While creating storyboards and shot choices for My Name is John, I looked at how other comedies use shots to their advantage and make the film a lot funnier. One of my favourite shots in the film is when John cracks a joke in the self help group and we pan to the other characters reaction (unamused faces). It's tense and you feel the space between them. The juxtaposition of both is a great technique for comedy but the pan is even better. If we just cut to the faces, it wouldn't have the same impact.
The handheld camera in comedy that just makes everything more natural and funny, it also makes the viewer more involved in the action and like we are following them on their journey.
Throughout the film, looking closely at the house scene, I wanted mostly medium close ups. The hand movements as well as facial reactions also add to each other and generate more comedy.
Crash zooms are also used in comedies to further exaggerate tension as well as characters reactions, very similar to using panning.
Fourth wall breaks are used sparingly in comedies. There is one break in MNIJ where the shopkeeper looks at camera like 'what just happened'. A lot of comedies use it to make the audience more included and involved, like the character is talking to them, just further exaggerating the joke.
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