Research-Tropes

  In any romance, there's usually a trope that is followed that creates a bit of familiarity and expectations for viewers that are either followed or broken. Tropes create a "categories'' for viewers, on how they like their romance films and also drives the overall plot. I wanted to really understand what tropes are practiced are used to capture the romantic atmosphere. Popular, and common tropes that take place in most films are  friends to lovers, opposites attract, forbidden love, second chance, misunderstandings and obstacles, enemies to lovers, love triangles and happily ever after.  Out of these, three spoke to me because one, I enjoy these tropes myself and two I can relate in some type of way. By doing and exploring tropes that have more persona meaning to me, I feel I can go about my project more passionately.

Friends to Lovers

  In this trope, two best friends who have known each other usually for a long time start to fall in love in love with one another. This trope is a slow burn as the couples relationship shifts from platonic to romantic, but this shift involves common challenges or fears that the main characters must overcome. In the friends to lovers trope, a common fear both characters have is jeopardizing or losing their friendship if feelings are not the same or if the relationship doesn't work out. This trope involves deep emotions from both sides of characters as they both deeply care for one another. An example of a film that uses this trope is, "Past Lives". 
 

Forbidden Love

  The trope of forbidden love, I feel can be a powerful and deep trope. Here both characters, may "live two different worlds", as they are separated by, societal, cultural expectations that might have been placed on them from family due to class or upbringing. This trope brings two different lifestyles together through main characters romance and may involve many challenges whether it's external or internal. In this trope the relationship can only come to life if both characters come together and rebel against others' opinions and judgements. This need to fight can cause trouble in the relationship if someone isn't willing to, bringing up questions. A movie where two characters were divided by class was the "Titanic".

Second Chance

  Unlike other tropes, this trope spins back a relationship from the past. In this trope characters come back together from a past relationship they had with each other which could have not worked due to many scenarios such as being too young, school, starting a career moving away and more. Emotions like regret, guilt and yearning are all overcame through this trope as characters are willing to, forgive. understand one another and work on past mistakes that could have hurt the relationship. A popular and well known example of this, is "The Notebook" where Allie and Noah rekindle their relationship after parting ways when they were younger.

Reflection

  After taking a closer look into each of these tropes, I think I really like the idea of ''forbidden love" as it resonates with me personally. It's a trope that can be relatable to many people of strong cultural identity and upbringing, especially while also trying to fit in society. I find this trope moving as it shows the real pressures and struggles that are not always touched upon in romances.

Sources: 

https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/what-is-a-romance-trope-definition/

https://nofilmschool.com/romance-movie-genre

Research- Conventions of Romantic Drama

Welcome back everyone!

  To get on a deeper level after analyzing successful film openings , I really wanted to understand what effect these visual components had on film openings and how it adds meaning to film and what conveys that a film is a romantic drama. I started asking myself questions like, "What conventions are used for romantic dramas?", "What do colors communicate to a viewer?" and " What type of Mise-En-Scene is appropriate for romantic dramas?  These types of questions will put me in the right direction as it will help me make my opening cohesive and on theme. If these factors are not considered, my film opening can become confusing and create less meaning. I wanted to get a better idea of how these small elements impact our psyche as they subconsciously play into our emotions.

 

Mise-En-Scene

  In romantic dramas lighting, costume choices, setting and props are all important as they hold up the story, and add meaning in bold or subtle ways. To start, a simple but crucial part of mise-en-scene is the setting, as it drives the overall plot, influences decisi-

ons and dialogue of characters and sets the scene. In romantic dramas, common settings are always used to force proximity, or are settings that are unpredictable and have many possibilities. Some examples of these settings that are commonly seen are iconic cities, small towns or places more deserted like boats as seen in the titanic and islands.

  As for costume choices, they are usually ordinary, casual clothes, depending on the time that the movie is made or the time the the setting takes place. For instance, from the last blog, the romance "One Day" took place in 1988 so their ordinary clothes were stylized for that era. Or another way costumes may very is through, conditions, class and through a characters personality. Referencing back to my previous post, when I analyzed ''Five Feet Apart", Stella had a G-Tube which fit her character as she had cystic fibrosis. But overall, costumes stay realistic and portray real life issues or circumstances. This applies to props as well, as they should be things you see on a daily, like books, computers, phones, flowers and etc.

