Genre Conventions

As Tommy Lee Jones pointed out, a movie is more than its genre. At the end of the day it is the movie that the audience will learn to love, not its genre. Because of this, in the development of our movie, I want to ensure that the genre is chosen to fit the movie, not the other way around. This is why we chose a broad genre to allow the natural development of our film.

Drama comedies, often referred to as dramedies, are movies that fit in both the drama and comedy genre. Dramadies are an example of a genre hybrid, or a genre that mixes two separate genres and their narrative, thematic and aesthetic potentials.

In order to look up what conventions would be best to incorporate into our movie we needed to look at the conventions of movies from both the drama and comedy genre.

Comedy

Comedy genres are known for being energetic and are commonly centered around a theme of rebirth or renewal. Because of this, most comedies end in weddings or births. Another aspect of comedy is its absence of pain and emotional reactions, this is done to maintain a less serious and more ludicrous tone. Comedy movies are meant to invite the audience to “correct” the actions of the characters within the film and teach them to not to act stupid like the characters within the film.

Bellow is a list of devices comedy movies often employ:

• Exaggeration
• Incongruity
• Surprise
• Repetition
• Wisecracks
• Sarcasm

Drama

While aspects of comedy work hard to not be serious, aspects of drama do the exact opposite. Dramas show stories that present realistic characters in conflict with themselves, others, or a force of nature. Drama genres are known to show the reality of life and humanity, at its best, worst, and anywhere in between. Drama genre’s main themes include current issues, social problems and concerns of injustice.

Drama is one of the largest, most encompassing movie genres, however, below is a list of conventions that are often employed by movies within the drama genre.

• Slow motion
• Soliloquy (a solo speech by an actor that gives an insight into what they are thinking)
• Narration
• ‘Aside’ (when a character directly addresses the audience to comment within a scene)
• Other characters commenting on action
• Use of music to underscore drama

Resources:

“Dramatic Conventions – Drama Elements – GCSE Drama Revision – BBC Bitesize.” BBC News, BBC, www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zqx3wmn/revision/6.

Dercksen, Daniel. “Genre and Genre Conventions.” The Writing Studio, 13 Nov. 2017, https://writingstudio.co.za/what-type-of-story-are-you-writing/