Please post a webisode or youtube video that's entertained you lately. Don't worry about commenting much on it in introduction, but please use your 200 words to comment on a clip that another class member uploads. Last blog post due anytime before course final exam.
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ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uR2tDznqC8
DeleteGreg and Lou's skit 'Christmas Morning'
It's really interesting how the open-nature of web comedy allows for pretty much any idea to be posted. I thought that this was a really funny clip, but it may not have been suited for any sort of television clip program that would be aired on television. This style of comedy makes the humor seem more personal; I could easily see my friend saying something like "Wouldn't it be funny if parents were honest with their kids about their Christmas presents?" This sort of publication method allows for a whole different style of comedy to become well viewed and popular (or not!).
DeleteOnline comedy clips allow for a lot of different tastes for humor to be satisfied; they do not have the same pressure that a television network would to cater to a somewhat wide audience (even Comedy Central has to cater to everyone looking for humor since they are essentially the only comedy station on TV). Because of this, there is plenty of freedom for all sorts of comedy to find a place on the web. For example, I find all of the standup comedy that I desire on Youtube (as it isn't as prominent on Comedy Central as it once was).
What I find interesting about this is it's timing and structure and the way it reflects the comedic narrative structure of the burgeoning clip genre. It starts off simply, like any Christmas morning would with a child opening presents. At just about 1/4 through, the comedy begins as the father bursts with anger at his son for buying him the wrong present. At about 1/2 through, a turning point comes in which the mother, who we think may be more sympathetic, takes the same approach. After they make Bobby go to his room, at about 3/4th's through, they think there may be hope in finding their real presents hidden somewhere, but are defeated and end the clip with vanquishing Bobby to his room.
DeleteWhat I find interesting about this is that it takes normal dramatic structure of film (3 turning points) and condenses it into about 1/20 of a film length. What is interesting about the potential this may carry in making people expect quick pay off. If viewers get used to consuming full dramatic narrative in such a short amount of time, will longer dramatic narratives in film and television bore them? How will TV and Film compete with such quickly satisfying material yet still maintain it's length and ability to develop over long periods of time?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=yDWPi1pZ0Po&list=UUoxcjq-8xIDTYp3uz647V5A
ReplyDeleteA Numberphile clip exploring the mathematics behind a children's game.
What is advantageous of the webisode is the fact that it does not have to connect to anything. It can be irrelevant for the sake of the humor. Not having any sort of continuity allows realism to often disappear. If the rules of the world that we are entering in each video change during each webisode, then we will accept absurdities.
ReplyDeleteWith the web clip I watched being the Numberphile clip, absurdity is apparent. I am watching it knowing that its simply Connect Four that is essentially made into Rocket Science. Instead of me questioning it, I simply laugh. This format allows for quick humor without depth. It is essentially stand-up comedy with a scene surrounding it. What makes this even more successful is the length of these clips. Because we don’t have to sit through character and plot developments, the video can actually just be about the laughs. These writers take the five minutes maximum that they have at their disposal to make each line of their skit, pure humor. There is time to refine the humor because it is so short. Jokes cannot be drawn out and as an audience,we appreciate webisodes for what they are.
Personally, because these webisodes are not generally based on film aesthetics or character dynamic, I go into these videos not expecting much. When these videos make me laugh harder than certain sitcoms or films, I become thoroughly impressed. I think this comes down to format. I only need to understand characters, location, and scene enough to get the punch line because that is what drives a webisode.
This is a Funny or Die video that is for all the history buffs out there. Enjoy!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCrVhBzaz4E
You did call out that it was for history buffs, so I found this to be quite random. However, the video does show the importance of clips. As a TV show the concept of this specific clip wouldn’t really work. It would create a musical, historic show with modern attitudes. The humor of this skit comes from the historical context combined with modern culture. For example, Wayne Brady’s outfit is of a suit from this time and then a bandana around his head. Also the musical part of this is more of a slow rap, which creates dissonance with the setting. This is a funny concept, but not necessarily the most depthy subject. I think that this is one of the advantages of clips and clip shows. Funny concepts can be explored without regard to length or continuation. In 2 minutes Wayne Brady teaches us a little about history in a humorous way. Similarly, clip TV shows such as Key and Peele can work with random funny concepts to create a variety of experiences. If a TV show was created solely based on this type of skit we would see a musical version of Drunk History, a Comedy Central TV show based on the Drunk History sketches. Though I didn’t connect to this video I still watched the entirety of it, which I think says a lot about the investment that viewers put into clips.
DeleteThis is one clip that I personally enjoy. It combines two of my favorite things: restrooms and musicals. Besides that, Schmoyoho/The Gregory Brothers create and distort already existing news footage or create original shorts dealing with any subject public restroom. Enjoy!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WlP9aJnzyZw&feature=c4-overview&list=UUNYrK4tc5i1-eL8TXesH2pg
The first thing that came to mind as I watched your clip is the high production value and beautiful detail! It is merely a five minute clip really only meant to be viewed Youtube, yet you can tell that the creators put a lot of work into it! There were many different shots and angles, the actors were very talented, and the sound was obviously professionally mixed and recorded. They must have spent a considerable amount of money just to make a five-minute short on an absurd topic.
