Research - Target Audiences and Demographics

    Hello everyone! Welcome back to my blog. For today's post, I want to do more research on the target demographics of a romantic drama, which is a huge part of creating a film. Before creating a media text, filmmakers usually think about who the film is meant for and what kind of viewers they want to attract. Tejal and I looked into this topic so we could better understand how audience expectations influence the way films are made.

Target Audience

    A target audience refers to the specific demographic (group of people) that a media text is intended for. Filmmakers often consider several key factors like age, gender, interests, and general viewing habits when identifying their audience. These factors help determine what type of story or characters might appeal to viewers.

    For example, coming-of-age films aimed at teenagers might include characters of a similar age or general themes that younger audiences can relate to. This makes it easier for viewers to connect with the story, thus making the film as a whole more successful and easily understood.

Audience Demographics

    When analyzing audiences, producers and companies often look at demographics, which are categories such as age, gender, income level, and education. These characteristics help identify the types of viewers who are most likely to watch a film.

    Understanding demographics can help filmmakers make creative decisions that match audience expectations. Different genres also tend to appeal to different audience groups depending on their interests. What's important in my case is to figure out what demographics will respond best to the details we include in our script, so that we can better tailor our story to a target audience.

Audience Appeal

    Another factor that filmmakers consider is how a film hooks the audience’s attention. Story elements like relatable characters, engaging conflicts, and emotional storytelling can make a narrative significantly more interesting for viewers. Visual style, pacing, and music can also influence how the audience experiences the film. If all these elements adequately match the preferences of the intended target audience, the film is more likely to be engaging and thus successful

Reflection

    Researching target audiences helped us understand why filmmakers consider viewers when developing a project. The story, characters, and overall style of a film can all be influenced by the audience the filmmakers want to reach.

    For our film opening, we will need to think about who our intended audience is and how we can make the story appealing to them. Considering audience demographics and interests will help guide the creative choices we make throughout the project.

Sources

• Baran, Stanley J., and Dennis K. Davis. Mass Communication Theory. Cengage Learning, 2021.
• Fourie, Pieter J. Media Studies: Media History, Media and Society. Juta Academic, 2018.
• MasterClass. “What Is a Target Audience?” MasterClass.

Research - Cinematography

    Hey everybody! Welcome back to the blog. For this blog post, I decided to focus on cinematography and how filmmakers use visual techniques to communicate information and meaning to the audience. I've focused heavily on story and characters so far, but now that I'm beginning to analyze the technical aspects, I'm realizing just how important they are as well. With poor editing or subpar cinematography, it's impossible to deliver the meaning that you want to convey through your film. So, to ensure it won't be an issue, myself and Tejal are researching cinematography.

Camera Shots and Framing

    The main aspect of cinematography is the type of camera shots used in a scene. Different shots provide different kinds of information to the audience.

    For example, a wide shot is often used to establish the setting and show the environment around the characters (this use is called an establishing shot). This helps the audience understand where the scene takes place, and can help to subtly immerse them in the diegesis. Another shot is the medium shot, which usually shows a character from the waist up and is often used during conversations.

    A close-up focuses on a character’s face and highlights their emotions. Close-ups are commonly used during important moments in a scene because they allow the audience to see the character’s reactions more clearly. This kind of shot is always emphasized as one of the most important, especially in dramas and romances, because it greatly helps to convey the raw emotion that the characters are feeling.

Camera Movement

    Another element of cinematography is camera movement, which can affect how a scene feels and plays out. A pan moves the camera horizontally and can reveal new information within the setting. A tilt moves the camera vertically, drawing attention to something important in the frame.

    Filmmakers also use tracking and trucking shots, where the camera follows or moves straight alongside the subject respectively. This can make the audience feel more involved in the action because they follow the character through the scene.

Lighting

    Lighting is another important part of cinematography because it influences the mood of a scene. Bright lighting can create a lighter or more positive atmosphere, while darker lighting may create suspense or tension. For a romance, you generally want to use moodier lighting in serious scenes to evoke a sense of strong emotion, but use brighter, more ethereal lighting in moments of joy or pure love.

