Watch: Buster Keaton and The Art of The Gag

We have posted a few videos from Tony Zhou’s Every Frame a Painting before, and if you’ve watched them, you know that he is a big fan of inventive use of framing to tell jokes. Recently, he took a look at one of the greatest, most influential visual comedians of all time: Buster Keaton. Zhou examines how Keaton used the camera and the frame in inventive ways that filmmakers have been copying ever since.

I’ve been on a huge Buster Keaton kick lately since I read this book with my son. (Keaton’s life is endlessly fascinating, by the way. Fun fact: He got his nickname from Harry Houdini when he was a toddler.) We watched a bunch of Keaton’s movies and gags, and they all still work. This video essay will tell you why Keaton’s incredible gags hold up so well. Check it out.