Alright, so I spent AGES looking for internet delivered short films before I thought of Funny or Die, a website I already know and love that is dedicated to comedy. I want to write comedy one day so this website is kind of like an education for me. It was founded by Will Ferrell and Adam McKay (Ferrell's lesser known partner in comedy, he is usually behind the camera, writing or directing i.e. he directed Anchorman) and Chris Henchy (Brooke Shield's husband, I'm sorry thats all I know about him). It's a testament to how amazing this website and the hilarious people who work on it are, that A-List actors are constantly contributing. And people at home/aspiring filmmakers/comedy writers can contribute too!"Funny Or Die is a comedy video website (duh) that combines user generated content with original, exclusive content. The site is a place where celebrities, established and up-and-coming comedians and regular users can all put up stuff they think is funny. At the same time, the site hopes to eliminate all the junk that people have to pick through to find videos. That means around here you get to vote on what videos are funny and what videos deserve to die. Go here to find out more about our awesome, revolutionary and life-altering voting system and prepare to have your minds sufficiently blown. " (http://www.funnyordie.com/about)
Anywho here is my first video! It's called Hostage: A Love Story, starring Zachary Quinto who you may know as Sylar from Heroes or Spock from the new Star Trek movie. You can also follow his blog on MySpace. That's actually how I found out about this particular short film. Anyway, this film is about a hold-up/hostage situation that turns into a love story between the gunman (Quinto) and his hostage...SO SO SO FUNNY. I died of laughter.
Note: You might find this offensive. i.e. swearing and short sex scene.
I noticed that they applied the 180 degree rule quite nicely, particularly in the opening scene and the scene the restaurant when they are on their first date. Also, the mood of the scenes are largely reliant on the lighting used in this short film. For example, in the scene in which the gunman proposes, the lighting is very natural and appears to be sunlight reflecting the happy mood. Contrastingly, in the scene with the kids running around the house, and the couple fighting, the lighting is very dull and kind of "beige", you know, reflecting the unhappiness of the couple and the rut they have become stuck in. Then there is the scene in the dodgy bar, where the gunman is shot with red lighting across his face accentuating the seediness of the setting.
This second short stars Ed Helms from The Office (IMDB HIM!). It is called Zombie-American and sort of follows that same 'mockumentary' idea of The Office. I chose this short because it has some cool shots and I think that the make-up is really cool and it is also hilarious. I particularly like the shot of the zombie as he is reading Bill Clinton's book. As the camera looks up at him, he starts to laugh at something he reads in the book and you can see all the gross zombie-skin on
his chin crunch up...SO GROSS, but it really sells the zombieness.
OKAY so for my final short, I've chosen Prop 8 - The Musical for a few reasons. Reason 1: Musicals are the greatest things ever. 2. I think it's really interesting how they choose to stage a musical on film...like how you balance the ensemble and the individual and still tell the story. I think they achieved it in this short. 3. I think it's cool that comedians are willing to put forward their ideas in a way that is far more amusing and approachable than what politicians can/do.4. Neil Patrick Harris is awesome.
I just thought I'd throw in a quick plug for the website design here too. Last semester in Writing For the Web, we learnt a lot about what makes a good website. This one meets a lot of the criteria. It's really easy to navigate your way through, its visually interesting but not crowded, it's interactive (blog, forums) and it's NOT totally overcrowded with irritating ads. It's simple, but effective. That sounds ike such a cliche BUT IT IS HARD TO DO.
Some other videos to watch on Funny or Die :
Bang, Blow and Stroke.
Cam Gigandet vs. Twilight Fans
Image References: (in order of appearance)
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