Portfolio Project Genre #1

For my first genre post, I will be talking about drama. Drama comes up as one of my favorite genres in film; not because it's easy to create a story with; but because it conveys emotion and realism struggles that no other genre can contrast with. These type of films want to engage the audience emotionally, whether if its sad, happy, or even angry. Some drama movies can really relate to you in a way which makes it persuasive. 

Drama typically attracts teens and adults who are looking to watch something meaningful rather than just comedy or even action. They connect with the genre due to individuals thinking about their livelihood, relationships, or growth. I feel like many people go to drama because it can make their own experiences reflect on them. 

These type of films are all for focusing on character-driven type of stories. Their tones usually are grief, poor family dynamics, illness, or healing from a struggle that's personal. Oftentimes, the opening scene introduces the main character in their typical space, but by different types of props, emotion, lighting, you can get hints of the conflicts that they face, striving the story. An example of this can be the movie, the Fault in Our Stars, we can see a girl's standard life and how her disease influences everything: her relationships, her self-image, her personality. 

Highfill, S. (2014, January 8). “the fault in our stars”: Gus and Hazel Kiss at Anne Frank House. EW.com. https://ew.com/article/2014/01/08/the-fault-in-our-stars-anne-frank/

Usual techniques that are used in drama films are:
Close ups: capturing emotions
Music: can create an atmosphere and sometimes silence can be heavily used
Lighting: making the story feel reliable and real

As for the marketing strategies, like I said before this genre mostly focuses on the emotional impact of the whole movie. Posters and trailers can be a great technique to connect with audiences. They frequently introduce the characters with intensity and serious expressions to show their hard journey without giving too much away. 

An example of a drama film I love is Me Before You. This drama hits hard emotionally. It follows these two chartacters; Louisa and William, navigating throughout their love story and heartbreaking decisions they have to make. The film starts with feauturing their personalities and conditions, setting the emotional journey ideally.

Review: In ‘me before you,’ a broken man meets a free spirit (published 2016). (n.d.-d). https://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/03/movies/me-before-you-review.html

Drama is my favorite genre to watch. Im most likely going to use this genre in my film opening because it's very flexible to explore storytelling and emotions.