Episodic Sitcoms

When I think of episodic sitcoms I like to think of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.

First off all, what is an episodic sitcom?
--In episodic sitcoms the story is told and finished within one episode, with many stories being told within a season. Each episode raises a question, and then answers it at the end of that same episode. They start and end pretty much of where they started in the episode. Lessons are learned but characters seem to stay about the same. These episodes are almost formulaic, almost to the point of being predictable.

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia is the best example of an episodic sitcom I can think of. In Sunny the "gang" always has some kind of scheme that is thought of at the beginning of the episode (usually provoked by some kind of challenge one person will present to another, like in the episode "The Gang Dances Their Asses Off", or they may actually see a problem with society that they try to solve, like in the episode "The Gang Solves the Gas Crisis") and through many comedic attempts and failures (usually due to everyone screwing each other over) nothing ever ends up right in the end.

One of Charlie's many schemes

This formula is the same in almost all of the episodes. They end exactly where they started out. And with every new episode, consequences are rarely brought over from episode to episode. The best part about Sunny is the fact that the characters ALWAYS stay the same. Throughout the series they all remain ignorant but lovable assholes.

The Three Main Shots as seen in Anchorman

There are 3 types of basic shots: the long shot (LS), the medium shot (MS), and the close up (CU). These shots are used in every movie. To demonstrate what they look like and how they are used in context I picked the movie Anchorman.

The long shot is the orientation shot. It shows where we are in the world of the movie. It also connotes sadness, loneliness, and isolation.

In this long shot we see Ron Burgundy. He has been fired. He is a lost soul in this part of the movie. He almost has no reason to live. The long shot helps show this by making it seem as if Ron is lost in a huge a crowd people. He's lost in the crowd as we see and he his lost in his own life journey. The long shot also helps emphasize the sadness in Ron's life.

The medium shot is the information shot. It helps show relationship information.

In this medium shot we see the Channel 4 news team before they begin battle with the other new stations. The information presented to us is who is carrying what weapon...it also helps  show every one's confusion and helps pose the question: "Brick where'd you get a hand grenade?"

The last shot is the close up. The close up is the important detail shot. It helps convey feeling and emotion.



This close up on Champ is definitely showing his feelings and emotions. The feelings and emotion that are being conveyed are confusion, fear, and concern...as to why he woke up that morning and literally shit a squirrel.