    A common technique used in both filmmaking and interviews is three-point lighting, which includes a key light, fill light, and back light. These lights help illuminate the subject while still creating depth within the image. I also have practice with this lighting technique thanks to my expertise from my TV program, so it'll be very convenient for me to implement it.

Reflection

    Researching cinematography helped Tejal and I understand how visual choices affect the way a story is presented. Camera shots, movement, and lighting all influence how the audience interprets a scene and how they feel about the characters.

    For our film opening, we will likely use wide shots to establish the setting and close-ups to show the characters’ emotions. Thinking about cinematography ahead of time will help us plan our shots more carefully and make sure the visuals support the story we want to tell, especially when we storyboard.

Sources

• Brown, Blain. Cinematography: Theory and Practice. Routledge, 2021.
• Mercado, Gustavo. The Filmmaker’s Eye. Focal Press, 2011.
• StudioBinder. “Ultimate Guide to Cinematography Techniques.” StudioBinder.

Research - Editing

    Hey everybody! For this blog post, I wanted to do more research into editing and how it affects the overall end product of a film. Since we chose to do the film opening for our brief, editing is going to be one of the final steps that shapes how it actually feels to the audience. Tejal and I spent some time researching different editing techniques so that, before we edit out project together, we could understand how professionals do it.

Continuity Editing

    One of the most common editing styles used in film is something called continuity editing. This method of editing focuses on arranging shots in a way that keeps the action smooth and easy for the audience to follow. Ideally, the editing should feel almost invisible so viewers stay focused on the story rather than the cuts themselves.

    Continuity editing often uses techniques like shot-reverse-shot, match on action, and eye-line matches. Shot-reverse-shot is commonly used during conversations, where the film cuts back and forth between two characters speaking. Match on action connects two shots through movement, allowing an action that starts in one shot to continue in the next shot. These techniques help maintain visual consistency so the audience understands where characters are and how they interact.

    Because film openings introduce the story and characters as well as general opening exposition, continuity editing can help make sure the audience understands what is happening from the start and can immerse themselves in the diegesis.

Types of Cuts

    While researching editing, we also looked at the different types of cuts editors use to transition between shots. The most common is the straight cut, which simply moves from one shot to the next. This type of edit is used frequently because it keeps scenes moving naturally. Simply put, it's the bread and butter of film editing.

    Another technique is the jump cut, where two visually similar shots are placed next to each other on the timeline so it looks like it skips forward slightly. Jump cuts can often feel abrupt (which is why they're usually avoided), but filmmakers occasionally use them to show time passing or to create tension.

    Editors also use a technique called cross-cutting, which alternates between two different scenes happening at the same time. This technique is often used to build suspense by showing events unfolding in separate locations. For our film specifically, it could be used to show the protagonist and love interest (that's what I mentioned in the last blog!) getting ready at the same time, helping to establish the setting and characters.

    There are also a few interesting cuts that Tejal and I have specifically learned through our TV program, those being the J-Cut and L-Cut. A J-Cut involves the audio of the next scene beginning before the visual of that scene. An L-Cut is the reverse, with the visual of the next scene beginning before the audio. A good visual representation Tejal used is the one below, which helps to show the difference.

Sound in Editing

    Importantly, editing also includes sound, not just visuals. During post-production, editors combine dialogue, sound effects (diegetic and non-diegetic), and music to create the final audio for a scene. These elements help shape the overall tone of the film.

    One technique editors use is a sound bridge, where audio from the next scene begins before the visual cut occurs. This helps transitions feel smoother and keeps the audience engaged. Music can also influence the mood of a scene. For example, suspenseful music can make a moment feel tense, while softer music might create a calmer atmosphere (especially for a romance!).

Reflection

    After researching editing techniques, I've realized even more so what a major role editing plays in shaping how a story is presented. The way shots are arranged determines the pacing of the scenes and how clearly the audience understands what is happening. Techniques like continuity editing help maintain clarity, while different types of cuts and sound transitions can affect the tone of the sequence.

