Depok-Multimedia Broadcasting study program, Vocational Education Program, Universitas Indonesia (UI), held a “Directing Masterclass: Living Like in a Horror and Comedy Film” on February 27, 2025. This event presented Fajar Nugros, a seasoned director known for various horror and comedy works in Indonesian films. Some of his works include Cinta Brontosaurus (2013), Yowis Ben (2018), Inang (2022), and the film Perempuan Pembawa Sial which will be released this year. Taking place at the UI Vocational Auditorium, this event was enthusiastically attended by various audiences, especially Multimedia Broadcasting study program students who will face the Short Film Production course in the upcoming semester.
As a filmmaker who has been around the Indonesian film industry, Fajar Nugros shares his experiences and deep insights into two seemingly opposing genres—horror and comedy. But, according to him, both have many similarities in terms of building tension and emotional reactions from the audience.
In his presentation, Fajar explained that horror and comedy films actually have similar structures. Horror films work by building tension before reaching a climax, while comedies use the same technique to construct punchlines. He described horror as “serious jokes,” because fear can only arise if the element of surprise is maintained. Likewise, in comedy, laughter will not occur if the audience can already guess the plot.
“Horror is like a joke, if everything is clear, it won’t make you nervous anymore. Meanwhile, comedy is a funny way to communicate to convey something serious,” he said.
The discussion then turned to the reasons why horror and comedy films are so popular with Indonesian people. According to him, horror has its own appeal because of the mystical cultural elements that are still strong in Indonesia, making supernatural stories feel close and real. Meanwhile, comedy is popular because it reflects everyday life that is close to Indonesian society.
(Photo: Fajar Nugros shares his experience in making a quality film product with students)
From a technical perspective, Fajar discusses various important elements in directing a horror film. He emphasizes the importance of frame composition that can create a sense of unease, the use of sound design to build atmosphere, and how camera movement and lighting can increase tension. In horror films, the main character is usually positioned to face their greatest fear, and this is what becomes the emotional appeal for the audience.
Meanwhile, in comedy films, the success of a scene depends heavily on timing. Jokes delivered too fast or too slow can lose their effect. In addition, aspects such as fast editing, blocking and actor movement, and the use of color and music are also important elements in building a comedic atmosphere. Fajar Nugros emphasized that comedy is not just about funny dialogue, but also about how the director plays with the audience’s expectations of a situation.
In addition to discussing the directing aspect, he also gave tips on writing a screenplay. Fajar emphasized the importance of capturing the audience’s attention from the start with an interesting story and maintaining the element of surprise until the end. “A director must master the rhythm of storytelling. Like in making a horror film, we build tension, while in a comedy film we build a punchline,” said Fajar. As is known, the highest-grossing Indonesian films of all time are dominated by horror films, such as KKN di Desa Penari (2022), a comedy film Warkop DKI Reborn: Jangkrik Boss! Part1 (2016), horror comedy movie story Agak Laen (2024).
In closing, Fajar reminded that enjoying a film should be a flowing experience. “As an audience, let go of all expectations and let ourselves be carried away by the film. Because in the end, films are made to entertain,” he advised. For students, films can be a place to pour fresh ideas into creative works that can be commercialized.
Director of UI Vocational Education Program, Padang Wicaksono, S.E., Ph.D, said that the presence of industry practitioners among students is proof that UI Vocational is trying to facilitate them with a curriculum that suits the needs of the industry. “I hope that students can absorb the knowledge provided and implement it when entering the industrial world. Hopefully graduates from UI Vocational can become filmmakers who bring Indonesian film works to compete in the international arena,” concluded Padang.
