Staging is one of the principles of animation, and the word gets used for both scene layout and character posing. I have created a new video about staging for visual comedy, and it is primarily concerned with scene layout, or composition and motion in shots. There are many great books and videos about composition in film. Most are filled with beautiful examples from famous cinematographers, and we can all learn a lot from them. But there is precious little available on comedic staging. Are there funny ways to arrange and move your characters in a scene?
I have spent a lot of time watching comedies, and I have identified several kinds of staging that re-occur in live action and animated films. These are shots that rarely happen in dramatic films. These are upstaging, peek-a-boo, pass through, awkward sets, and crowded spaces. Please watch the video, and in the comments below I would love to get more suggestions. If and when I get to revise the Comedy for Animators book, I will include a new chapter on this topic.
I would very much appreciate subscriptions to my YouTube channel. I hope to start producing these videos more often.