Hey there blog readers! Welcome back to my blog.
Recently, I've been kind of stressing. As you'll come to find out, I am a perfectionist. I can’t help it, but sometimes (most of the time), the OCD in me just takes over. I really want this film opening to be perfect and I honestly have NO IDEA what I want it to be about yet. My group and I have gone over a few ideas, but nothing is really speaking to me. You know? The first place we’re supposed to start while creating this opening is picking a genre. Now, while we haven't decided on a specific genre yet, I personally am leaning more towards the genre of drama. To understand more about this genre and what it entails I did my research.
What is the Genre of Drama?
Drama is the genre that consists of real life situations and realistic characters. A dramatic film will show the journey of its characters through the use of climatic, and heartfelt scenes. In my research I found that most drama’s contain sub-genres. Some common drama sub-genres are: melodrama, courtroom drama, and romance.
Conventions of Drama: Content and Production Techniques
When researching about the conventions of Drama I saw from multiple sources that when it comes to content, the heart to every drama is conflict. A conflict does not necessarily mean there is a physical fight. Conflicts within most dramas revolve around the inner/outer struggles of the protagonist of the film. The protagonist of a drama tends to be someone who generally, is easy to relate to. To ensure that the film evokes emotions from that of its viewers, writers make the protagonist someone who is also easy to sympathize/empathize with. The protagonist of the film mainly depends on the target audience, as it will most always be someone who the specific target audience can relate to most. Some important production techniques found in drama’s are sound, location, and mise-en-scene. All of these technique add to the overall development of the film. By the end of most drama’s, the character will come to some form of realization and resolution. The endings of dramatic films are usually grand so that they will create a lasting impression on the viewers.
Institutional Conventions: How is Genre Marketed?
Another big aspect to ANY film is how it is marketed. In my research, I found that, like most films, drama's are marketed through the use of trailers and teasers. Trailers use bits and clips from the film to give a short preview of it, while not giving away TOO much about the film. Doing so causes viewers to hopefully want to see more of the film. Teasers, are very similar to trailers in that they do give previews of the film; however, they tend to be short, but more lengthy scenes from the film as opposed to bits of clips from it.
Now that you are drama experts I am going to share with you some of my favorite dramatic films...
FILM #1: Fight Club
Not only is this 1999 film one of my all time favorites, it is also a perfect embodiment of a drama. To begin, you’ll find that the main characters of the film are very easy to sympathize/empathize with. Not only are the characters easy to feel for, the heart of this film is definitely conflict. When I say this, you'll assume because of the title having the word “fight” in it that I am talking about a physical conflict. However, the main conflict of the story is internal and revolves around the protagonist. The first character you will meet is the unnamed protagonist who is played by Edward Norton. The protagonist suffers from depression and insomnia. Throughout the film, the protagonist struggles with dealing with insomnia and his own internal problems. The character is advised by a doctor to attend a support group to help deal with the insomnia, and although the support group does start to help it isn’t until the unnamed protagonist meets the character Tyler Durden that he inevitably ends up dealing with his problems by the end of the film. This film deals with much of what you would see in a drama such as affairs, heartbreak, sadness, and even the much needed—friendship. You'll learn from this wonderful drama, “what happens in fight club, stays in fight club”. If you haven’t seen this movie I HIGHLY recommend it!!
FILM #2: Forrest Gump
This movie is probably in my top five favorite movies of ALL TIME. It has so many amazing moments throughout the whole film. The film will leave you laughing, crying, and feeling everything that a drama should make you feel. The main character of the movie is Forrest Gump who is played by the infamous, Tom Hanks. Similar to Fight Club, this films main character is also very easy to sympathize/empathize with. Forrest is a former Vietnam fighter who only has an IQ of 75. Although Forrest is not the most intelligent, it is his childlike optimism that melts the audience's heart. The conflict of this film is internal as Forrest deals with his childhood love, Jenny. This film, like every great drama, has a climactic storyline that will teach you— as Forrest says, “life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re gonna get”. This film is definitely a must watch!
Link to clip from movie: https://youtu.be/egkrxkiUnoo
Other Dramas:
Titanic (1994)
Boy in the Striped Pajamas (2008)
Bohemian Rhapsody (2018)
A Star is Born (1976 & 2018)
The Help (2011)
In my opinion, a drama film opening is the best choice so far, but I'm open to other ideas. I'll discuss with my group members what we are all thinking so far and get back to you all soon!
Until next time,
Shelby 😊🎤📽
