I am conducting visual research in to examples of slapstick comedy to get ideas for the type of actions and animations my character will be involved with, and one such source is Charlie Drake. He was considered very much the top of the slapstick genre during the 1950s.
I found this very amusing clip on YouTube that I will be examining:
In this clip he is at what looks like a dinner party, and is wearing a very thick mosquito net over his face, presumably because he is afraid of mosquitos. The man sitting next to him assures him that there are none out at sea (revealing they must be on a boat).
A couple of seconds later, you can hear a buzzing sounds and Charlie exclaims "Hello, one's got through!" and then jumps out of his seat with a spatula in his hand. He then slowly works his way around the table bashing, seemingly at the mosquito, and in the process smashing the plates and making ruining all of the food. The way he hits down on the table is very exaggerated and compliments this physical style of comedy. The outrageous nature of the act is also the funniest part of the clip. The pieces of food that are sent flying, covering himself and the guests is another important element.
My animation:
This idea could be useful for my animation. While the hitting might be slightly too violent, the mess created by the food could be considered naughty without being too bad, and is good for comic effect. Perhaps rather than smashing up food my character could accidentally spill some food over another character or object in an over the top comedic manner.