    For our film opening, we will likely focus on continuity editing so the introduction of the story is easy to follow. We will also need to think about how our cuts and sound choices influence the pacing of the scene once we begin assembling the footage.

    Anyhow, that's it for today's blog! See you all in the next one. Stay tuned!

    P.S. - My sources are below!

Sources

• Dancyger, Ken. The Technique of Film and Video Editing. Routledge, 2018.
• MasterClass. “Film Editing Techniques Every Editor Should Know.” MasterClass.
• StudioBinder. “Film Editing Techniques: The Ultimate Guide.” StudioBinder.

Research - Character Tropes and Archetypes

    Hey everybody! Today's blog is going to be about Character Tropes and Archetypes. Tejal and I both agreed that they're extremely important and we should make sure we understand different character types so that we can better develop our story with characters who will actually fit. So, we outlined some of the more notable character archetypes, those being the Protagonist, Antagonist, and Deuteragonist (as well as the specific "Confidant" archetype).

The Protagonist - Hero

    The protagonist is the most important role, since they're the main character of the entire story, and usually the first character we meet. Most of the time, audiences view the story from the protagonists point of view, experiencing the events of the story with them.

    One key detail relating to the protagonist is how relatable they are (or aren't). Having a relatable protagonist means your audience will become more invested in the character, making the film more compelling. However, it also means you have to carefully tailor that protagonist to a specific demographic that matches the demographics of your film.

    A few examples Tejal gave me are Noah (The Notebook), Tyler (Waves), and Solene (The Idea of You), though the only one I know of these is Noah.

    Overall, this is your most important character. They propel the story and are the subject for the plot. Like Tejal said, without a protagonist, you have no story.

The Antagonist - Foil

    The antagonist is the main villain or foil to the protagonist, being the other main character who propels the plot forward. They are responsible for the conflict and obstacles that the protagonist has to go through. Interestingly, the antagonist doesn't necessarily have to be a person. Many films seem, at a surface level, to lack an antagonist, when in reality the antagonist is something like society as a whole or the protagonist's self doubt. 

    The antagonist can even be the protagonist! For example, if your protagonist has self-destructive tendencies and ruins things for themselves before they can succeed, then your main character is both your protagonist and antagonist.

The Deuteragonist - Love Interest

    The deuteragonist is pretty much the secondary protagonist. While they are less important than the protagonist, since the story doesn't take place through their eyes / point-of-view, they're still a pretty crucial character role to fill. Without your deuteragonist, you're missing a pretty significant chunk of your story, since it means half of the main relationship (involving the protagonist) will be completely absent. Most of the time, the deuteragonist is the love interest in a romance film. 

    Some examples that Tejal provided (bear with me, I've only seen The Notebook) are August Moon (The Idea of You), Alexis Lopez (Waves), and the one and only, Allie Hamilton (The Notebook).

Confidant - The Friend / Sidekick

    The confidant is secondary to the protagonist, but not the secondary protagonist. They are the protagonist's best friend, in whom they always confide. Usually this character serves as the kind of "man in the chair" trope for the protagonist, helping them gather information and devise a plan to win over their love interest.

Conclusion

    Those are all the roles that I need to consider for the opening. Since it's only the first few minutes of the film, we'll probably meet the Protagonist and Deuteragonist (Punk Girl and Prep Guy respectively) as well as maybe a Confidant briefly introduced. 

    The main thing I want to ensure is that the Antagonist is made clear to be societal pressure and familial disapproval and conflict, since things like that usually work very well in romantic dramas. Plus, it also makes the families serve as half-antagonists, since while they're a large cause for the obstacles in the characters' relationship, they're still their families at the end of the day.

    By analyzing these character tropes, I think I've learned quite a lot about how to structure my characters to fit the conventional tropes and archetypes of the genre. I have a pretty good idea of how each character will fit (and contradict!) their respective niche, which will make the writing process easier.

    That's it for today's blog! I hope you all enjoyed the process of learning about character types with me! I also think that I need to watch the other movies Tejal suggested, those being Waves and The Idea of You. Anyhow, I'll see you all in the next blog. Stay tuned!

