I'm currently writing what I would describe as a dark comedy and I want the characters to be real. The problem is, when I think of comic perspective I think of exaggeration to the point of absurdity. Do more realistic characters still have comic perspectives? For example take the film In Bruges,what are the leads comic perspectives? What is David Brents comic perspective?
How do you define comic perspective?
I'd say with the Office it's as much Martin Freemans perceptionthat's the comic perspective, or the best example I'd say is Arthur Dent in HHG2TG.
I think maybe you're overloading the question with calling it a comic perspective.
Arthur for example is an everyman and the comedy comes from his prosaic view of an amazing universe.
I think the comic perspective of a character is essentially how they see their world compared to how the world really is. This means they will act a certain way to a given event based on this view.
For David Brent, my thoughts are that he saw himself as an artist & entertainer that everyone loved, and someone who was respected by his audience and peers. However in reality he was a middle manager in a boring job that gave no outlet to his desires. He was not really liked by the staff under him or by the management above him. But he wanted to get on with everyone and really wanted to be liked. I think this is what drove him to do the things he did. I think so anyway...
Quote: Lazzard @ 11th August 2014, 2:29 PM BSTHow do you define comic perspective?
The filter which they see the world. Maybe my question should have been can comedy exist without exaggerated flaws?
Quote: blahblah @ 11th August 2014, 2:44 PM BSTMaybe my question should have been can comedy exist without exaggerated flaws?
Not sure any kind of drama can exist without exaggerated flaws.
Quote: Deferenz @ 11th August 2014, 2:41 PM BSTI think the comic perspective of a character is essentially how they see their world compared to how the world really is. This means they will act a certain way to a given event based on this view.
For David Brent, my thoughts are that he saw himself as an artist & entertainer that everyone loved, and someone who was respected by his audience and peers. However in reality he was a middle manager in a boring job that gave no outlet to his desires. He was not really liked by the staff under him or by the management above him. But he wanted to get on with everyone and really wanted to be liked. I think this is what drove him to do the things he did. I think so anyway...
David Brent is essentially the comedy of the show, he's the ultimate flawed narrative.
Do we mean viewer perspective or comedic intent.
Because the viewer perspective in the office is the silent documentary crew we never ever hear from.
How do you mean viewer perspective?
In my piece there are 2 leads. 1 - has secret that if discovered would lose him his friends and job (he thinks) 2 - wants to be great journalist. So whatever they do it is powered by those wants. Is that enough of a perspective? I do not plan on using too much exaggeration
Nothing sitcom based in this premise/perspective as you have outlined it.
Its a stand alone one act play. When you say sitcom based do you mean not strong enough premise for sitcom?
Maybe I'm focusing too much on the phrase dark comedy and its putting things into a category before I've organised the story. Just because I plan on dealing with heavy issues doesn't mean it has to be "dark comedy" over the years fools and horses dealt with some big issues and didn't change the tone of the show
Quote: blahblah @ 11th August 2014, 3:12 PM BSTIts a stand alone one act play. When you say sitcom based do you mean not strong enough premise for sitcom?
Fair enough to the first. And yes to the second. Good luck with the play!
As long as those wants and need are strong enough to lead them to make the kind of decisions that pushes the action forward into somewhere interesting, you have the basis for drama.
Whether it's Del Boys desire to become a millionaire that leads him to say 'Yes' to a chandelier hanging job he's patently not qualified for.
Or Liam Neeson's desire to protect his family that leads them to hunt people down and kill them.
Same difference.
So would you say the want moves the story along and the comedy comes from the characters (how the characters react to situations/each other)?
No. The want creates the character.