DeleteIf we really stop and think about it the idea of it all is pretty crazy, because when you post something on Youtube there is no gurentee that anybody will view your work. There is always the chance that you put so much effort into something and it goes completely unnoticed. Although at the same time, Youtube and the works posted here are innovatively genius. Youtube allows for independent artist to express their creative ideas and have them be accessible to a collosal audience: all internet users. Although there is only a slim chance that your video will receive as many views as Miley’s “Wrecking Ball” music video, something like this short still appeals to some and validates the amount of work the creators put into it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YyxURxLGL8
ReplyDeleteA deleted scene from Summer Heights High with Mr. G, the drama teacher playing improv with his students. Warning: this show is crass and not the most PC.
What impresses me the most about this clip is the high production value level and the skill of those involved. In the digital age in which we live, anyone with a video camera and some editing software can create a professional looking video on their own dime and time. This video had original songs, good actors and singers, and great cinematography and they did it all independently. We, as viewers, no longer have to rely on the networks and studios to give us entertaining bits of humor like the video above. Sites such as Youtube are really exciting to me as a future filmmaker because I know that if I put effort into my work, I can upload it for free and hopefully people will see it like they did with this silly little musical. I do not have to appeal to a massive mainstream audience or keep any advertisers happy in order to produce my content. The clip above has a very juvenile sense of humor at times that may not appeal to all people watching clips on Youtube but hopefully the viewers who do enjoy it will subscribe to that specific channel in order to see all their future media productions.
DeleteHere's something comforting for anybody heading home for the holidays after this exam! It may be one of those corny flash mobs but dammit if I don't sob watching the end. Happy Holidays!
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NB3NPNM4xgo
When I imagine the quintessential YouTube clip, I think of ordinary people experiencing extraordinary events. Whether these clips adopt the form of a pet owner discovering that his boxer imitates a siren or a parent capturing his younger son biting his older son’s finger, YouTube to me is comparable to a town square in which consumers gather and share personal stories. Regardless of age, gender, and nationality, all consumers are able to control this media-sharing. By sharing an advertisement amongst the consumers’ town square, T-Mobile thus drops their status as a company targeting consumers and becomes an equal sharing with consumers. The video itself expresses this argument. T-Mobile stages a flash mob in an airport baggage claim, a mundane setting trafficked by people of great diversity, under the slogan “Life’s for Sharing.” This advertisement differs from the average television of radio advertisement in that the consumer must seek out the YouTube clip. Rather than being subjected to the media, the consumer must want to experience the story the advertisement shares. I’d assume this approach is better received than the average approach. Conclusively, the town square that is YouTube offers grounds for companies to be more human and thus be more effective.
Delete"Mr. October" is the first episode in the webseries Date of the Month Club. Emma, a single woman, asks her friends to set her up with eligible bachelors once a month. The webseries is created by sketch comedians and improvisers at The Second City and iO Chicago. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzNSgD2EAfg
ReplyDeleteThis is one of my favorites, enjoy!
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjGk_jU6t5A
The Bad Lip Reading clips are always great. I haven't seen The Hunger Games, so I'm sure this one would have been even funnier for me if I had.
DeleteI think this one is particularly well done because it did a good job drawing a somewhat coherent narrative into the lip reads, without detracting from the quality of the lip reading itself. The dialogue actually made a little bit of sense. The other ones that I have seen in the past - the NFL one and the 2012 Elections Debate one - were a bit more random, albeit still funny.
I think it is a big thing that clips are able to draw from popular news/television/movies. For me, the NFL clip and the 2012 Elections clip were really funny because they were essentially players or candidates that I know saying ridiculous things. Even the voices they fit in for them fit to a good degree. If I had read or watched The Hunger Games, I think this clip would have been a lot funnier for me as well. In general, I think clips can enhance a television show for the viewer by portraying them in a difference. Though obviously, not all clips draw from TV or movies.
Good clip choice!
Wow I absolutely love this clip, and can't believe I've somehow managed to not see all the other videos like this out there! I am constantly amazed by the level of creativity and talent that so many people out there who upload to youtube and similar sites have. Anytime I see high quality videos like this on youtube, I can't help but marvel at all the time that must have gone into making it. It always looks so easy to the outside viewer to make a video or style of videos like this, but to imagine the time spent watching the movie and putting conversations that (kind of) make sense out of just the movement of the actor's lips! The very thought of doing that boggles my mind, although I am admittedly one of the least creative people I know.
ReplyDeleteOn top of all the creative elements that go into something like this, it's always interesting to see the style that different content creators on youtube go for. Here the goal is obviously humor, but there is an element of production quality to the voices, where you can tell good mics and a lot of time were put into the dialogue. I am, like most I'd imagine, particularly partial to clips like this, that weave humor and a great idea into one solid video. Very nice clip, thanks for sharing!