04Suppressed anger
The breaking point
The wrong time to laugh
16Symmetrical close-up of a royal palace guard in a red tunic and tall black fur hat, a pale blue butterfly resting on the tip of his nose, pastel storybook film look, static camera. 0–2s: he holds a rigid, stern expression, staring straight ahead. 2–5s: his eyes glance down at the butterfly, his lips press together, and his cheeks twitch upward. 5–6s: a brief burst of laughter breaks across his face. 6–8s: he hurriedly restores his serious face as the butterfly stays put. Throughout: a bright sunny courtyard with pastel pink walls, perfectly centered framing, locked camera.
Give the laugh a one-second window (5–6s), then make the character recover. The recovery is where the comedy is.