Film Genre Options

Picking a genre for my film opening is so hard... there are too many to choose from!! I have been going back and forth thinking; should I do horror, romance, action, comedy... I have narrowed it down to two options. Horror and drama. Although those are two completely different genres, I feel like I would be successful in making a film opening for either of those. The genre you choose for a film illustrates the target audience, marketing strategies, and expectations for the audience. Let's dive a little deeper to get a better understanding of what those genres really are!

Horror

Horror is often described as scary, deadly, and fearful. The primary goal when creating a horror film, is to keep the audience on the edge of their seat and scare them. The horror genre is filled with so many characteristics that make it, well... horror! In my opinion, mise-en-scene is the most important part of the horror genre. This includes costume design, lighting, formalism/realism, production design, set design, props, location.... the list goes on and on.  Mise-en-scene can change the whole look of a horror film or even just any film in general. For example, if a scary movie is just filled with everyone wearing pink sparkly outfits and they are in a location of Candyland, then the audience won't be too scared. In contrast, if the characters are wearing dark colors, and are put in low key lighting, then the audience might as well be terrified. 

An example of a horror movie that uses mise-en-scene correctly is "A Quiet Place: Day One." This film serves as a spin-off and prequel to "A Quiet Place." Throughout almost the entire film, low key lighting is used to create a scary effect, as well as the setting taking place in New York City. The way it goes from a busy, loud, lively city to a quiet, empty, lifeless city, adds to the plot and gives it more of a horror feel.

Drama

Drama is often described as serious, meaningful, and emotional. The drama genre often revolves around a character facing a big struggle. These films often dive deep into human emotions, relationships, and difficulties throughout life. 

An example of a film within the genre, drama, is "The Notebook." This movie is considered to be a romance drama. The plot revolves around two people who have love for each other but are not allowed to be together. This ties in the emotional, meaningful, and seriousness that is usually found in dramas. The end of The Notebook gives off a bitter-sweet feeling which is also often portrayed within drama films. Overall, the emotional storytelling, character conflicts, and feelings of love and loss tie into the the genre, drama.