  Through viewing examples of recent romantic dramas, plus researching what lighting is usually implemented into romantic dramas I found that soft lighting is a common practice as well as low contrast. Through soft lighting, a warm, more tranquil and reflective mood is made. Another way this was achieved by in some openings was through natural lighting as we saw in "My Oxford Year". I found that through using this  type of lighting,  openings seemed happy, rememberable, yet deep. The simplicity in lighting more towards the end of the openings also helped shift the mood and resemble the mindset and feelings that characters may have. 

Color Palettes Created through Mise En-Scene

 To start something that I thought was really important to note was that color palettes play a crucial part in reflecting and communicating emotions of characters to the audience. Zoyce Zhang, from the Medium, pointed out that color creates mood and atmosphere and used the film, "In the Mood for Love" to explain how Su Li-zhen’s cheongsam being red represented passion. And so this had me wondering: what can colors mean to our psyche, and how can it add meaning to a character? Well, I found a Movie Color Cheatsheet from the StudioBinder where I found out what colors are used to evoke certain emotions and I found that-

Pink- femininity, sweetness, empathy.                             
Red- hope, intimacy and sensuality
Orange- happiness, warmth, youth and sociability
Yellow- insecurity, naive, sickness
Green- ominous, nature, immaturity
Blue- melancholy, isolation, calmness

Purple- ethereal, illusionary, fantasy
 

  After looking at this list, I explored common color palettes used in romantic dramas, as emotions portrayed are usually deep and meaning full. 
Using this, I observed that warmer colors and tones of red oranges and muted blues were often used to capture intimacy, passion and happiness in many films of romance like Romeo and Juliet, Titanic and even animated films like Aladdin. As seen here from a scene in titanic colors like orange capture emotions of tranquil, happiness and youth, while tones of red infer sensuality that she may be feeling. Taking this information into account, in my opening I will aim to tactfully to incorporate and use color schemes to capture emotions through mise-en scene.

  Something I also noticed while watching these openings was that they use deeper tones using nature or objects as seen here. Both take place when the sun is just going down/coming up, almost setting the scene for the deeper emotions that would be taken into account later in the film. When creating my story board, I will take these similarities into account and use them to fit my decided genre. In my opening I will consider using shots and clips of nature to smoothly start my opening and transition into characters home life and dynamics.

 Camera Techniques 

  When it comes to romantic dramas, its all about the deep emotions, understanding characters emotions, their feelings and recognizing tension. To do this, camera techniques that create focus are utilized. Some of these techniques include using a shallow depth of field, close ups, slow pans, two shots, 3 shots to highlight facial, expressions and emotions, dialogue and chemistry. In the same way, static shots can also give insight on a character like ''Five Feet Apart" and "My Oxford year" where the camera captured snippets of things that belonged to both main characters. Establishing shots also can do this by, showing viewers where the story takes place and setting the overall atmosphere of the story.

Sound and Editing

  In the films I analyzed I recognized that openings included calm melodies, soft piano instrumentals that carried emotional depth that were layered over by a monologue. This gave insight to some of the characters, plot, and hinted at later events or feelings that would rise. In contrast, in the same openings, upbeat pop songs that showed opportunity, youth and excitement played that shifted the mood and in a way began the plot. To ensure smoother transitions of sounds fade in and outs are often used. As for the clips themselves they are usually longer takes so the audience has time to take in details, dialogue and important scenes. This way its easier to follow along and create more realness and depth.

Typography 

  Another important aspect was the typography used for the film openings. Something that was very common was the use of fonts that are usually elegant, easy on the eyes like classic serifs. These fonts capture the gentleness and intimacy that will be later present in the film. The typography is sized rather small to medium, calmly introducing actors, other important individuals and most importantly the title. This typography is also designed so that viewers are emotionally slowed down to a slower pace, this way they are able to take things one by one and understand the story. Some films that successfully did this are "A Walk to Remember", "The Notebook" and "Titanic", which are all examples of romantic drama. Therefore for my film opening, I will search for more elegant, serif fonts that accentuate serious, deep emotions.

Reflection

  Prior to researching and analyzing this genre, I didn't realize the complexity of how many elements go into it and how it generates meaning. This allowed me to explore the conventions of romantic dramas and bring me one step closer to creating my film opening project. A lot of the things I discussed today will definitely be taken into consideration when making my story board, deciding lighting, colors of clothing, props and how I will use my camera to capture emotional depth.

