This post continues five-part series on comedy editing and how I learned to cut comedy working with editor Dann Cahn on The New Leave it to Beaver series.

1. Reactions are critical

On one episode, ten-year-old Ollie – the new “Beaver” played by John Snee – got a tractor going and plowed it into a partially constructed house. Many cameras yielded many takes of the one-time action but no reactions of Ollie. Dann caught this omission and brought it up to the director. The director agreed but said it was too late — there was no time to go back to the location. “Put him in a chair,” Dann persisted. So a small crew went outside the sound stage, hoisted the boy in a chair above their heads, and wiggled it from side to side against the sky while the camera caught him in a close-up. When cut in, his reactions made all the difference in the scene.

2. Rule of Three

Usually you show three instances of something – say a guy choosing a tie for a date – before you pay if off with him leaving in his selection. Three’s funny, and the viewer stays with it and can remember it; four or more is not – unless the cuts are very short. How does this work? The first tie – the set up – should be funny, the second tie – reinforcing the first – funnier, and the third tie – the punchline or payoff – the funniest – and often the most unexpected.

The comic rule of three most often arrives in three verbal beats:

Example 1: “I celebrated Thanksgiving in an old-fashioned way. I invited everyone in my neighborhood to my house, we had an enormous feast, and then I killed them and took their land.”  Jon Stewart

Example 2: “There was a priest, a rabbi, and a minister…”

Example 3: “I used to be Snow White…but I drifted.”  Mae West

The pause in the middle after Snow White serves as the second beat.

So the rule of three depends on rhythm – timing – whether you’re telling a joke or a story or editing a joke or story.

In these two scenes from 30 Rock you can see the Rule of Three exploited and commented on and how a joke can escalate to be, well, killer.

3. Importance of comedy

If you can cut comedy, you can cut anything because you understand timing – extending moments – time – and shortening it. As with any genre of cutting, you cut from your gut, simultaneously functioning as a creator and the audience. You learn to breathe with the footage and to sense when the materials needs to be snappy, take a breather, show people connecting or separating, etc.

I believe the best comedy comes from actors being real and reacting in a human way to situations. This adds depth and meaning to the comedy and cements the audience appreciation and response. A lot of times you can show hard truths about the human condition, political issues and social mores and reach more people through comedy than drama or documentary. Here are few examples which spring to mind: M*A*S*H, Murphy Brown, The Office, South Park, Monk, Blazing Saddles, Some Like it Hot, Four Weddings and a Funeral, La Cage aux Folles, Tootsie, Best in Show, and Mrs. Doubtfire.

Stay tuned for Part 3: Multi-cam, and single cam.

admin Editing practices, Editor’s role, Television