Tuesday, May 21, 2024

Buster Keaton: the art of the gag




Before Edgar Wright and Wes Anderson, before Chuck Jones and Jackie Chan, there was Buster Keaton, one of the founding fathers of visual comedy. And nearly 100 years after he first appeared onscreen, we’re still learning from him. Learn about the artistry (and the thinking) behind his gags.


"Tragedy is a close-up; comedy, a long shot."

Discuss this quote from Buster Keaton



Watch:

The Art of the Gag

Three elements of Keaton’s filmmaking mentioned:

Fra_____

Acr_____  and st_____

Pos_____

1. The first thing you need to know about visual comedy is....

2. How did Keaton avoid title cards?

3. what does the word "convey" mean?

4. Keaton believed each ______ a comedian did should be unique.

5. What was the second problem Keaton dealt with?

6. How did Keaton find the right angle?

7. What takes up most of the frame in the first angle?

8. Why exactly does the second angle work better?

9. What are the rules of Keaton’s world? 

10. What is his number one Law?

11. Why did Keaton often place the camera back?

12. What were "impossible gags"? 

13. Why did Keaton give "impossible gags" up?

14. What is a "call back"?

15. What is an "accidental gag"?

16. What was Keaton's most famous rule?






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