We run into a lot of good filmmaking advice on the webs and the least we can do is share it, right? Hence a new Tuesday feature on ye olde blog.
Tony Zhou put together this great video essay on how to make visual comedy; specifically a comparison of Edgar Wright's style versus most contemporary American comedies. For the most part I think Tony is spot on. Scott Pilgrim was released four years ago and I still think it's a decade ahead of the rest of us. (Full disclosure: I love Edgar and the fact that he isn't making Ant Man makes my heart hurt.)
Now, let me interject that Wright didn't invent all of his tricks. You can see plenty of direct reference to guys like Sam Raimi in his work. And most of his films are heavy on action which lends itself to whip pans and sound effects. The same style would be off-putting in a subtle, character driven comedy. However, the point still stands. Look at Wes Anderson who also uses pans and close-ups to similar effect (as well as symmetry and lateral movements) while achieving a different comedic tone. Look at the long takes and masterful blocking of Blake Edwards. The important takeaway is that these directors mine every possible nook and cranny of their gags.
If you don't employ every tool you have visually and aurally, you're leaving laughs on the table. American comedies definitely tend to be lazy or at least stylistically impaired and let the dialogue do all the work.
So, basically, don't be lazy. Like Tony says, everyone's sense of humor is different but no one can argue for lazy filmmaking. If you have a good joke, there's a better way to shoot it. Find the extra laughs and use what could be the boring parts of your script to get creative. Just like the great example of how Edgar moves Simon Pegg from one city to another in Hot Fuzz.