Portfolio Project Genre #1

Hello to my blog readers! 

The time has come to start my portfolio project and I'm so excited to share my process with you. So far, I have a couple film genres I'm considering. The first, which I'll be discussing in this post is a Romantic Comedy or "Rom-Com". Essentially, this type of film focuses on creating a humorous mood/tone while developing a love story or romantic interest. Personally, I love having a balance between funny and loving media, so naturally I gravitated towards the genre when making my choices. 

Typically, these films are targeted towards women ages 45 and under, with around seven out of ten saying they enjoy the genre. However, a younger, secondary audience has also been on the rise in recent years as teenage girls have developed an interest in such content. 

Content Conventions: 

While the parts of a rom-com can vary significantly depending on its context, there are a few key elements that most, if not all films/shows of the genre possess. These include:

The Lovers: Having two characters that develop a romantic interest for each other and help drive the plot. (Rachel & Nicholas from "Crazy Rich Asians"

Relationship at Risk: This serves as the "suspenseful" climax in the plot, usually caused by a misunderstanding or secondary character interference where the couple seems to fall out of love. ("La La Land")

Happy Ending: Usually what sets rom-coms apart from typical romance films, as they don't all tend to end positively. ("10 Things I hate About You")

Technical Conventions: 

Apart from their typical genre content conventions, rom-coms also have a couple common technical practices ranging from camera movements, editing, and mise-en-scène. For example: 

Bright Color Palettes/Lighting: Using primarily lively colors throughout the set, costuming, and lighting helps create a cheerful atmosphere for the characters, almost as if love has changed the way they see the world. 

Two-Shots, Close-Ups, and Eyeline Matches: Because the overall film is based on relationships, the use of these camera shots are quite common as they allow the audience to feel more intimate with the characters and establish a relationship between them. (27 Dresses)

Editing Continuity & Montage: Many times, the editing process for rom-coms includes a very natural, invisible editing technique where cuts are undetectable. Similarly, specific instances such as time passing or the development/fast-forward of a relationship includes a montage where there is a collection of past memories edited to one scene. 

Institutional Conventions: 

As genre theorists speculate, there are some repeated characteristics in rom-coms that remain consistent and make them easier to market and produce. Most commonly found are: 

The "Meet-Cute": A scene occurring early on in the film where the two lovers are introduced, usually funny or even disastrous/embarrassing. Having this convention makes the film significantly easier to market as it sets the scene for the relationship, making it memorable to include in promotional videos and techniques. (Ex: "The Wedding Planner")

Iconic Scenes/Moments: The climax is indicated by an easily identified visual trope such as kissing in the rain and public declarations of love. Once again, they are very memorable aspects of the film and are later used to market, promote, and identify the film (Ex: 4 Weddings and a Funeral)

The marketing of rom-coms highlights these conventions and showcasing them in advertising such as trailers (Creating two trailers, one comedic and one romantic also helps cater to different audience appeals and expand the potential audience). More recently, the use of social media is more prominent than ever in this genre, where films can be advertised online using simple, iconic quotes such as "What like it's hard?"-Legally Blonde. 

To help you get an idea of some popular films pertaining to this genre, I would recommend two of my favorite classics "Clueless" and "Legally Blonde".

1. Clueless (1995)

Starring Alicia Silverstone as Cher, the film follows many of the genre's typical conventions and is a spin-off of the popular novel "EMMA" by Jane Austen. 

In it, the protagonist develops a relationship with the former stepbrother while acting as a sort of cupid by attempting to set her friends up with their own partners (Romantic Side). 

The movie also includes numerous iconic and witty lines such as "Ugh, as if!" as well as funny situations that bring in the comedic side of the genre.

2. Legally Blonde (2001)

With actor Reese Witherspoon as "Elle", this rom-com focuses on the protagonist's desire to be wanted by a particular man, while in the process finding her potential as a woman. 

The film heavily relies on feminist tropes and iconic symbolisms that are surely the reason the film has remained such a big success even decades later. 

Overall, this genre has been one of my favorites since my mom introduced me to them, and creating a film opening for one would be really interesting for me. If I decide to select this genre, I will definitely take inspiration from older rom-coms such as the ones I included because I feel that they are more engaging and come off as more authentic and relatable than more modern rom-coms. 

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