March 27, 2017

Watch: Creating the Perfect Blend of Suffering, Sorrow, and Humor for a Tragicomedy

How do you write a story that has elements of both comedy and tragedy?

Plenty of those in the film industry have offered their commentary on the dichotomy between comedy and tragedy. Charlie Chaplin once said, “Life is a tragedy when seen in close-up, but a comedy in long-shot.” Carol Burnett said, “Comedy is tragedy plus time.” Even Aristotle speaks about these literary elements in Poetics. So, clearly the two are closely linked, but how have screenwriters used this relationship to create stories that are equally hilarious and heart-wrenching?

In this video essay, Jack Nugent of Now You See It explores the delicate dance between tragedy and comedy, how the two intermingle to not only expose and intensify one another but to expose and intensify the emotion of the audience as well.

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Source: NoFilmSchool