Domestic comedies research-Characters and storylines

By researching into typical characters in domestic comedies I could then see what type of people were used in the films. This would then allow me to develop the character profiles for my film which would help to put the rest of the film in place and create a setting for the audience to clearly visualize and understand.  

In domestic comedies families tend to be the most common characters within the genre. This is because they can relate it to real life events that the audience can relate to making the film more realistic. The families can consist of both or one parents/adults who have/haven't got children. The main characters tend to have association with each other which is the basis for the plot or story line of the films.

Brothers

In step brothers all the domestic arguing goes on within the family due to personality clashes. The brother Brennan and Dale have child like minds creating the comedy aspect of the film. The two characters quirky and unique personality is what makes the film as successful as it was as it gave the film a unique point making it something an audience could be interested in.

Family support 

Within Daddy Day Care the family are not arguing and the conflict is external. This is an alternative story route rather than the family causing the argument themselves. By taking this way of story methods the family stuck together and attempts to resolve the issues as a family. The children in the film all have some skill which could be developing and the main child called Ben struggles to make friends. By having a flaw the father wants to help overcome this so they attempt to help him grow up and make friends. Another support is from his wife when the husband is struggling with his career. By showing that the family works well together a family like this one could relate to the situation that they are in and make the film appeal to a wider audience.

Unlike the other two sets of characters mentioned above the domestic side of this film is more complicated. Their is conflict within the family as the biological father wants the woman but not the child and she is not willing to give her baby up. However, the new man on the scene is interested in both and this angers the father. The plot thickens when you see the movie through the child's thoughts and eyes. By having a domestic between the family but they don't live together makes it a complex situation but allows you to take the story in different directions. This is also a common situation in these times and it allows the audience to relate to what they characters are going through which will make people more interested in watching the film.


I have learnt that the way characters are presented is just as influential as the what the characters say and act. The character costume and make up through mise en scene can make us as an audience presume or predict what sort of people the character are. For example if they are wearing tatty clothes we will see them as poor straight away which could suggest what the story is about and why they have found themselves in the predicament that they are in. Characters can also be represented through things such as stereotypes to ensure the characters get across in the right way and make them easily understood and acknowledged in a certain way.

From looking at these characters and storylines it has allowed me to see the typical set up of a domestic comedy. I have seen that most are based around realistic situations which make it easier for audiences to relate which can make them gain interest. I think that by doing this you can reach out to a wider audience, which would make the film get more publicity.