Sources

• Arc Studio. “The 7 Main Character Roles in Film: Ultimate Guide to Archetypes.” Arc Studio Pro Blog, www.arcstudiopro.com/blog/the-7-main-character-roles-in-film-ultimate-guide-to-archetypes
• Campbell, Joseph. The Hero with a Thousand Faces. Princeton University Press, 2008.
• MasterClass. “What Is a Character Archetype? Definition and Examples.” MasterClass, www.masterclass.com/articles/what-is-a-character-archetype-definition-and-examples.
• Reedsy. “12 Types of Characters Every Writer Should Know.” Reedsy Studio, 2025, reedsy.com/studio/resources/types-of-characters. 
• StudioBinder. “Character Archetypes: 14 Examples of Archetypal Characters.” StudioBinder, www.studiobinder.com/blog/character-archetypes-definition-examples/. 
• Vogler, Christopher. The Writer’s Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers. 3rd ed., Michael Wiese Productions, 2007.

Research - Script Writing

 Hey everybody and welcome back to my blog! Today I'll be outlining my script writing process and reflecting on how I can improve it.

The Script-writing Process

Step 1 - Brainstorming

First, I brainstorm. If I'm working in a team, I'll meet up with them (usually in our TV classroom if possible) and spend some time just thinking of ideas. If anything sticks out that we think we might use or implement, I take note of it. By the end of my brainstorming time, I usually have the necessary ideas to start outlining and building around the core concept of my story.

Step 2 - Outlining

Next, I write up an outline. This is usually one of the most important steps because it will determine how I construct the rest of my script. For this step, I use Dan Harmon's Story Circle to create a "skeleton" for my script. I use the story circle to organize it into the following levels.

1. You
• This is the establishment of the setting, protagonist, and overall diegesis. This serves as the exposition for the story.
2. Need
• This is where something out of the usual occurs. This step is what nudges the story forward, and is usually where something goes wrong.
3. Go
• This step is the actual beginning of the main plot, with the main character "crossing the threshold" and entering the conflict of the story. In a romantic drama, this might be where the protagonist becomes enamored with someone and can no longer deny it, choosing to finally pursue their love interest.
4. Search
• This step is the characters journey towards their goals, described as "the road of trials." In a romantic drama, this might be them trying to get closer to their love interest while progressively learning more about them.
5. Find
• This step is where the character finds something they were looking for, gaining knowledge or opportunity through or despite the conflict. In a romantic drama, this might be where they become closer to the person they have feelings for and realize that they might feel similarly.
6. Take
• In this step, the character gains something, usually the very thing they were looking for, but has to pay a steep price. In romantic dramas, this might mean finally getting to be with the person they love, but at the cost of becoming an outcast in their family or some kind of social pariah.
7. Return
• This step is the characters journey back to their usual conditions. In a romantic drama, this could be establishing their relationship with someone and finally becoming official.
8. Change
• This is the step where the characters journey winds down and comes to an end, with them slowly settling back into a "new normal." In a romantic drama, this is simply the characters' new lives with one another.

After writing this list, I simply fill in the details and plug in my story beats. It's important to keep in mind, though, that this is just a guide, not a strict rubric. Plenty of stories subvert the story circle or even loop it multiple times. So, I generally just use this as a helpful start so that I can get right into developing my story further.

Step 3 - Creating a Rough Draft

Now that my outline is complete and I have an established path for my story to take, I'll create a rough draft of my script. Usually I'll do this in something like Google Docs and then transfer it to KIT Scenarist later, but sometimes I'll just start in Scenarist right away. This is one of the simpler steps, because it's really just writing until my story is finished. This is honestly one of the easier steps, even if it's one of the more time consuming, because all the choices and preparation was already finished earlier.

Step 4 - Finalizing the Script

Once my rough draft is complete, I go back and proofread it. If I'm writing with someone else, we'll both go over it an check for plot-holes, inconsistencies, gaps in logic, and anything else that needs immediate attention. After that, I'll go back and fix all the grammar, spelling, and make sure that it's in proper script format. Scenarist does this automatically which is why I usually use it.

