Timing and Comedy

Timing have a very important place in comedy films, it is in every comedy elements and film techniques. According timing, that can strong the comedy effect.

“Comic timing is the use of rhythm, tempo and pausing to enhance comedy and humor. The pacing of the delivery of a joke can have a strong impact on its comedic effect, even altering its meaning; the same can also be true of more physical comedy such as slapstick.

A beat is a pause taken for the purposes of comic timing, often to allow the audience time to recognize the joke and react, or to heighten the suspense before delivery of the expected punch line. Pauses, sometimes called "dramatic pauses" in this context, can be used to discern subtext or even unconscious content — that is, what the speaker is really thinking about.“(1)

"Comedy need aftertaste, if we cannot control the rhythm of action, audience will feel boring or noisy. When the complicate dialogs are changed the characters' body action, the film will show more clear action line, more direct and lively dialogs, at the same time, humors also nearby people."(2) 

"The rhythm of comedy actors is very important." said by a Chinese directors, Weimin Ye.(5)

"A lot of people mistake comedy as being easier than drama, but comedy is more difficult because there is a lot of timing," he said. "Instead of walking to a mark and delivering the line, we are constantly walking, running or moving as we say the lines."(3)

"The most important key to comedy is (pause) Timing. …..A proper pause can help create curiosity with an audience, give them a chance to catch their breath, build tension, then zing; you burst into the funny line, ruling the day!"(4)

"Comedy = tragedy + timing"--said by an American actor, director, screenwriter, and author, Alan Alda(4)

“The secret to good comedy is all in comedy timing.” said by a comedian Andy Williams(4)

Time is a ruler to measure the change. In the film and TV program, the shot timing become the material basis to stimulate audience's time feeling(5) 

 Because the place of timing in comedy, I need to more skilled the useful of it. About this, some people talk their suggests.

"If, for example, you pause at the right time in your delivery, you can provoke any number of positive reactions in your audience, all of which will help you be seen as an ultra funny…funny man (or woman). You could help to generate curiosity within your audience, allow them some important time in which to catch their breath, or even build tension. After this, you hit them with the punch line and—wham, zap, pop—you have them rolling in the aisles (not literally, of course)." (6)

According to the length interval, normal display is long. From the span of time, it show the exaggerate effect, and form the display of comedy....comedy film always to the exaggeration of people's motion for showing comedy elements. In generally, the exaggeration of people's motion include of quick motion, slow motion, and freeze motion......(7)

For example: <The Tricky Master>, <God of Gamblers>, <All for the Winner>, <The Eagle Shooting Heroes>, <Kong Fu>.

Try to keep in mind these fundamental comedy rules that relate to the all-vital aspect of timing: Insert a pregnant pause right prior to the last word in your routine. Increase the volume of your voice prior to a sentence’s end, deliver your punch line more in the form of a question, as opposed to a statement, quicken or slow down your tempo, And alternate between shouting/whispering your line(6)

In my research, I cannot find the argument about timing, it prove that, its important place is been recognition in comedy.

Reference:

1. Jing Qi. (11/2012). Comic timing. Publish Film. 3, 35-36.

2. Ran Mu, (27/08/2010) sina, http://ent.sina.com.cn/j/2010-08-27/12153066551.shtml, 11/2013

3. Scott Iwasaki, (04/27/2012) Parkrecord, http://www.parkrecord.com/ci_20498302/park_city-contact_us, 11/2013

4. Harmon Leon, (05/08/2009) Craveonline, http://www.craveonline.com/lifestyle/articles/144554-how-to-have-amazing-comedy-timing, 11/2013 

5. Long Yu. (2008). Analysis The Long And Short Shot Rhythm In Chinese TV Sitcom. Art Education. 3, 27-28.

6. David Parlour, (09/04/2012) comedytiming, http://comedytiming.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/secret-to-comedy-timing.html, 11/2013

7. Ji Li. (2012). Talking to Exaggeration‘s Display in Hong Kong Comedy Film. Light industrial science and technology.12, 18-20.