Humor

Introduction

The Humor project is one that we started production on in April, but spent time learning about the concepts since late February. This has been a project that has had me excited since the beginning of the year, since it is another way to exploit our creative talents and learn new concepts. In English class, for a month or so, we learned about various forms of comedy through the play “Rhinoceros” and the book Slaughterhouse Five. These forms of comedy being absurd humor, satire, wit, irony, etc. This gave us a basis for how we wanted to go about our humor project. For my humor project, I decided I wanted to do a sketch in which I talk to the camera about quarantine life. I chose this because I wanted to give people an opportunity to laugh even though we are all currently in such a dire situation. With this project, I valued being able to utilize my skills I’ve accumulated through studying film and I also valued this project as the first time I’ve ever made an official product purely for the sake of humor. I only hope that I will be able to improve on my future projects involving humor. Here is the humor video I wrote, filmed, and edited:

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Proposal

Before we could get started on our project, we had to get an idea approved. This not only included describing what our idea was and why we wanted to pursue it, but also to draw inspiration directly from comedians that inspire us.

For my project, I decided I wanted to make a comedic skit about dealing with quarantine life. I chose this subject because when I rewatched my favorite Ted Talk that was hosted by comedian Michael Jr., I was reminded about the idea of giving laughter instead of getting laughter. This was an idea he expressed that resonated with me, and since everyone is having a hard time dealing with quarantine life in various ways, I wanted to make a humor video about it.

Ethan Klein: YouTube Comedian

Dave Chappelle: Stand-up Comedian

To move forward with our idea, we had to study two humorists that inspire us. I used the stand-up comedian Dave Chappelle and the YouTube comedian Ethan Klein. I constantly rewatch Dave Chappelle and Ethan Klein over and over and over again because their comedy is always relevant no matter when it was made. Here is my analysis of their humor:

Two humorists that inspire me to make comedy of my own include Dave Chappelle and Ethan Klein. Each of them are known for their satirical pieces but each does it in their own way. Dave Chappelle is a well renowned comedian that has spent most of his life doing stand-up. One of the most prime examples of his is the stand-up monologue he performed for SNL in 2016. This was just after Donald Trump had been elected president, so in his monologue Chappelle talks about the reactions as well as other issues in America that bring a broader context to the outcome. Dave Chappelle’s monologue, as well as his other stand-up routines (especially the most recent specials on Netflix), work well because he uses jokes that utilize black humor and unspoken truths. Chappelle talks about many serious things like shootings and racism, and what makes his routine funny is his own perspective on those issues. He is able to use well-formatted jokes to make us laugh about topics that many would consider to be taboo. Another humorist that inspires me is Ethan Klein. Ethan Klein represents one of the more current forms of comedy nowadays: YouTube videos. Klein runs the channel “h3h3Productions,” which has over 6.5 million subscribers. The bulk of the channel’s content revolves around reaction videos in which he will react to a specific video or topic and give his own commentary. For example, in early 2018 a popular YouTuber known as Logan Paul uploaded a video in which he explicitly showed a dead body in a Japanese forest infamous for suicides. In response, Klein made a video titled “The Logan Paul Odyssey” in which he reacts to the actions of Logan Paul and makes jokes about the whole situation. The jokes work because Ethan uses satire and exaggerism to make the audience laugh. While he doesn’t have an explicit joke format, his reactions are carefully crafted to make a serious subject of a popular YouTuber abusing his power into something hilarious. This is how Dave Chappelle and Ethan Klein can be compared. Whether they are talking about something serious or taboo, they will always be able to create humor out of it using some form of satire. They also both use exaggerism cleverly to quickly shift the tone for comedic effect. The areas that they differ are within how they present their content. While Chappelle uses jokes with a set-up and a punchline, Klein uses exaggerism and irony to perform his reactions to content. While Chappelle gets on stage and does a stand-up, Klein produces a highly edited reaction video. At first glance, their differences are blatantly obvious. But looking closer, their similarities in their use of satire have some weight.