Reflection

Having my process written out like this is really useful because it basically acts like a checklist for me to run through during the scriptwriting process. When I begin script-writing, I'll use this blog post as a reference of what I have to do to make sure I complete every step. I can also share this with Tejal so that we're better in sync regarding our writing.

That's all for today's blog! Stay tuned and see you next time!

Subgenre Research - Conventions of a Romantic Drama

Hey everybody, welcome back! In the last blog, I decided on doing a Romance Drama for my brief because I think it will be not only the most versatile but also the most emotional. Also, I've chosen to work with my classmate Tejal on our brief. Since both of us are in our school's TV production program, we both have plenty of experience working on films together. I'm very confident that we'll be able to produce a film opening of high quality (and she's super fun to work with, so that's a plus too)! With all that out of the way, let's get right into today's blog: the conventions of a romantic drama.

Characters and Narratives

Tejal and I decided to start our research with the narrative aspects of the film opening (which is what I've addressed the most throughout my blogs), so I'll focus on the technical elements in my next blog.

Like Tejal mentioned in her blog, one of the defining features of this subgenre is that it tends to further explore the conflict in a relationship between two characters. Whereas the other romance subgenres don't emphasize conflict as much as they do love, romantic dramas focus a lot more on how conflict and turmoil can bring people closer together, even if it drives them apart at first. So, several tropes that are common to this subgenre in particular are familial conflicts, opposites attracting, and forbidden love. See Romeo and Juliet - one of the most famous examples of a classic romantic drama. The Capulets and Montagues are hostile with one another, yet Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet fall in love with one another. The conflict between their families makes their love far more dangerous, tantalizing, and exciting, and thus makes every up and down more emotional.

With this fact in mind, Tejal and I are considering centering our plot around two of those tropes, namely familial disapproval/conflict and opposites attracting. We want to have our main characters be a grunge, punk teenage girl and a preppy, rich teenage guy to try to fit into this trope. We also want to include disapproval from both their families to fit in with the other trope.

Technical Elements (like Mise-en-scene)

Since we have our characters in mind, I also want to address mise-en-scene and other technical elements so we can figure out how to portray these characters on camera. As for costuming, which is going to be one of the most important aspects since our film relies a lot on the characters, we need to have customized outfits that fit each lead. The girl would likely have darker, maybe leather or denim clothing as well as possibly dyed hair. Dyed hair might be difficult to accomplish because we would have to cast an actor with that aspect in mind, but the clothing should be completely feasible. For the guy, he would probably have more sophisticated, expensive, tailored clothes, maybe imitating luxury looks like slacks and a polo or a turtleneck. Tejal and I found a few photos to use as references for our characters.

These are two photos that we're using as references for our girl.

These are two photos that we're using as references for our guy.

As for cinematography and lighting, Tejal shared an excellent video with me about cinematic lighting in romance films. Here's the link: The Cinematography of Romance | 3 Cinematic Lighting Setups.

Since this is a romantic drama, it'll feature more stark and moody lighting than other romantic films. We'll use darker lighting to highlight the emotions of characters as well as a lot of closeups for the same reason.

Reflection

Overall, we pretty much have the creative aspects like plot and characters nailed, so now we have to focus on technical elements. Though before we fully move on from plot and characters, I want to do a little more research on the script writing process. I'm currently taking TV 4, which is a script writing class, so I already have a good bit of experience, but I still think it would be good to compile my findings. Now you know what to look forward to in my next blog post!

That's all for today's blog! Stay tuned in for my next blog post where I research the scriptwriting process so we can start writing our script. See you then!

Subgenre Research - The Subgenres of Romance

Hey everyone, welcome back! Since I decided on a romance film, I still need to take a look at the subgenres of romance. So, today I'll be examining each subgenre and covering general characteristics (not plot specific since they all fit into the general romance plot conventions) so that I can settle on one option. Let's get right into it!

