Genre Research- Romance

 Romance- Genre Research

I have always been a fan of romance films, something easygoing that you can just lay back and watch, a genre for dreamers who haven't yet quite lost all hope in love and romantic gestures. Also, romance films are not difficult to make in terms of technical equipment; they don't need CGI or extraordinary props. In romance films, the plot is more important as the audience has to engage with the characters and the usual moral dilemma, and complexity of human relationships. My interest in sociology is also what attracts me to this genre and the complicated characters of some of these films, with their human traits and contradictions. 

Different Sub-Genres of Romance:

Romance is quite a broad genre when you look into it. Many people think that romantic comedies are the same as romantic dramas, and they don't understand why they like The Notebook but they get bored with Always Be My Maybe. 

If we were to put this on a horizontal spectrum, the sub-genres would look like this:

I would like to do something along the lines of a romantic drama; however, the opening to a romantic comedy is usually more fun than the opening to a romantic drama, which tends to be slightly more simple to set the dramatic atmosphere. However, both have things in common, so let's look at some codes and conventions of romance as a genre, and focusing especially on romantic drama and romantic comedy.

Codes and Conventions of Romance:

Purpose and general feel:

The purpose or main focus regarding the audience is making the audience relate and get involved in the world of the story. Therefore, the main focus is the dynamic between the characters and character development. We as an audience are meant to sympathise with the characters and understand the moral dilemma regarding their relationship. We might sympathise with one of the main characters, the two of them, or even with third parties affected by the dynamic of their relationship as well. 

Mise-en-scène:

• The costumes are important as they connote character traits and hence are linked with character development and personality.
• A character developing a better taste in fashion after years of degradation in style can signify getting out of a place of mental stagnate that would be affecting their relationship. (Crazy, Stupid Love)
• Bright pink clothing is used in rom-coms in a comedic way to connote that a character (usually female) is very "over-the-top".
• Obvious juxtaposition in clothing with the extras on screen can point out a trait of one character, whether it is being overdressed, underdressed or with a strange style connoting strange personal traits.
• etc.
• Lighting and colour- they help establish a certain atmosphere which many times reflects the mood of the characters, as a way of helping the audience empathise and create rapport with them.
• Warm colours usually create an optimistic mood, a cosy atmosphere or just a positive feel
• Cold colours can suggest that a person is detached, maybe too involved in the professional part of their lives 
• The setting is also important, but maybe not as characteristic as in other genres; it is usually used for
• Ambience- a familiar setting establishes safety and makes the audience feel more involved in the plot. A conversation in a coffee shop is easy to relate to, and hence it makes the action on-screen more approachable.
• Romantic atmosphere- a deliberately romantic and cliché setting helps emphasise the romantic undertones of a certain scene, such as a date or just an unexpected romantic moment.
• Dramatic effect (the weather)- just like lighting and colour can reflect the character's emotions, filming a scene in the rain can add dramatic tension to the mood, and filming at night or during the day can make a scene more or less casual due to the connotations associated with these times of day in terms of romance.

Camera:

• Camera angles: many eye-level angles so the audience creates rapport with the characters.
• Camera shots: wide use of close-ups to focus on the emotions of the characters, helping to make them more approachable and human, and encouraging the audience to sympathise with their emotions.
• Camera movements: particular use of arco shots, which make the audience feel like the world revolves around these two characters
• The camera captured the little details such as a gaze, a movement, holding hands, etc. with close-ups and extreme close-ups.
• The camera is very focused on the characters, much more than on the surroundings.
• In general, the camera movements are much more simple and straightforward, without creating a lot of confusion due to the lack of physical action and violence.

Editing:

• There is wide use of depth of focus- so we focus on the characters and their relations and personal dynamic, as opposed to the background which might be less important.
• The length of take varies with the pace of the action (like in all films) but it tends to be much slower than in other films that feature a more tense and action-packed plotline. 
• However, quick cuts help emphasise the drama and build up the tension in more dramatic scenes when the temper is rising.
• Maybe use of flashbacks to give more depth to the characters, explain traumas, etc.
• Few editing techniques used- the camera does not do many tricks because we are experiencing reality and it is supposed to feel like it.  
• The use of fade transitions in some scenes for a more smooth effect that might create an ellipsis but also a romantic atmosphere. 

Sound:

• Rom-coms usually begin with some light-hearted music, or jazzy piece of music if the scene wants to be romantic. It sets the mood for expectation without sounding too resolutive but it is also very lighthearted; it then fades out as dialogue starts fading in. 
• Sound is used to indicate when something important is happening in the dialogue. Sometimes it is just introducing the non-diegetic lively music softly, hinting that what has been said is relevant. This is commonly used in rom-coms.
• Non-diegetic sound can also heighten the emotion in a scene and reflect the mood of the character, creating an atmosphere that matches their emotions and helps the audience empathise with them.
• In terms of the music used, there are two types, the ambient sounds (which can be normal ambience or a more romantic/sad ambience) and the more dramatic sounds which can be songs related to love or breakups which then accompany a montage or a more dramatic part of the film. These teenage songs nowadays in teen rom-coms or dramas are more common and sometimes a source of appeal to the audience.
  

Important Romance Directors (+ famous romance films):

Gary Marshall: 

American actor, director and producer.

Famous Films:

- Pretty Woman, 

- Runaway Bride, 

- Valentine’s Day,

- The Princess Diaries, 

- Raising Helen, 

- New Year’s Eve. 

Awards:

"In 1996 he was awarded the Women in Film Lucy Award in recognition of excellence and innovation in creative works that have enhanced the perception of women through the medium of television".

Nancy Meyers:

American film director, producer and screenwriter 

Famous Films:

- The Parent Trap (1998), 

- Something’s Gotta Give (2003), 

- The Holiday (2006), and 

- It’s Complicated (2009).

- What Women Want (2000)

She wrote the script for some of these films as well as directing them. Her film "What Women Want" was at one point "the most successful film directed by a woman".

Richard Curtis:

Born in New Zealand but a British film director, music producer, actor and screenwriter. He is arguably more well-known as a screenwriter than a director although he directed very famous romance films as well.

Famous Films:

- Four Weddings and a Funeral (screenwriter)

- Bridget Jones’s Diary (screenwriter)

- Notting Hill (screenwriter)

- Love Actually

- About Time