Sources:

https://nofilmschool.com/proactive-character-definition-examples 

https://medium.com/writing-150/as-a-form-of-visual-storytelling-cinematography-has-the-ability-to-cross-cultures-revealing-the-c27ea472edc4 

https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/how-to-use-color-in-film-50-examples-of-movie-color-palettes/ 

https://digitalsynopsis.com/design/cinema-palettes-famous-movie-colors/ 

https://gruvi.tv/post/movie-audience-demographics/ 

https://www.google.com/search?q=common+camera+techniques+used+in+romantic+drama++genres&sca_esv=e03599accdb1e70e&rlz=1C5CHFA_enUS971US972&sxsrf=ANbL-n5rJGkEt5c_j_l5-zGm3cIXySwf2g%3A1769375216223&ei=8IV2adupDaKUwbkPwoWC8Ac&ved=0ahUKEwjb4fKpzKeSAxUiSjABHcKCAH4Q4dUDCBE&uact=5&oq=common+camera+techniques+used+in+romantic+drama++genres&gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAiN2NvbW1vbiBjYW1lcmEgdGVjaG5pcXVlcyB1c2VkIGluIHJvbWFudGljIGRyYW1hICBnZW5yZXMyBRAAGO8FMgUQABjvBTIFEAAY7wUyCBAAGKIEGIkFMggQABiiBBiJBUjiF1CxDFiqE3ABeAGQAQGYAbACoAHyCaoBBzAuNS4xLjG4AQPIAQD4AQGYAgOgAp0CwgIKEAAYsAMY1gQYR8ICChAhGKABGMMEGAqYAwCIBgGQBgiSBwMxLjKgB-MdsgcDMC4yuAePAsIHBTItMS4yyAcXgAgA&sclient=gws-wiz-serp

https://www.backstage.com/magazine/article/film-lighting-techniques-76277/#:~:text=Soft%20light%20vs.,-hard%20light&text=Soft%20light%20is%20the%20use,positioned%20close%20to%20the%20subject.

Research- Analyzing Film Openings

 To kick it off, I began my research by skimming and watching through videos and trailers on Youtube to just try to understand what the genre of a romantic drama looks like in action. I watched openings of  recent and popular romances like "Five Feet Apart", "My Oxford Year" and "One Day", so I have a better idea of what my film opening should look like in reference to successful ones in films. Through this, I had fun finding similarities between openings, as I noticed some patterns across all three.

Five Feet Apart 

Cinematography- In the first about 1:30 minutes of the opening, the first scene, camera movements were very random and a little as the opening depicted personal videos of families, and made to capture the real essence of human life and connection. Along with the random camera movement, the camera was zoomed in and out very fast to capture emotions and the liveliness of each clip, supporting the monologue of the opening. In the second scene, movements turn static and are paired with close up shots as details are shown of a room and give indirect insight about the character through her surroundings. After this, the camera whip pans to the main character and captures a convo she is having with friends, still using some random movement but now pans subtly and slowing following along with dialogue along with some over the shoulder shots. It takes the audience into the scene as if they are there.

Mise-en-scene- In the first scenes the setting took place in multiple different spots that you'd see almost on a daily basis as the first clip was a baby in the hospital, then a stage with people on it, a street with a kid riding his bike, a women excepting flowers through a hospital looking room and a room full of couches and a lamp in the last clip. In these scenes people are seen to be wearing ordinary casual clothes are simple that are worn everyday. As for lighting, the lighting was soft and warm tinted and medium-high key using natural and ambient lighting. Deep, yet a soft color palette was used like oranges, blues, and pinks.

In the second scene, the setting takes place in a hospital room that is highly decorated, covered in posters, photographs, frames, cards and decorations and stuff like notebooks and pens. Here the girls are also wearing ordinary clothes like shorts and jeans. Here the lighting is a little more cool toned to represent the sterilness of the hospital but it contrasted with warm tones to show the joy that is felt by their conversation. The lighting stays                                                                                     high key here, but is overall a bit dim.

