Genre ResearchNisha Bhamra

For our short film, we have chosen to produce a romance; this particularly appeals to our target audience of females aged 12-24. They particularly communicate emotion, connection and passion among the main characters, which young females like to empathise with, and they typically enjoy the lighthearted nature posed in this genre. Romance films usually gross very well due to this, and they are enjoyed among families, friends and couples; generally a mass audience.

Conventions of Romance FilmsTypically, the girl is well off, and the male is left to chase her –

he isn’t ‘good enough’ for her, and must prove himself.

In terms of the narrative, romance films often follow a strict path, depicted by Todorov’s theory, consisting of 5 stages; the film begins with an Equilibrium, which then meets a Disruption, which the characters then Recognise, Attempt to Repair, beginning a New Equilibrium.

The girl is often dressed in feminine clothing, in either bright or soft colours in order to emphasis her femininity. In contrast, the male can often be seen in dull/plain/dark clothing in order to shift the attention to the female, and possibly connote his inferiority.

Setting is an important factor in romance films; the main characters are often seen in parks/around nature, at landmarks with a lot of symbolism, or in fairly personal/intimate/enclosed spaces, which encourages the idea of them being alone

Popular romance films:

Casablanca

Titanic

Her

The Notebook

10 Things I Hate About You

Sleepless in Seattle

How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days

Love Actually

The Other Woman

The Time Traveler’s Wife

About Time

Friends with Benefits

That Awkward Moment

Twilight

Crazy, Stupid, Love

The Lucky One