Evolution Productions-Genre research

Evolution Productions: 

Evolution Productions New film Warning: Some clips may involve shock lexis (swearing)

Comedy: 

Comedy I analysed several comedy films, including ‘Get him to the Greek’ and ‘The bounty hunter’. The usual conventions of a comedy film are high key lighting, mid 2 shots and long shots. The music is usually upbeat and makes the audience feel relaxed. A comedy film often contains varied violence creating schadenfreude, as the audience laugh at the pain of the character. There is also occasional shock lexis in the dialogue. The costumes worn are most commonly relatable to the characteristics and personality of the character wearing them, there is therefore no set costume design in every comedy, however a usual pattern is lazy casual clothing. http:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=GkdIah5DUUE The clip; from the film ‘The Bounty Hunter’ shows the comedic side of violence and the post modern rivalry between men and women.

Thriller: 

Thriller I analysed several thriller films, including ‘The Crazies’ and ‘Salt’. Which both come under the sub-genre; action, making them a film with a hybrid genre. Thrillers contain fast pace music and usually percussion to add emphasis to the scene. The low key lighting is mostly used during the most dangerous and tense scenes, which also means the most important and dramatic sequences of the film happen at night, therefore allowing the audience to realise this if it is a continuing factor during the course of the film. Many characters we meet during the first few scenes are lost or die as the film progresses. However, the main character(s) are usually the ones to escape the danger at the end of the film. The weaponry involved in the scene is pleonastic, making the weapon the main focus of the scene and the most powerful. There are explosions and many deaths involved of minor characters bought into the film through supporting either the antagonist or the protagonist. http:// youtu.be/n0ePiJtKEbE This clip displays a scene from the film ‘Salt’. This scene shows the low key lighting, slow motion editing, explosions, dramatic percussion music and weapons.

Rom-Com: 

Rom-Com I analysed several Rom-com’s, including ‘Knocked up’ and ‘No strings attached’. The conventions of a rom-com consist of calm serene music throughout as there is no need to quicken the pace to create a tense atmosphere unless the sub-genre is action. There is usually only protagonists in the film and no ‘villain’ to contend with. There is commonly a disturbance in the plot causing the two characters to be apart but there almost always is a happy ending. The costumes of the characters in a rom-com ordinarily consist of casual clothes worn on an everyday basis, and suitable for the geographical region in which the film is located. http:// www.youtube.com/movieclipsFILMK?feature=iv&annotation_id=annotation_000021&src_vid=yrLutFhQLgE#p/c/1/BYXLKRNCVrw This clip is from the film ‘Knocked up’, and involves a scene where the characters are in casual clothes, and use comedic and shock lexis language to entice the audience.

Sci-fi: 

Sci-fi I analysed several sci-fi films, including ‘Daybreakers’ and ‘Real steel’. The usual conventions of a sci-fi film include, an extra-terrestrial being, corrupting the usually calm and boring life of the main characters involved. Unusual weapons and hi-tech transport; spaceships. There is much editing in the film, for example, explosions, sound effects and on screen editing, when weapons are fired. There frequently is dim lighting during a tense scene in the film, with a bright spot light or several coloured lights, unusual in everyday life making the audience realise the abnormality. http:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=hA3vF7KGeCI This clip is from the film ‘Real steel’, and displays the abnormal technology most commonly connected with a sci-fi film. For example the way to control the robots; the computer screens, and the robots themselves.

Drama: 

Drama I analysed several drama’s, including, ‘The help’ and ‘Made in Dagenham’. Conventions of a drama film include a time difference in when the film is set and the present day, for example a period drama which is set earlier in history displaying the difficulties or successes during that era. Many drama films have a dilemma they need to solve or overcome and gather the help from many other characters to achieve this. Many of the arguments which occur in a drama are between family members. The clothes are everyday normal clothes; unless a period drama in which the clothes would be suitable to those from the time period, and the lighting would be high key throughout unless a scene is set during the night in which the lighting will be dim however wouldn’t affect the overall vibe of the scene. Drama films are usually serious films based totally on the plot and portraying realistic characters in real life situations. http:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbjSOt7NxIY&feature=related This clip is from the film ‘Made in Dagenham’, it displays the costume which is relatable to that in which the time the film is set; the dress and the hair style. It also shows a dilemma between a family.

