Did you laugh in movies like The Hangover or Bridesmaids or Anchorman or Old School? I did. A lot, actually. But they’re not nearly as funny as some of Edgar Wright’s movies like Hot Fuzz, Shaun of the Dead and so on. Why? Because they’re visually funny too.
Tony Zhou reveals how Wright uses every directing tool to his disposable and controls the entire frame to make a movie funny. It’s not just two people telling jokes like in lazy American comedies but a complete comedy movie designed to be both laugh out loud hilarious and subtly ticklish in every imaginative way possible.
Like making light of things entering or exiting the frame in funny ways, matching scene transitions, syncing action to music, using sound effects perfectly, etc. They’re all visual tricks used to make a movie funnier without telling more jokes.