Editing and Sound- In the before the first scenes of the personal videos, a black screen was seen for a brief moment that started off a non diegetic monologue about human touch and a background uplifting music, and at the end she mentions "him". In the clips between that diegetic sound was heard from eash video played. After this, it cut to clips clip lasted for about four to five seconds each time before it cut leaving a memorable pace and ended with a black screen with the title, "Five Feet Apart". As for the second scene, when it transitions to the hospital room and cuts to photographs and details of the room each static shot is shown for two seconds before panning. After this, the scene of stella and her friends include longer takes and cuts, it make the scene feel more real and personal.

My Oxford Year

Cinematography-  In the very beginning static close up and medium shots are used to show case items and achievements, and give some insight about the main character, Anna. Some shots are followed with a slow pan to follow any sort of movement of characters as well. Mid shots introduced the main character and other important individuals. Wide shots were also used to show the atmosphere and setting of the room. a Two shots and three were also used to show other characters and dynamics. Then in the second scene of the film opening, it was cut to a establishing shot of the city of England. Then a close up shot is used to show Anna again. Then long static shot is used to show the setting as she walk around the Oxford campus. Lastly low angles, and high angles were used to show a challenge such as the stairs she had to overcome.

Mise-En-Scene- The setting in the first scene takes place in Anna's home. The lighting here is very soft, warm and natural as the color palette has gold, orange and red tones captivating happiness, and comfort as it is her home. Books, picture frames, awards, furniture, house plants, a tv and various lamps are seen throughout the house, giving a homey, welcoming and proud look. The characters in this scene are all wearing ordinary clothes.

Cutting to England the setting takes place at Oxford University, the lighting is more low contrast but still remains natural as the main character is outside in cloudy weather and makes her way into her dorm. The lighting is still fairly warm and soft. In this scene the main character including other character are wearing ordinary coats, long sleeves and sweaters indicating how the weather may be a little chilly or rainy.

Editing and Sound- In the first scene a uplifting, inspirational, instrumental music is played being anon diegetic sound. Along with this diegetic sound was heard as the mom had dialogue and the main character was packing her things. When it cuts to England, ''Make it Happen" by Laura Welsh starts playing and busy diegetic sounds of the city are heard at the same time depicting the busy city life as well as the excitement Anna carries about starting a new chapter of her life. The cuts here are more short as they follow Anna to her dorm taking viewers along with her through the University.

One Day

Cinematography- The show opening starts with a establishing shot of the city and while slowing pushing in, showing the buildings and livelihood. After that it cuts to clips close up shots of people dancing including both main characters back to back then cuts to a wide shot of people partying showing the atmosphere while pushing in downwards from a high angle. Clips of people dancing are shown through very close up shots and mid shots while panning side to side slowly and up and down. When both character bump into each other a close up is on both of them while both centered in their own shot. Then goes back to a group shot of each of them with people they know.

Mise- En-Scene- The setting takes place in Edinburgh in 1988 at night near an area that looks like a University where a party is going on. The lighting is more low-key and harder here and has artificial lighting like reds, yellow and blue as there are party lights, but is overall warm. The lighting is more uneven yet directional as some faces are lit, mostly the main characters, and other blend in. In the opening people are seen wearing suits and dresses, dresses and accessories seem a bit more dated as it takes place in 1988.

Editing and Sound- The establishing shot starts with magical, instrumental sound with diegetic sounds like a loud breeze. Over this sound the main character gives a monologue on days and how their important. Towards the end, 80's electronic dance music starts to play like "Your Love" by Jamie Principal. Cuts are fast and are shorter takes but, some scenes are put in slow motion to capture the essence and atmosphere of the party. And people's carefreeness and livelihood. When the two characters meet the cuts are back to back showing the tension between both of them.

Reflection

After analyzing these openings it was really interesting to see how they had so many similarities. All three openings started with captivating music and included monologue. All openings also seemed to give a positive mood, as color palettes were bright, and warm. In the same way, as romantic dramas capture the reality of people, their life and romance, clothes and props were ordinary. In most of the openings, insight about key characters were also given to give audiences an idea of who they are. All openings made the viewer feel calm, have empathy, and slowly get introduced to characters and settings. From watching these openings I have a better idea of how I may want to go about mine and what feeling I want to give.

Research- Sub Genres to Consider

 Now that I've picked my genre of choice, romance, I need to figure out what sub genre I want to do within it. This will give me a proper guide in how I want to structure and create my opening. After doing some searching online I came across this website which did an overview of the different sub genres. Knowing I also had interest in drama from my last blog, I aimed to search for genres that were more realistic. The two sub genres I landed on were romantic drama and romantic comedy. To have a better understanding of the two I went ahead and did a little research.

