Conducting Comedy

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With his black tie and tails, serious expression, leading classical music, the conductor of an orchestra is the epitome of high culture. That makes him the perfect target for parody. The musicians synchronizing to every motion is why the clown can work so well with the challenge. I have found several entries that show how different comedians take different approaches. One situation, many possibilities.

This could be an animation exercise. Pick a piece of music, and animate a conductor who does his or her job in an unorthodox manner. Does he get carried away? Is she bored? Is he checking his phone while working? Below are some classic examples to broaden your exposure to this common theme.

Here is a classic example form Denis Lacombe.

What prompted this post was my viewing of “One Good Turn” starring Norman Wisdom. He happens to be wearing a tuxedo and gets mistaken for the maestro who is late for the show. He takes a clever turn by having the baton stuck to his hand and not noticing the orchestra is following him. Once he’s thrown off, he continues to milk the situation for comedy.

And here is Weird Al Yankovic with a surprisingly physical turn.

Rowan Atkinson has his version:

Jerry Lewis starts to seem mild in comparison to some of these.

Mickey Mouse in the famous Disney short, “The Band Concert”.

Do opera singers have conductors? Bugs Bunny will make it happen.

And thanks to Matt Moses, I am adding this from the great Victor Borge:

My Little Pony and Commedia dell ‘arte

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Youtube user Gimrak created this interesting comparison of My Little Pony characters to those found in the Italian commedia dell ‘arte. The rennaisance theater known as the commedia dell’arte gave the world a cast of characters that is still considered the foundation for archetypes in comedy. It was a robust style of theater worthy of the attention of animators.

While I very much appreciate anyone who takes the time to bring classic comedy education to animation, I would like to add my thoughts to his. I have no doubt he knows My Little Pony way better than I do, but I have researched the commedia pretty well.

His comparison of Fluttershy to Pedrolino is convincing. As is comparing Pinky Pie to Arlecchino. Trixie is clearly a braggart coward like Capitano.

However, the Italian Dottore (doctor) is more a fool than the pony counterparts he invokes. Discord, in MLP, seems to hold the role of a leading villain, which is more than lower/middle class Pulcinella would ever assume. He refers to zanni as a female character. The original Zanni was male, and later the name was extended to a class of characters.

I was unfamiliar with Flavio and Vittoria, probably because they are lesser known members of the inamorata, (the lovers) so I was glad to learn a little something about them. I hope that this video and post will inspire those in animation to learn more about the roots of cartoon comedy. My book is devoted to giving those in animation a solid understanding of comedy history. Click the image at the bottom to go to Amazon. Also, I have a few other posts on the topic, HERE IS A LINK to the topic here.

Comedy for Animators on Amazon

Animated Acting: Gene Wilder

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Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka

Gene Wilder was a tremendous comic actor. I have assembled a few videos, with some text for animators to add to their understanding of comedy. This first one focuses on Wilder’s mastery of timing. While a fast pace is often conducive to comedy, knowing when to pause can help build a laugh.

Stories are about revealing character. Therefore, it goes without saying that characters are not always what they seem to be. Often they learn and grow and change. Other times, they are simply misunderstood. Wreck-It Ralph is misunderstood. He’s the “bad guy” who wants to be a hero. But sometimes, characters present themselves in a way to intentionally mislead those around them. It has become rather common in Disney films to have the real bad guy be someone nobody suspected. In Wreck-it Ralph, King Candy seems relatively harmless until it’s revealed he is out to destroy other games.

Wilder’s Wonka is a good example of a good character who misleads. He is extremely controlling, and this is one way he controls his interactions. He doesn’t want to be vulnerable. Wonka’s sudden explosion of anger at the end of the movie is a turn in the character arc that is just plain shocking. Of course, he reveals his true motives at the end of the same scene. It is not in the original book and is a brilliant moment added by the filmmakers. I assume nearly everyone reading this has seen Willy Wonka, and remembers Wonkas first appearance, when he limps out towards the crowd, then stumbles and does a flip. You can see it in my 10 Types of Comedic Entrances video. In this animated video, Wilder explains how his entrance into the movie was part of this character’s style.

For a kids movie, Wonka’s outburst is really strong and I am impressed by how he didn’t hold back. This remixed video highlights Wilder’s animated acting.

This next video observes how Gene Wilder didn’t always have to be the center of attention. He could share the spotlight in the interest of the story.

Gene Wilder died in 2016, and every television network devoted time to remember him. Here is just one of those memorials.

If you want to learn more about comedy and animation, click the image below.

Comedy for Animators on Amazon

Physically Funny Females

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Theater Licedei

In the history of comedy, funny female characters are greatly outnumbered by males. I won’t go into the historical debate about why this has been so, I just want to try to provide inspiration for animators to find new ways for women to get laughs. There is more to women in comedy than Lucille Ball.

In student animation videos women characters are often relegated to acting out a lip synced line from a romantic comedy. She’ll use girlish gestures like brushing the hair from her face. They are usually cute and appealing in VERY conventional ways.

I am here to show you how to not be conventional with your female characters. There are women in clown schools and theaters developing wonderful acts that go way beyond what animators are doing.

I was inspired to write this post when I stumbled onto some videos of women clowns from Teatr Licedei in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Licedei, BTW, means “Those who pull faces.” These women are bold pantomime comedians. The company appears to be an equal balance of men and women. I just chose the videos that feature the ladies.

In my book, I bring up “rivalry” as a comic starting point. Typically it is 2 male rivals for the attention of a female, like Popeye and Bluto. I have started to notice that when women are competing for the attention of a man, it is likely to be 3 or more. This is what happens in this next video. Note how each character has a signature way of moving.

I really like this next woman’s act. I should point out there is nothing about this act that makes it feminine. She uses the very same methods that male clowns have used for at least a century. She goes through excessive preperation for playing her tiny violin. She strikes strong poses and swings the bow with a beautiful arc. She pulls funny faces. It’s great physical performance regardless of gender.

This next one is a two part act. The first part is a parody of a ballet dance, but with some grotesque costuming. The woman does have some ballet skills, she can dance on pointe, which gives here license to get silly with the rest of it. The second part has three male clowns dealing with the leftovers of the first act.

What do you think of these acts? Would you like to see more? Do you know of any funny females you would like to others to know about? Please leave a comment below!

Frank Tashlin’s leg fetish.

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Artists and Models
Promo image for Tashlin’s movie Artists and Models

Before Tim Burton, Brad Bird and Andrew Stanton made the jump from animation to live action, there was Frank Tashlin, Looney Tunes director. Here is an interesting compilation of shots from both his cartoons and movies that illustrate his appreciation of women’s legs.

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