Sherlock Jr. 02:30 and 03:38
Nearly every shot of Sherlock Jr. is beautifully framed. (The exceptions are mostly the close ups, what we would now call medium shots: generally centered, straight-on, of a single character. Often cut awkwardly into longer scenes. Standard for silent movies.)
Good composition is crucial to comedy, but comedic directors hardly seem to pay attention to it any more. (Exceptions: Wes Anderson, Brad Bird) A good composition tells you where to look, emphasizes what needs to be emphasized, and downplays everything unimportant. Necessary to make sure a joke lands. (One of the reasons I never could get into Kevin Smith movies: He doesn’t know how to frame a shot.)
I should probably be focusing more on the framing of Sherlock Jr. Maybe I’ll make a storyboard of it one day, just to study the compositions. So far, though, I’ve been basing my drawings on smaller details.
(3/43) 02:30. “The girl in the case.” For some reason, as her character is introduced, she feeds this dog what appears to be a brownie. Possibly a reference to the fact that she works in candy shop? Or just a weird throwaway.
(4/43) 03:38. “The local sheik.” Apparently “sheik” used to be slang for “a very charming man.” This particular charming man is currently turning out his pockets.
