YouTube Assignment: The Landlord

This video is from the "Funny or Die" website. In the video, the main character's landlord confronts him after he fails to pay his rent. Comedy ensues as the tenant makes excuses and the landlord, a four year old girl in a princess costume, continues to badger him.

The majority of the shots are medium shots, which are good for setting up the scene and introducing characters. When the landlord knocks, a long shot captures the entire hallway to the door. During the conversation between Pearl the landlord and the tenant, over the shoulder shots support the back and forth exchange. No shot holds too long, and generally a shot only focuses on a character long enough for them to finish their lines.

What "works" in this piece is the flow of the shots along with the comedic dialogue. I like how when the tenant opens the door, the viewer doesn't expect the camera to pan down to a small child. Also, looking down upon something generally symbolizes disrespect, but in this case, Pearl is the one looking up and is disrespecting the tenant, which I think enhances the comedic effect. Lastly, the over the shoulder shot is the perfect shot for conversation.

What I don't like and think should be changed is the length of the piece. It could be shorter and get to the point, rather than extend the conversation a little too much.

URL : http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/74/the-landlord-from-will-ferrell-and-adam-ghost-panther-mckay?rel=player