Film Genre Nominees

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I feel that choosing a genre is perhaps one of the most difficult parts in the coursework, because within the two minutes that I have, I will have to represent and engage the audience with my favoured genre. Below I have created a list of genre/sub-genres that I am thinking on working with, and have considered the pros and cons of each of them:

ROM-COM
Romantic-comedy is a genre that attempts to catch the viewer's heart with the combination of love and humour. This sub-genre is light-hearted and usually places the two protagonists in humourous situations. These films usually revolve around a romantic ideal, such as true love. In the end the ideal triumphs over the situation or obstacle.

PROS
CONS
• Rom-coms are usually predictable and generic, therefore working around it's codes and conventions would be quite easy,
• Finding a location would be easy as most rom-coms are filmed almost anywhere e.g. a cafe, a library,
• They usually make rom-coms based on a "normal" person's life.
• It would be difficult to create an original rom-com, considering there are many films that all follow a similar pattern e.g. meeting up and falling in love,
• Casting two actors to act like they've just 'fallen in love' would be hard as it may feel awkward for the two people.

PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER
In addition to the traits of a regular thriller, a psychological thriller incorporates elements of drama and mystery. The suspense in this sub-genre comes from the mind, rather than from a physical threat. The protagonists in psychological thrillers usually rely on the mental resources to resolve the situation. because of their nature, many psychological thrillers cross over into the horror genre.

PROS
CONS
• Like rom-coms, psychological thrillers (or horrors) are usually quite generic, thus the codes and conventions are pretty straight-forward,
• Since my target is to create a film opening within the two-minute limit we are given, creating a psychological thriller will be easier as it would not require much special effect, as they these types of films usually rely on sound to create fear,
• Finding a setting/set would be very simple as most psychological thrillers are filmed in homes.
• Conventionally, psychological thrillers (and horrors) are filmed in low-key-lighting or in dark places, therefore the use of mininal lighting will be an issue as I would need more equipment to be able to show the details in the scene.

COMING-OF-AGE
Coming-of-age films focuses on the growth of a protagonist from youth to adulthood. They tend to emphasise dialogue or internal monologue over action, and are often set in the past. (from Wikipedia)

PROS
CONS
• The characters of coming-of-age films are typically teenagers around my age, and therefore it is an advantage for me as issues I am familiar with will be easier to present,
• Much like rom-coms, these films are usually filmed with 
• Coming-of-age films often fall into the drama category (rather than comedy), so I may struggle to create a new story as they tend to handle elaborate issues.

MUSICAL/DANCE
Musical/dance films are cinematic forms that emphasise full-scale scores or song and dance routines in a significant way (usually with a musical or dance performance integrated as part of the film narrative).

PROS
CONS
• Filming a musical/dance would be very unique and fun,
• Choreographing and casting people would be very difficult as it would take up too much time, and coming up with a new dance routine is also very difficult,
• Since we are not allowed to film outside in Dukhan, the location would pose a big problem,
• I would need to cast many people, and that would be too much of a hassle.

Now that I have listed some of the advantages and disadvantages of each genre, it has given me a clearer idea on which genre would be the most practical. With that, the genre that I will be using for my film opening will be the psychological thriller. Another advantage I have with this genre is because I have previously done a case study on four horror films, so I have a little bit of knowledge with come of the codes and conventions. Furthermore, I will now be able to look further into the codes and conventions of the genre, which will aid me when I begin my storyboard.


About The Author

An ENFP who happens to be an aspiring globe-trotter with a love for art, music and iced coffee. Trying to be pretty alright at everything.

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