What I noticed most about these two humorists was how they used unspoken truths and taboo subjects to produce humor. Therefore, I decided to incorporate those elements in my sketch, as well as their similar use of exaggerism, jokes, and absurd humor.

Script

After my idea was approved, I was able to write my script for it. In writing, I found that I was able to employ more techniques than the ones I analyzed with my humorists. I was also glad I had prior knowledge of writing screenplays, since it was a big help in organizing my final script. Here is the full thing:

INT. BEDROOM – DAY

Eric presses record and sits in a chair that’s in front of the camera. He sighs and looks as if he is slightly nervous. He talks to the camera.

ERIC
Hello Freestyle. My name is Eric Rustum, and welcome to my Humor Video. I was very excited for this project because I was going to do a live stand-up in front of you all, and you would all laugh at my hilarious jokes. But instead, I’m doing a “sit-down,” and the only laughter I will hear will be from my close associates who are here with us.

Eric points to a group of stuffed animals crowded behind the camera. One shouts a quick “HAHA!”

Beat. Eric looks back at the camera.

ERIC
It’s been hard for me to laugh or be happy lately with, you know… everything that’s been happening. We’re starting to run a bit low on toilet paper, which is somewhat concerning since toilet paper is a scarce commodity nowadays. I was on a zoom call with my Syrian grandfather, who was having the same problem, and he suggested using “smooth stones” as a substitute. The only smooth stone I have is one my Korean grandfather gave to me when I was a boy…

We see Eric on the toilet holding a stone that has the Korean character for “Wisdom” on it.

ERIC
…so I tried using that the other day to get a feel for it. It’s definitely not the best alternative, but it 100% gets the job done.

ERIC (cont.)
What’s been toughest most of all is not having my dad around. Oh, he didn’t leave us or anything like that… we just haven’t seen him because a couple weeks ago my mom and I heard him cough while he was doing work in the kitchen, so we had to take precautionary measures…

We see Eric closing the door to the garage and locking it, followed by muffled bangs and screams.

ERIC
…But yeah, that’s been really hard…I think the 14 days are almost up so we should be able to see him soon.

ERIC (cont.)
It’s been difficult adjusting to these changes, but I’ve been trying to do things that make me happy. I’ve been dancing a little, recently…

We see Eric with an insane look in his eyes and an uncomfortable smile, wildly dancing to some music while looking into the camera.

ERIC
… I’ve been doing some yoga, which I haven’t done in a really long time….

Eric is seen on a yoga mat in various yoga positions while looking straight at the camera with the same smile.

ERIC
…I’ve been taking long, peaceful walks to clear my mind…

Eric is speed-walking at an alarming rate while he has his eyes fixed on the camera.

ERIC
…I’ve also been doing jogs, too. Generally, I’ve just been exercising a lot…

Eric is on the same path now running with huge strides and his arms moving back and forth while his head is in a fixed position toward the camera.

ERIC
So yeah, all of that stuff has lifted my spirits a little. Anyways, thank you all for watching. I miss you all, and I hope you are doing well. Stay safe, everybody.

Eric ends the recording and gets up from his chair. He opens his bedroom door and walks down the hallway. He reaches the family room where he sees his mom sitting on the couch. Just then, his mom coughs, slightly. Eric widens his eyes. His mother looks frightened.

Beat. They stare at each other.

END.

To prepare for the shoot, I set up all of my equipment I would need. Mr. Taylor had lent me his personal film equipment, so I was sure to use that on my shoot. I used my DSLR, an attachable rode mic, a light, and a cage to hold it all together on a tripod.

I also put a bit more effort into production design this time around! Which is odd for me since I’m usually lacking when it comes to those skills…. In my video, I talked in a monotoned, serious voice on camera but some of the things that were happening were in stark contrast to that. Therefore, I decided to have my “set design” reflect that by surrounding myself with colors but also wearing bleak clothing colors. I also wanted to be in the dark a little bit, so I opened my window shade to let a lot of overexposed light in.

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