Historical Romance

These films portray stories of passion and intimacy in earlier time periods. Some of my favorite examples are Gone with the Wind, Downton Abbey, Bridgerton, and Pride and Prejudice. They're known for having elaborate production design and spectacular costuming, with incredible attention to detail to ensure historical accuracy (for the most part). These examples take place in the eras of the Civil War and the late 19th century in America and England respectively. The biggest, most crucial aspect of creating a historical romance (or period film in general) is ensuring that the audience feels immersed in the time period of your choosing.

Romantic Drama

These films blend the aspects of both main genres since both of them are very easily melded. They often feature deeper, more emotional plots and address more serious topics. They also have more realistic, everyday settings and characters. Some examples of romantic dramas are La La Land (which fits into multiple categories), The Notebook, and even Pride and Prejudice. Funnily, a lot of period films are also romantic dramas. Gone with the Wind is also a romantic drama, and one of the best examples of one too. Romantic dramas are essentially just deeper, more serious romance films.

Romantic Comedy

I already spoke a lot about romantic comedies in my last blog post, but just to summarize what I said, they're kind of the opposite of romantic dramas. They're lighthearted, funny, mix humor with passionate stories, and usually have happy endings. Compared to dramas, I just feel like you can't make a story that's quite as deep, and that's really what I'd like to do.

Conclusions

Overall, I think I can decide on a subgenre now, too. As much as I would love to make one, a historical romance isn't practical for me since I don't have the resources required to make it accurate to the time period. Pride and Prejudice has extremely accurate costumes and incredibly picturesque, period-appropriate settings, so that rules out that subgenre. A romantic comedy would be really fun, but not only is comedy difficult to write well for a variety of audiences, but it's hard to dive as deep with a romantic comedy. With that said, my final option is romantic drama. A romantic drama feels like the perfect genre because it's broad enough for me to have artistic freedom but it's also a great genre plot-wise.

Genre Research - Drama, Thriller, and Romance

Hey everybody! Welcome back to the blog! Lately, I've been doing a lot of research to try to decide which genre to choose for my brief. I narrowed down my options to drama, thriller, and romance, but I'm still not sure which of the three to choose. So, I did plenty of research to (hopefully) help me narrow it down further. I also focused mostly on plot, themes, and characters so that I can focus more on the story before I get into the nitty-gritty of mise-en-scene and editing.

Drama

I did a lot of research on drama, because it basically goes with every other genre there is. There are thriller dramas and romantic dramas, so regardless of which I choose, I figure I'll still need to know this genre in depth.

One of the things I noticed about dramas is that they are often centered around everyday people who aren't overly glorified. A drama shows us our main character(s) at their bests and worsts in order to keep us invested in their story. For example, in Forrest Gump, we see Forrest during his worst moments in Vietnam and dealing with the aftermath of the war, but we also see every happy and genuinely fun moment in his life. Plus, Forrest starts out as pretty much your average Joe, but the ups and downs of his story make it incredibly inspiring.

The settings of dramas are also usually pretty normal, though of course with some exceptions. In Shawshank Redemption, the film takes place in a regular prison, hardly a fantastical setting. In Schindler's List, the setting is all real places in Europe (like certain areas in Poland and Germany). And, as you can see above, one of the most memorable scenes in Forrest Gump is at a bus stop bench. The drama genre is so story-heavy that you don't need fantastical situations, locations, or characters to make an incredible film; you just need a good story.

Dramas can address a wide variety of topics, such as how Schindler's List addresses the Holocaust and Shawshank Redemption addresses the prison system, and both movies address how a man can redeem himself. However, some of the most common topics I found are as follows:

• Current or historical events
• Prejudice or hatred
• Religion
• Poverty
• Society
• Drugs
• Politics

One of the most crucial pieces of the drama genre is its ability to blend seamlessly with other genres. Shawshank redemption are both dramas with heavy elements of suspense (not unlike thrillers). In fact, it's sometimes more common for films of a certain genre to also be a drama rather than purely their original drama. It seems that it can meld with other genres so easily because drama is centered mostly around a story and is a much broader genre than most others. So, the conventions of a thriller or romance can usually fit under the umbrella of the conventions of a drama film.

Overall, the drama genre is a really strong contender, but I think I'll probably choose one of the other two genres and hybridize it with drama.

