Horace and Pete in MLA

For those of you who listen to Why is This a Thing?, you know that we have been reviewing an online web series called Horace and Pete, created by Louis C.K. For my final essay in a cinema studies class, I convinced my teacher to let me write about this glorious show. Rather than let this incredible essay go to waste by merely effecting my grade, I decided to post it on the web for all of you to read. Here it is:

Introduction. Horace and Pete is a television show created by, produced by, and starring comedian Louis C.K. It also stars Steve Buscemi, Alan Alda, Jessica Lange, and Edie Falco. Louis C.K. juxtaposes the show’s format to illuminate the struggles to resist change–the set design, as well as other elements of the mise-en-scene, gives the feel of going to the theater to see a stage play. When this is displayed next to the fact that the only way to access the show is through online purchase and download, we see the irony. The camera angles work in tandem with the set designs and blocking to give the impression that you are at a show, and without the camera, the newest form of media would not exist. These two complete opposite forms of media on the spectrum are balanced so well by the use of the camera, which is ultimately the bridge between the old media and the new.

Set and Cameras. The set design of the show is very simple. There are generally speaking two sets that the show uses. One is the bar, which is an open area. The bar is set up so that we generally see the bar from one angle, head on, as if the bar is on stage. We rarely see behind the bar, which creates a visual barrier from the scene. By restricting access to certain places within the bar, it makes us feel the same way that we might in a theater–as if we are a simple patron that is just getting a glimpse of their life behind the scenes from the corner of our eye.

This element of the show is only disrupted on occasion with a few medium shots or close-ups. Most often, these shots occur when the bar patrons are having conversations. The camera is often angled slightly upwards at the bar patrons, implying they are somehow above the main characters. Their conversations are outside of the main plot, but usually have to do with the main themes of the episode. The camera shots focused on them is meant to allude to the modern techniques used in film and television, and the bar patrons are supposed to represent the viewers of the show, and the many different perspectives they may bring.

There is one particular close up, found in episode three, that is instead meant to allude to that of a “limelight” technique used in theater. Episode three is entirely comprised of a conversation between Horace and his ex-wife. The episode opens with a nine-and-a-half minute close-up on her face, and she has a monologue with absolutely no context or interruption. This is meant to remove all distractions from everything except her dialogue. The show masterfully uses the camera to recreate this technique and introduce a very important character as well as important themes and plot points for the show. Only after nine-and-a-half minutes do we see Horace, sitting next to her.

The second set of the show is the upstairs. This is Horace and Pete’s home, and is again constructed like the bar where we only generally see if from one angle. The upstairs tends to follow the “three-camera set-up” which was created by Lucille Ball. Instead of alluding to theater, the upstairs tends to act as early sitcom television shows did. This makes sense, because it is entering the personal life of the characters, and this tends to be where the romantic or personal scenes take place. In episode one, this is where we see Horace kick his girlfriend out. In episode two, this is where Horace listens to his sister reveal to him that she has cancer, and this is also where we see one of Horace’s “romantic fantasies” occur in his mind, which really shows his awkward nature. These personal scenes have to occur upstairs because that is his personal space, and the three-camera set-up works best for this.

By using the camera in harmony with the set design, Louis C.K. is able to elicit the appropriate blend of old and new media. The set allows for a very versatile use of camera techniques, and he explicitly avoids many of them to give the feel of a stage play, only using the changes in camera angles and close-ups when it enhances the show, or if absolutely necessary.

Blocking and Cameras. Another important feature of the show is the blocking. While in most television shows, they try to avoid having the characters face backwards, in this show, the actors at times may not even be facing the camera. In episode one, early on there is a scene in which Pete (Steve Buscemi) is having an argument with Horace (Louis C.K.) about the towels behind the bar. During this argument, the two characters are standing straight on from the camera, so that Horace is in the background almost behind Pete, and Pete is facing Horace, away from the camera. For television, this would be very discomforting, but in this show it gives an element of that stage play feeling.

It is also very common to see characters having conversations sitting next to each other or across from each other. The way the camera acts during these conversations differs on occasion. When the conversation is occurring between Horace and another main character, they are usually sitting across from one another, and the camera tends to stay wide on both of them. This again is meant to give the feel of watching two actors on a stage. The conversations also tend to be more drawn out, and tend to have longer “theatrical” breaks between dialogues.

During the scenes with the bar patrons, the blocking is different. These characters all have very differing views, and so they are all placed next to each other, rather than facing each other. While this may be partially due to the fact that they are all sitting at a bar, you can noticeably see the characters at the bar rarely turn to face each other. In episode one, a girl at the bar turns and asks the guy next to her what he does for a living. He explains that he works in law, and when she is unimpressed, you can physically see him turn his body away from her, and avert his eyes. Any time that characters in the show have differing views, in fact, they are placed next to each other instead of across from each other. In episode two, Horace sits at a park bench with his daughter. They, as we learn, do not get along very well, and soon enough they begin to argue while continuing the trend of sitting next to each other. By doing this, Louis C.K. is able to “display” different points of view without implying a bias–both points of view are next to each other, and balanced.

Often, the points of views that Louis C.K. displays are representative in nature of old vs. new. Conservatism versus liberalism, and tradition versus change are central to the plot of the show. This theme is the main reason that Louis C.K. films the show the way he does–he is showing the argument between old media and new media.

Format and Editing. The argument of old media versus new media is also very evident in the way that the show is put together and edited. The fact that there is editing at all is generally evident of the new media format–camera cuts and angles are generally a new form of media. But the format of the show tries to be as theatrical as possible: the episode lengths range anywhere from thirty minutes to over an hour. This is meant to be like a play–an act or scene of a play will take as long as it takes, and is not subject to a time limit. Another obvious aspect of the theatrical mindset behind the show is the use of intermissions. Each episode has an intermission thrown into the middle, which gives the feeling of a play or an old movie. Louis C.K. even goes as far as to end episode five by displaying a title card reading “End of Act I”. This clear allusion to theater displays his intentions.

Overall, it is important not to forget that this show is a product of new media. It uses high-tech cameras, and cost Louis C.K. over $2 million out of his own pockets, and that was after the outside funding he received. The show is also a web series, and is only available for direct download online. This is about as “new media” as a show can be, and it is just as important an element of the show as is the theatrical mindset behind it.

Conclusion. Horace and Pete is a perfect blend of old and new media, and uses the two complimentarily. The technologies and techniques of new media allow Louis C.K. to make a statement about the struggles of humans to avoid change. He does this by pitting the new media technology against old media techniques, and creates a wonderful mish-mash of comedy gold. While the set design and blocking of the scenes tend to follow old media traditions, it is really the use of the camera that allows us to see the show through this old media lens.