There are cultures around the world that believe, or have believed, that the camera captures the soul in a very real way. Candid moments caught within the frame of a camera, at first glance, may not seem to illicit such logic, but given the right moment, you can capture the very essence of someone in a photograph. Of course, finding that perfect moment is problematic, and one of the biggest driving forces behind the art of photography. The invention of the motion picture camera allows for thousands of images, therefore making that perfect moment easier to find. This is what seems to be at work with Scott Moran‘s web series Comedian Screen Tests.
Scott Moran is a filmmaker and comedian that has already profiled comedians in a very introspective, unique way with his Modern Comedian web series. Moran has a knack for finding the story behind what makes some of the best comedians of the 21st century so unbelievably funny. That’s why Comedy Central has him doing behind the scenes interviews for this season of The Half Hour.
Moran ventured further on this quest to find the essence of some of our favorite comedians, including Jim Gaffigan, Kristen Schaal, Hannibal Buress, Rory Scovel, and more by just letting them stand in front of a camera sans audio for 3-5 minutes. In that time, they do whatever they feel like doing and the result is Comedian Screen Tests, a fascinating look into their psyche and their undeniable identity as a comedian. It’s best to think of these screen tests as a gallery of comedian portraits that are seemingly happening in real time.
Which comedians would you like to see do one of Scott Moran’s screen tests? Let us know in the comments below.
Always love this stuff. Like Andy Warhol’s Screen Tests: http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=warhol+screen+tests