Thriller

The thriller drama is extremely interesting to me. It can sometimes seem more like straight horror but just toned down, and other times it can seem more like a drama. It's generally a very versatile genre, as seen through its many subgenres. All of the following are some popular thriller genres:

• Spy thriller
• Horror thriller
• Medical thriller
• Action thriller
• Drama thriller
  
• Legal thriller

as well as many, many more. A lot of the time, the story features dramatic plot points that keep the audience guessing and, in effect, thrilled. Plots of thrillers often have huge plot twists, subtle misdirection, and/or shocking betrayals. A great example of this is Parasite. In Parasite, the main family slowly works its way into the life of the much wealthier family, but what they don't know (and suddenly realize in one of my favorite scenes in cinema) is that there is already a pair of people trying to do the exact same thing. Then, later in the movie (Spoilers ahead, so skip to the end of the paragraph if you still haven't seen Parasite), one of the other people hiding in the house ends up killing the owners during their child's birthday party, an insane twist that shocks viewers and serves as dramatic payoff to the previous setup. Thrillers are overall extremely suspenseful films that constantly keep viewers guessing and engaged.

If you can't quite see it, there's a man in the center of the shot (one of the other people in the house).

The most crucial aspect of thrillers as a genre is that they are entirely characterized by the emotions they elicit in the audience. A thriller that doesn't make you nervous or anxious is barely a thriller at all. They rely on keeping the viewer constantly anticipating what will happen next, which then makes the viewer way more engaged with the story. These kinds of films are known for keeping you on the edge of your seat.

Romance

The romance genre is one of the more compelling to me. I feel like you can create more emotional stories in a romance film compared to a horror or pure drama. And my research supported this idea, too, as I found that romance films are usually more intimate - they focus on a story between (usually) two characters. Thus, the story overall feels a lot more close-to-home and resonates more with viewers.

The genre usually features themes of emotional vulnerability, passion, and intimacy between people, again making the general plot much more emotional overall. Just like the previous two genres, the romance genre is pretty easily merged with other genres. Some of the most famous romance genres are romantic comedy and romantic drama, but romantic comedy in particular has become one of the staple genres of film. Some of my favorite examples of a romantic comedy are Bridget Jones' Diary and Love Actually. Bridget Jones' Diary focuses on a 32 year-old woman's love life, especially her ups and downs. Meanwhile, Love Actually features several different love stories all happening at the same time, showing a more interconnected web of love triangles and interpersonal relationships. Despite the surface level differences, however, the two films both emphasize the connections between people while showcasing the highs and lows, with humor sprinkled throughout.

While romantic comedies are usually really happy and generally fun, romantic dramas can be far more serious and/or sad. Some romance films have intensely tragic stories while others have happily ever afters. Most of the time, though, a romance film will use both happiness and tragedy to emphasize the emotional value of each. Romantic dramas are significantly deeper than rom-coms, a fact that is emphasized in movies like La La Land (one of my favorite movies of all time, by the way). In La La Land, there are plenty of happy moments and silly conversations, but that makes the more serious scenes absolutely steal the show. And with such great performances from Emma stone and Ryan Gosling, some of these scenes are real tearjerkers. The ending in particular is perfect for the film. It's a bittersweet final goodbye between Stone's and Gosling's characters, where they each recognize and acknowledge that their lives have diverged in different directions, but that the time they had together was beautiful.

Romantic films are often some of the most emotionally impactful films, and romantic dramas even more so. It's a very versatile genre, which makes it extremely useful for trying to make an especially emotional film.

Reflection

Overall, I think I'm settled on doing a romance film. Out of all the movies on this list, I think La La Land (and the other romantic films) is my favorite, so it makes sense. As for whether I'll do a romantic comedy, drama, or other kind of romance, I'll decide after doing more research in my next post. See you all then!

P.S. All my sources can be found below.

• Backstage. (n.d.). A guide to the drama genre. https://www.backstage.com/magazine/article/drama-genre-guide-78027/
• Filmsite. (n.d.). Drama films. https://www.filmsite.org/dramafilms.html
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