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Why Filmmakers Should Start with Comedy and Horror

Lofi Cinema

171,382 views

This video essay explores the surprising similarities between comedy and horror and explains why these genres are perfect for aspiring filmmakers.

Here is my video where I talk about the Transcendental style in film: How Can We Find Depth in Shorts

CHAPTERS:

0:00 Intro
01:34 Part 1. Comedy and Horror: same roots, different tone
07:45 Part 2: When Comedy Meets Horror (Tarantino)
11:27 Part 3: Comedy on a Budget
14:25 Part 4: The Power of Low-Budget Horror
19:00 Part 5: Be Goofy, Like Great Filmmakers

*** Follow Lofi Cinema: TikTok: @lofi.cinema Instagram: @loficinema_

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Film references:

Home Alone (1990)
Louie (2010)
Get Out (2017)
Midsommar (2019)
Battle Beyond the Sun (1959) Francis Ford Coppola
Clerks (1994)
Stranger Than Paradise (1984)
The Blair Witch Project (1999)
Marnie (1964)
Bad Taste (1987)

Quentin Tarantino
Reservoir Dogs (1992)
Pulp Fiction (1994)
Inglourious Basterds (2009)
Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood (2019)
My Best Friend's Birthday (1987)

Music:

gorgeouz beats - Ce Sacre Piano (Aznavour)
Constant Deviants - Can't Stop (Instrumental)
Black Star - K.O.S. (Determination) (Instrumental)
Yoko Kanno and Seatbelts - Tank!

Home Alone VFX:
Corridor - RATED-R Home Alone
Bunni Walker - @bitmassive

20 Comments

@StewieBouie 2 years ago

I think filmmakers should start wherever they want

@bsharp3281 2 years ago

Comedy and horror map directly to the emotions of mirth and fear. Storytelling is about bringing emotions to the surface, everything else is supplemental. So, comedy and horror give young filmmakers very clear emotional targets.

@zeltzamer4010 2 years ago

If someone makes a student film that isn’t a chamber drama about them whining over a girlfriend in their dorm room, they’re pretty much automatically a dove amongst the crows.

@CJSopranoYT 1 year ago

My left ear enjoyed this

@TENRAN432 2 years ago

the pie shootout edit was a brilliant illustration!

@Amelia_PC 1 year ago

Comedy is arguably the hardest genre to create. I'd never dare to write a comedy right away.

@matman000000 2 years ago

Fear and laughter are the most common reactions to surprising and eventful situations. When you get jumpscared by a friend, when you're riding a rollercoaster, break the law in a small way or do something you've never done before, you get a weird mix of those emotions that makes you feel alive. Directors like Hitchcock, Lynch, Kubrick, Lanthimos, Tarantino, Aster, Raimi, Östlund or Gilliam often mix these emotions in surprising ways, which makes their movies so entertaining and unpredictable.

@notproductiveproductions3504 6 months ago

Sequel idea: your first action movie should be a silent film

@tmorganriley 2 years ago

I am just a local stage director of radio theatre productions. But I started out directing horror, mystery, comedy, and adventure, in that order. It wasnt until my 6th show that I worked up to drama ("Little Women"). This makes total sense to me!

@KaiQuesting 2 years ago

This is a real interesting and refreshing compared to a lot of the videos about movies I watch. Super high quality as well

@jmalmsten 2 years ago

One bit that I feel was overlooked here was the audience and marketing aspect/perspective. The deep introspective "I don't know what to feel" stories may be great oscar fodder. But. They are really hard to sell, to market and without word of mouth, you get audiences who very likely do not jive with the intent of the film.

With horror and comedy, you have much, much simpler expectations to meet. Distributors know how to market them and audiences let their guards down because they know why to chose your film over the other options. And like with hypnosis, a willing participant is so much more easy to give suggestions to.

@pratikgarad 2 years ago

Even the director of Lights Out started with a short horror film. He has a YouTube channel called Ponysmasher. He explains in depth how he started from a low budget and moved upto directing Shazam.

@Poobastanker 2 years ago

One of the best film theory videos ive ever seen. Fantastic video!!

@cmation1073 2 years ago

This is an exceptional video. I cannot believe this has less than 1k views.

@DangerousMuteLunatic 2 years ago

LONG LIVE GENRE CINEMA

@SailorMoonInScorpio 4 months ago

Whoever did these effects on Home Alone is amazing bc I am actually SQUIRMING even though I know it's fake (as in, not in the actually movie). Awesome work!