Romantic Drama-

 To me, when hearing the phrase "Romantic Drama", it felt simple but after researching the genre it seems much more complex. Romantic dramas are all about showcasing the obstacles of love so themes like forbidden love, sacrificial love, love triangles and love at first sight. Most of these obstacles are things such as family disproval, and physiological issues, separation, and even death- common issues that we may deal with even in our own lives as viewers. 

 This sub genre aims to be deep and focus on the raw emotions and challenges of characters. In most romantic dramas, there are two main characters which are faced with challenges that are also met by intimacy and passion unless situations such as a love triangle arises where there are 3 main characters. In my film, I want to avoid triangles as I want to create a bigger connection between two people.

Some examples of Romantic Dramas:

Pretty Woman- This 1990 movie is a perfect example as its about a woman named Vivian, a prostitute and a rich businessman who meet worlds after he hires Vivian for his trip to Los Angeles. On this trip the two fall for one another but run into problems as they live very different lives.

Remember Me- A 2010 film that is about a guy named Tyler who lost his brother from suicide and a girl named Ally who similarly witnessed the murdering of her mother. After meeting Ally, Tyler and her fall for one another but their romance is faced with the burden of secrets and family drama.

Romantic Comedy

Rom- coms are a favorite of mine as they strive to be something I can always rely on to give me a good laugh, yet feel swept up in the emotions of the love between the main characters. A rom com's purpose is to make the audience laugh more then cry. In comparison to romantic dramas, rom-coms are the total opposite of deep, emotion heavy themes.

In successful rom coms, both characters must be likable and have personalities that the audience can relate to. These characters' emotions and dialogue must be done in a way where the plot does not become sorrow. Romantic comedy is made in a way where a balance of romance and comedy should be practiced. Another important aspect of romantic comedy is the amount of romance tension that is kept even when comedy is presented, like those moments of a meet cute.

Some examples of Romantic Comedies:

How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days- a 2003 movie that is centered around a girl named Andie and a man named Ben who are both challenged by their respective bosses to get into a relationship for 10 days to prove their positions at work.

She's the Man- a 2008 film where a girl named Viola pretends to be her twin brother in order to play for a soccer team after her's had been cancelled. She ends up liking her roommate Duke, but has to keep her identity a secret before things get messy.

Sources:

https://nofilmschool.com/drama-genre 

https://www.imdb.com/search/title/?genres=drama&explore=genres&title_type=feature 

https://www.premiumbeat.com/blog/genre-breakdown-romance-films/ 

https://2012asgroup1.wordpress.com/2013/02/17/conventions-of-a-romantic-drama-romantic-tragedy/ 

https://www.imdb.com/list/ls052205434/ 

https://screencraft.org/blog/the-9-elements-of-all-great-rom-coms/ 

https://nofilmschool.com/romantic-comedy-definition 

https://www.premiumbeat.com/blog/rom-com-genre-filmmaking-elements/ 

https://www.imdb.com/list/ls058479560/ 

Research- Favorite Genres

 Hello!

 Today is the day I finally start to explore film as I will be doing the opening brief for my project. Going into this project I hope to create an entertaining, interesting and moving opening. For the opening, I am considering three genres of which I want to utilize and use to guide my project's editing, sound, angles types of shots, mise en scene and other important components that will help it come to life! When I think of genres I like, what usually comes to mind are my favorites like romance, drama, crime and mystery as well as thriller. And so three genres that I'd like to focus on my research out of the following are thriller romance and last but not least drama. To be able to make a reasonable yet favorable choice of genre for my project, I will be tackling each genre, getting to know the ins and outs of what makes these genres stand out from one another.

Romance:

 Romance is a genre that I personally love and enjoy and it is present in films, Tv shows, animated movies, musicals and even live performances. The romance genre focuses mainly on two characters that develop a romantic relationship throughout a piece of media. This genre is known for highlighting and and exploring feelings of intimacy, desire, passion and other emotions that come with having feelings for another person. It commonly involves situations of heartbreak, rejection, love triangles and cute first encounters that first spark the start of the relationship early in the movie.

What are Identifiable Characteristics of the Romance Genre?

