Comparing popular comedy films

Up (2009) and Toy Story 3 (2010)

These two comedy films are both recent and very popular in comedy film ratings. The first and main thing to notice is that they are both cartoons, showing that good actors are not always essential in physical form in comedy films. The second thing you spot is that at first glance they both seem to be aimed at the children's market, but what i believe the appeal and success of these films is down to, is the fact that anyone of any age can watch and enjoy them. These films both combine fun, and touching moments but nothing too serious which attracts the large portion of comedy audiences. The difference between them is that Toy Story 3 was the third in the Toy Story series of films, meaning success was expected, this is a good technique to guarantee audiences to watch your film, this is shown by films such as Shrek and Pirates of the Caribbean. Whereas Up, was a one off, that turned out to be a hit.  

 

The Artist (2011) and School of Rock (2003)

These two comedy films are very different, and yet both very successful in their own way. School of Rock has all the common conventions of the modern comedy film, whereas The Artist goes completely against the 21st century average comedy film but this could be the reasons for it's huge success. School of Rock was a comedy film that attracted all ages of comedy fans, it is quite a predictable and 'safe' comedy to go and see because you almost know it will be funny. Whereas The Artist has not had massive audience numbers, but has dominated the awards this year, proving that it is a very good film. The reason for the lack of audience is because it is a silent, black and white movie, something that is almost unheard of these days. From these two films, the extent of differences between comedy films are shown, showing that almost anything can be a success in the comedy genre as long as it is funny.

   

Doing this will help me when i create my film, as it has taught me that there are a huge range of comedy films, meaning we can be very creative with our ideas. I have learnt that you can make films of this genre in almost any way and they could be successful, such as a cartoon or even in silence. I also now know that comedy films can be made to suit any certification, so we are free to choose any age group for our target audience.