Joke Videos

My group chose the elevator joke, and the two approaches we took were very different from each other, and from any of the other videos I have seen from my lab or the class.  One thing that helped is that we were one of the few groups that did not pick the toy train joke, but we also did not make it an old time silent movie, as many other groups did.  Enough about how our video was different from other groups, lets get into how the two videos  my group made were different from each other.

The first video we made was a telenovela, a traditional Mexican soap opera.  To achieve this style, we used a very choppy rhythm quickly switching back and forth between the three shot, and close ups on the various characters.  I suppose the telenovelas do this to create drama, tension, and to keep the story moving at a fast pace.  We simply did it to make it appear more authentic, but I think it also achieved those same effects.  The rhythm of our second video with the robots had affinity in tempo, a two shot with sudden cuts to close ups of the robots.  We also cut away to a screen telling what floor they are on as the elevator is moving, for some added ridiculous drama.  However, there was some contrast, I think that the music of the first video also made the rhythm more dramatic. It changed with the shots for the most part, whereas the robot video had steady music throughout, which made the rhythm more fluid and less choppy.

I think both videos have great examples of tension and release.  In the telenovela video, tension begins in the very beginning when the man entering the elevator bumps the man already in the elevator.  From this point on, the tension rises until after the girl reveals the punchline (sorry honey it's Tuesday).  The music does a great job of expressing the rising and falling action, it is faint in the beginning, becomes loud and bold during the climax, and smooth and lyrical during the release.  The robot movie doesn't use music to enhance the tension and release, but uses sound effects to convey the robots emotions.  The static used when the robot gets angry, and the scream when she begins pressing the button are the climax of action.  Some comic relief is provided when the male robot begins whistling "The Andy Griffith Show" theme song.  Release comes when male robot delivers the punchline, and exits the elevator.

We had a large contrast in space between the videos.  The telenovela was filmed in a make-shift elevator made out of floor mats, so the space was flat, with no visible corners.  This made the elevator feel a lot bigger to the audience, making the unnecessary closeness of the characters create even more tension.  It also enhanced the theme of a telenovela because it was a cheesy set, with over the top acting.  The elevator of the robot video was a real elevator, which felt a lot more mechanical and futuristic, because of the metallic siding. This fit the robot movie perfectly, because it was suppose to be a 50's science fiction movie, taking place in the future (around present time).

Overall, I was very proud and excited about the final videos we were able to make in the time we had.  I felt we were able to do something original, and creative that other groups were not able to replicate.