 In the romance genre, the classic love at first sight is a common occurrence across the forms that this genre comes in. This is where the characters first meet through eye contact, and meet cutes. Meet cutes are usually the first encounter characters will have with each other. This gets the audiences attention and support for the potential relationship that will later form in the film. Some classic meet cutes can be seen when characters bump into one another, grab for the same item in a store, or even spilling coffee. 

Types of Meet Cutes:

• The Comedic Meet-Cute
• The Meet-Misunderstanding
• The Meet-Ungrateful
• The Meet-Thrown-Together:
• The Meet-Hate
• The Childhood Connections Meet-Cute
• The Meet-Unique-Circumstance
• The Meet-Competition
• The Missed Connections Meet-Cute

 In this genre, another characteristic that builds up film is the concept of opposites and opposition. In romances characters tend to have differences in background, lifestyle, social circles, financial stability, conflicting personalities and where they live that can reveal itself as a problem or situation that characters may have to overcome to fulfill the desire of wanting a relationship. These problems can also present themselves as interpersonal as a character might be experiencing personal growth as well. This can also create the concept of "Forbidden Love". This is where characters might not be socially accepted by other factors like culture, family and society expectations that stands as a threat to the relationship. 

 The concept of opposites and opposition present themselves as a way to test characters throughout a film/show and provides a foundation for the storyline. It works as a way to progress the plot and can reveal emotions, situations and limitations of characters. It is able to highlight and show the audience what weaknesses and strengths the relationship may have. Situations like heartbreak, isolation and rejection are some examples of weaknesses that can be triggered, yet, strengths like empathy, compassion and understanding and emotional closeness can also be discovered through these differences.

 Lastly, the most frustrating yet rewarding characteristic that stands out to audiences in this genre is the breakup and resolution stage. This characteristic is what resonates with audiences and makes romances realistic. It deepens characters relationship as they see not only the positives of one another but the negatives as well. It creates a good balance throughout a film and fuels the feeling of audiences towards the end; it inputs a sense of relief, happiness when characters come back to each other and work things out.

Classic Romance Films You've Probably Seen!

The Titanic - an 1997 film that is about a rich seventeen year old girl who falls in love with Jack a poor artist on the  RMS Titanic, a cruise ship which had historically been known to sink after crashing into an iceberg in 1912.

The Notebook - an 2004 film adapted from a novel which focuses on a boy named Noah Calhoun and Allie Hamilton who share a summer full of romance but are torn part due to differences of upbringing and class. Allie was raised in a upper class white collar family while Noah on the other hand is lower of class as he works as a lumber mill worker. Their differences and family expectations take the better of their relationship as they both go seperate ways and later reunite which sparks their relationship again after years.

A Walk to Remember- an 2002 film that takes place in North Carolina where Landon, a reckless high school student finds himself falling in love with Jamie, a religious, kind and talented girl who is forced to work with James after he finds himself in trouble needing community service hours. Through this James matures and learns from Jamie and their love.

Thriller:

 Thriller is a genre that is suspenseful, psychological, and will keep you on your toes in all its forms. Tv shows, movies you name it! There's constantly high stakes at risk causing an audience to feel anxiety and adrenaline. The key to picking out a thriller genre is usually when the main character slowly and strategically distances themselves from people who they once love and trusted and transition into a character who is always at risk and being threatened or even vise versa; the main character could be the antagonist in turn. That's the fun part about thrillers-you never know what to expect!

What makes a Thriller feel Thrilling?

 In thrillers, suspense is a crucial factor that makes up films/tv shows as thrillers are supposed to evoke emotions in the audience purposely and tactfully. Suspense makes the audience stay on edge and engrosses the audience to pay attention throughout as viewers never know what's coming next. Suspense is created in many ways as filmmakers aim to play with pacing, sound and silence, narrators and cinematography.

 Some common themes used among thrillers that have been used to hook viewers are heists, ransoms, kidnappings, revenge, captivities investigations and 'whodunits". This involves murders, terrorism, political conspiracy, serial killings, people in pursuit and more. As for typical types of characters that can be seen are stalkers, victims, criminals, assassins, secret agents, cops, investigators, psychotic individuals. These type of themes and characters make thrillers come to like but are only part of the thrill viewers feel.