Action/Adventure: 

Action/Adventure I analysed several action/adventure films including, ‘Captain America’ and ‘Inception’. The conventions of an action/adventure film most commonly consist of fast paced music with a fast paced action scene; ordinarily a car chase. The lighting changes constantly from high key to low key within an instant to change the vibe of the film and show the audience the lighting is foreboding something to come. There is frequently a danger facing the main character however, they almost always live to the end of the film. There are many different weapons in an action adventure film whether they are fictional or relatable. The costumes in this genre of film are most commonly large weapon resistant and armour symbolising outfits. The characters in these types of film go on a journey to places the audience may never have known about or never seen in their life. Generally an action adventure film contains both a protagonist and an antagonist which battle each other to the death or until one is more injured than the other. http:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uqpnjf3NKDo This clip is from the film ‘Captain America’ it displays the fast pace of an action adventure film, and the weaponry and danger involved. Creating a tense atmosphere for the audience.

Fantasy: 

Fantasy I analysed several Fantasy films including, ‘Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix’ and ‘Alice in wonderland’. The conventions of a fantasy film include, unusual or unrealistic characters of whom we cannot relate but enjoy to watch. Many fantasy films are based around editing and effects, which help to make the film an escape for the audience as it isn't as relatable to real life as other film genres. They also include a journey the character makes, whether it is an emotional one or a literal one, either way the audience are taken through every part of the expedition. The names of places, people and creatures are extremely different to those the audience are used to, and are most commonly made up and unheard of before. The costumes worn are very relatable to the theme/topic of the film, for example in ‘Alice in Wonderland‘ , the clothes worn at the beginning and end of the film are suitable to the time period in which the film is set. Similarly, in any Harry Potter movie the overalls and props the wizards and witches use are crucial in making the film link to the topic. http :// www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_Fbwh384WQ This clip displays a scene from, ‘Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix’, in which editing has been used to create a flashback effect and show the visual of the magic. We can also see creatures in black of which we have never seen anywhere else. These are common conventions of a fantasy film.

Historical: 

Historical I analysed several Historical films including, ‘The Duchess’ and ‘The other Boleyn girl’. The conventions of a historical film include a large time gap in the time the film is set and the present day, the women are most commonly seen in formal dresses with their hair up in styles not seen at the present time. However if the female character is poor they are usually wearing an apron and worn out dress; worn everyday. The men are usually in suits from morning to night no matter what the day holds; unless the characters are poor in which they will be wearing dirty worn out trousers and a waistcoat. The lighting is usually high key and the music has relation to the music played during the era the film is set. The weapons involved; if any are used, are made from wood or symbolising the early stages of weapons used in the present day. Historical films are known to base the plot around a famous historian and their family or struggles, for example ‘The other Boleyn girl’ is based around the life of King Henry VIII (8 th ) and his affair with the two Boleyn sisters. http:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnJmh5kpgdQ&feature=related This is from ‘The other Boleyn girl’ and illustrates the suitable costume for the time period in which the film is set. The props and other mise-en-scène clearly scene in the background are also suitable and relatable to the era.

Crime: 

Crime I analysed several crime films, including ‘The S hawshank redemption’ and ‘The Dark Knight’. The most common conventions of a crime film are the characters as they almost always include a police officer or member of the police force helping the protagonist out, as seen in ‘The Dark Knight’. The main characters in a crime film usually consist of robbers/criminals, who operates outside the law. These crime films have also be known to be called detective-mystery films. There is conventionally loyalty shown in many crime films when antagonists and their ‘followers’ refuse to ‘grass’ on each other. There are also often gangs in a crime film who battle each other against the law meaning the police are most commonly involved. A massive contribution to the popularity and realism of a crime film are the weapons used in fights and combats. A minor character often loses their life during the film. http:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-rkpgchJOA&feature=related This clip is from the film ‘The Dark Knight’ and shows the main antagonist committing a crime; hence the crime genre.

Musical: 

Musical I analysed several musical films including, ‘Singin’ in the rain’ and ‘The sound of music’. A common convention of a musical film is a variety of songs placed in the plot at the most suitable occasions where the characters spontaneously burst into song because of an intensification of feeling. There is usually a love that blooms in a musical with over dramatic feelings expressed through song. Dancing may also occur with the songs which creates a spectacle of visual simulation, as the whole cast involved dances the same choreography. Depending on the time period in which the film is set the costume will relate to it as faultlessly as possible. Many newer musicals are based back in the earlier decades, however the musicals made in those decades are suitable and exact to the proceedings that would have occurred during that time. Another convention of a musical is casting people already know for their singing or dancing to perform in the film, for example in ‘Singin’ in the rain’ Gene Kelly and Donald O’Connor were both already well known for their dancing in other musicals of the era. The technology used in musicals are up to date at the time of the production. There is also escapism for the audience when they watch a musical as there is a feeling of fantasy because the sudden break into song and dance. http:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1ZYhVpdXbQ This clip is from the film ‘Singing in the rain’ and is shows the main character singing and dancing in the rain. It also shows the costume; hat and suit, which can be related to the particular time period in which the film was set.