Genre Conventions

 Hey beautiful readers! Another day of planning for the final project, and my group and I have fully decided on pursuing the genre of drama. In order to adhere to the genre conventions of drama, we will utilise natural lighting to create an authentic atmosphere throughout the movie opener. For example, in our opening beach scene where the three friends scatter the ashes, we will film in the late afternoon. The soft, diffused warm lighting will add a layer of intimacy and sensitivity. Moreover, we will use natural lighting to create visual representations for each character's inner states. For the friend who is partying and acting normal to cope, we will place her in scenes with bright and harsh light, such as flashing party lights. This wild lighting will match the internal chaos that she is truly feeling mentally. For the friend who is really sad and pulled away, we will shoot her scenes in more low-key lighting, such as a room with blinds fully closed. This will reflect on her mental state of feeling lonely and depressed. 

Next up, we were brainstorming backtracks and sound effects for the film opener. The genre drama relies on making emotions feel raw and real; thus, we are going to keep most of our sounds natural and diegetic. For example, at the beach, you will not hear a big, sad song over the top, but rather, we will use the sound of the waves and wind in the background. We will also possibly add the sound of someone quietly crying during the scene to make the grief feel immediate and personal. The only exception where we will not be using diegetic sounds will be our choice of song. We have decided to use the song called "Constellations" by Jade LeMac, but in a way that creates dramatic irony. On the surface, it is a song about intimacy and memory after someone is gone. We plan to use it only in scenes with the friend who is partying to cope. For example, it will be blasted during a party scene to match the upbeat tempo, but it will contrast painfully with her real emotions. The lyrics in the song state, "gone in the blink of an eye." This line will take on a completely different and sadder meaning for the audience, because we will know she is thinking about her lost friend. In other words, playing this song in a party scene with the "happy" friend shows a way of how she is using loud music and crowded spaces to hide her pain, even though the song itself is about losing and missing someone. 

When it comes to the mise en scene, we are going to use it to quietly tell the story of where each character is emotionally. In other words, a key convention of drama is using realistic, everyday settings and details to make the characters' lives feel relatable or authentic. Thus, our locations, like the beach, the school, and the bedroom, will all feel real and recognizable. Now, for how we will use mise en scene to portray the characters, is that for the friend who is partying, her look and space will feel a little off. She will wear bright and floral-patterned clothing, but her eyes will always have a hint of sadness and darkness to them. The mediator friend will be dressed neatly and put together. In a majority of scenes, she will be framed in the center of group shots, visually holding the space together. As for the friend who is depressed, she will be wearing baggy and dull clothing. Her bedroom would feel "frozen" in time. For instance, her room will be messy, and it will consist of old photos of the friend group together.

Finally, we are planning our camera shots, angles, and movements to fully draw the audience into the emotional meaning of the story, which is essential in the genre of drama. For our very first shot at the beach, we want it to feel peaceful but not too heavy. We will start with a wide shot of the three friends from behind, holding hands and looking at the ocean. Then the camera will slowly dolly in toward them. This gentle movement pulls the audience into the moment, like we are quietly stepping into their private grief. Then, the camera will arc around them in one smooth move, revealing their faces from the front. This reveal will take us from seeing them as a united group to showing their individual raw emotions. From there, the camera will match each friend's coping style. For the one who is partying, we will use more energetic and possibly shaky handheld shots in her scenes to match the chaotic environment. For the friend who is visibly depressed, we will use still, quiet shots to make her look alone, even in a crowd. In the flashback of us surrounding the near-dead friend's bed, we will use close-ups on their faces to make that last moment with her feel intensely intimate and heartbreaking.