 Thrillers are supposed to be exciting, daunting and unpredictable so to do that, there are certain elements used. Some of these elements include the use of plot twists and cliff hangers which keeps and audience engaged throughout the movie. This also overall keeps the plot interesting and entertaining for viewers. It steers viewers away from any predictions they might have had previously.

 To capture a successful thriller, the structure is important. In most thrillers the structures follow this sequence: order, threat, escalation, confrontation and resolution. In a thriller resolutions are often unsettling and ambiguous, leaving an impact on the viewer. These endings usually give viewers and character some sort of agency back, but still are left with heavy emotions. Here some sort of truth might be discovered or the main character might be facing processing what they went through.

Popular Thriller Films!

The Dark Knight- a 2008 film about the Joker and his destruction over the city of Gotham, where popular DC super heroes like Batman, James Gordon and Harvey Dent work together to stop him from taking over.

Fight Club- a 1999 film where an insomniac office worker named Edward Norton and a soap worker named Tyler Durdmen come together to make an underground fight club for themselves and other men who find themselves bored. 

Kill Bill- a 2003 film about a former assassin named The Bride who wakes up from a 4 year old coma after her ex decided to attempt to murder her on her wedding day. This leads to her making a hit list for anyone who took part in the challenges she had to face.

 

Drama:

 Drama is another genre I personally enjoy, as it captures the daily struggles and joys of everyday life. Whenever I watch drama films I feel like it's when I can relate the most. Drama's overall aim is to capture real conflicts, real emotions and show the journey of characters of them understanding themselves, family, the world, growing up and grief. This genre is very broad while it often is mixed with other genres as most genres require, conflict, character development and some sort of relatability with the audience.

What makes Drama Dramatic?

 In order to capture reality, this genre uses characters that would be seen on the regular in anyone's life. This can be neighbors, family, school or work peers, and even local workers depending on the plot. Therefore, most settings or developments will go down in those places like school, home, or another local area known to characters.

 Because drama is so flexible yet complex, most topics in drama aim to highlight issues of society, or internal struggles. Some common topics covered by this genre include, poverty, racial injustice, politics, mental illness, gender inequality, and even corrupt insititutions. These are only the surface of what drama topics include. This genre has the capability to get very detailed and deep, opening viewers hearts to situations creating understanding and empathy.

 In any drama obstacles are key to the development of a story and character. Obstacles can be revealed through big physical feats to even really small ones. This is mainly because drama focuses on the everyday small struggles we may have, like frustrations with work, a partner and bigger things like addiction. This is also why words, dialogue and body language and facial expressions of characters are extremely important.

Highly Rated Drama Films!

Marty Supreme- a 2025 film about Marty Mauser a man who is a shoe salesman who wishes to be table tennis world champion. To do this though, Marty must pull some strings and avoid trouble.

Wake up Deadman- a 2025 film about a detective named Benoit Blanc who investigates the death inside of a church of a man named Monsignor Jefferson Wicks who has a past full of spiritual and family secrets.

Reflection

 After looking over and researching these genres, the genre I am most drawn to is the romance genre. I feel I am most drawn to it as I, myself love sitting down and be able to watch characters not only navigate their paths together but their own as well. After understanding the key elements that make up a romance film, I will aim to use these elements such as the "Meet Cutes" in my own film to create that first indication that viewers get that spark the connection of both characters that would be later seen in the film if I were to do a complete version. As drama was also very appealing, due to its flexibility, I thought drama would somehow end up as a sub genre of romance in my final project. Thriller was too fun researching about as I didn't know that so many elements were implemented, but as someone who doesn't enjoy thriller as much as saw this as my third favorite out of the three. Therefore for my film, I will follow the romance genre!

Sources:

https://nofilmschool.com/romance-movie-genre 

https://www.indieshortsmag.com/articles/2024/05/100-adorkable-meet-cute-moment-ideas-to-inspire-your-next-romantic-comedy-film/ 

https://www.mandy.com/magazine/article/romance-genre-explained-79192/ 

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120338/plotsummary/ 

https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/theatre-news/news/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-notebook-on-broadway 

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0281358/ 

https://nofilmschool.com/thriller-genre-definition 

https://www.sterkinekor.com/article/the-art-of-creating-tension-in-thriller-films 

https://uvotv.com/blog/the-anatomy-of-a-thriller-movie-genre/ 

https://www.imdb.com/search/title/?title_type=feature&genres=thriller&sort=num_votes,desc