Drama - revolves mostly around realistic in-depth development of individual characters. The key themes often include, romantic relations, violence and family situations.
Typical conventions of a drama include:
Conflict between characters
Build-up of tension
Location dependent on film plot
Well known actors/actresses- eg often good looking and popular.
However, the film genre of Drama is incredibly versatile, and conventions are dependent more on the film narrative/director's preference rather than genre specific requirements.
The drama genre tends to have key themes in the narrative, these include:
Death
Love
Loss
Struggle
Well known actors/actresses- eg often good looking and popular.
However, the film genre of Drama is incredibly versatile, and conventions are dependent more on the film narrative/director's preference rather than genre specific requirements.
The drama genre tends to have key themes in the narrative, these include:
Death
Love
Loss
Struggle
Conventions of Drama Genre from beckynightingale
What makes a drama film?
The Drama genre focuses heavily on the development of realistic problems and dilemmas that affect everyday individuals - providing a connection between the audience and the characters. The Drama genre entices the audience, as viewers watch to find out how the conflict will resolve itself. Drama is a popular genre as it features several climaxes and anti-climaxes, to build and release tension, which keeps the audience intrigued and on edge throughout. Drama is a widely viewed genre and is one of the most popular genres amongst teenagers and young adults, particularly women. However, the audience isn't limited as other viewers not in this category may be interested in the genre.
Here are a few films that target these kind of topics:
The Grapes of Wrath (1940) which focuses on depression
American Beauty (1999) involves a drug abuse plot
To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) revolves around the issues of racism.
But as we began developing our plot, we realised our film was in fact a hybrid of the drama and fantasy genres. Therefore, we decided that we would also conduct some research around the fantasy genre, to once again make sure our film fulfilled its elements/conventions.
Fantasy - involves magic and supernatural phenomena as the main theme, plot or location.
Typical conventions of a fantasy film included:
Good character vs. Evil character
Quest
Magic/supernatural phenomena
Magical/supernatural object
Witches/monsters/vampires/werewolves
Happy conclusion
The fantasy genre also includes key themes such as:
Romance/love
Death
Reincarnation
Religion
Unknown
Myths/legends
Quest
Magic/supernatural phenomena
Magical/supernatural object
Witches/monsters/vampires/werewolves
Happy conclusion
The fantasy genre also includes key themes such as:
Romance/love
Death
Reincarnation
Religion
Unknown
Myths/legends
What makes a fantasy film?
A fantasy film traditionally focuses heavily on myths and legends as the main plot or theme to the film. The genre usually involves a struggle between good and evil in which good usually prevails. The genre is enticing to audiences as it always concludes with the Hero prevailing. Another reason for its popularity is its ability to take the audience from reality into a unknown/mystical/ancient/futuristic location. The genre fantasy on its own incorporates imagination and magic elements in a more uplifting way than science fiction. The fantasy elements can be warped into the real world or can be in a separate world in the film. It allows the audience to be engulfed into the plot and forget about reality for the duration of the film, due to its lack of normality. The genre has a wide target audience. Many families tend to favour fantasy films as they appeal all ages as they meet the demands of all. For example, they contain both adult and child humour and gain satisfaction from all. A good example to portray this is the Harry Potter franchise as it encompasses magic.
Drama and fantasy films may vary in certification. The certificate given to the films may vary depending on its content. These may vary from PG to an 18 certificate. Here are a few examples I picked out:
Drama:Kes (1969) - PG
A young, English working-class boy spends his free time caring for and training his pet falcon.
Kes is a PG-13 as it has typical elements:
Bad language
Nudity
Teen Smoking
It contains typical conventions of a Drama film:
Issues - bullying, smoking, abuse and death
Main character faces challenges throughout
Conflict between characters
Fantasy:
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) - PG
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) - PG
A meek hobbit of the Shire and eight companions set out on a quest.
The film consists of PG elements:
Intense battle sequencesScary images
Violence and gore
The film consists of fantasy type elements:
Main characters are set on a quest
Good vs. Evil
Magical/supernatural elements
Main characters are set on a quest
Good vs. Evil
Magical/supernatural elements
For full guidelines click here:
Drama:Titanic (1997) - 12
A boy and a girl from differing social backgrounds meet during the ill-fated maiden voyage of the RMS Titanic.
Titanic involves typical 12 certificate elements:
Nudity
Sensuality
Brief Language
Peril and violence
It includes typical Drama conventions:
Dilemma for the main protagonists to overcome
Issues such as class differences, money and death
Conflict between characters
Bad Language and smoking references
Nudity
Sensuality
Brief Language
Peril and violence
It includes typical Drama conventions:
Dilemma for the main protagonists to overcome
Issues such as class differences, money and death
Conflict between characters
Bad Language and smoking references
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - 12
Consists of 12 elements in films:
Violence and gore
Profanity
Frightening/Intense scenes
Death
Possesses conventions of a fantasy genre:
Quests/tasks set for main character
Main theme of magic/supernatural phenomena
Good vs Evil
http://www.bbfc.co.uk/classification/guidelines/18-2/
For full guidelines follow the link:
Drama and fantasy:
The Green Mile (1999) - 18
The lives of guards on Death Row are affected by one of their charges: a black man accused of child murder and rape, yet who has a mysterious gift.
It includes some typical elements of 18 certificates:Violence
Language
Sexual references
The Green Mile includes typical conventions of a Drama film:
Characters have to overcome the situation
Centred around negative topics: rape, murder and death
From conducting research around the two genres it is clear that our film is a hybrid of both fantasy and drama. Our theme is around fantasy (the penny is good luck), and the main characters life is influenced and manipulated by the penny itself. Because of this it is clear that our film belongs in the fantasy genre, as it involves supernatural events that cannot be explained by science. We also believe that our film belongs in the drama genre as it focuses on everyday situations between friends. In our film Sarah's best friend steals from her and her mum falls out with her. This is typical in a teenagers life, and therefore we believe that our film also meets the criteria of this genre. Therefore, we concluded that our film belonged in the fantasy-drama genre, as it heavily involves conventions from both genres.
