they simply put multiple cameras up above the stage, so they could alternate between different viewpoints. The audience's laughter was also recorded, so it could be put under the action going on on screen to show where the jokes were, and get the people watching at home to laugh along." A pause. "In theory, at least. More and more, companies started filming things in this set-up without an audience, and adding in canned laughter afterward. Sometimes, that led to really stupid jokes. Here's a hint for aspiring directors: putting canned laughter in after a line doesn't make that line funny."
He rubbed his hands together. "This became the accepted standard for a long while, although there were several series shot with a single-camera set-up in the 1960s. But as time went on, if you were filming a comedy, you were going to do it with multiple cameras. You had your abberations, sure. Every once in a while, a sitcom would come along, big or small, that used a single camera. Near the end of the 90's, people were starting to chafe at the bit. The Evening Sports came on; they used a single camera. After them, Chris in the Center came around. With that one, Pandora's Box had been opened. Multiple-camera sitcoms became far less plentiful, the laugh track was thrown out the window, and a more filmic approach to comedy was chosen."
He patted the laptop. "I'm going to show you three clips," he said, "And I want you to tell me what the chosen camera set-up does for the story. A while back, I asked you all to find something in your life you could make a sitcom about. Which camera set-up would you use, you think?"
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Listen to the Lecture
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Also, for a startling change of pace, for once he'd come back from a trip home without looking as if he'd been in a fight the day before.
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"Hey there, roomie."
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"Yeah," he nodded. "It's good to be back to... what passes for normal, around here."
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Well, she still didn't know Fandom weird could get to you even at home.
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And there was that whole thing where her parents tended to come and go as they wished, whether her door was closed or not.
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Watch the Clips
[[ first clip is from meta-for Seinfeld, the second two are from meta-for Scrubs ]]
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Discuss!
Talk to the TAs
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And, okay, wondering whether it would be pushing it if she snuck away for a swim.
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Talk to Mitchell
OOC
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And with high marks, too. Woo!
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Also, I may only be able to have Chloe just sign into class today as some issues have arisen with the roommate due to come home today.