INTRODUCTION AND INITIAL TASK
Produce a presentation using clips and illustrations, in a format of your choice, highlighting your favourite genre, why it appeals to your peer audience and how audiences are positioned and respond to films of that genre. You must comprehensively explain the relationship between audiences and films with elucidated examples, using subject terminology correctly.
GENRE OF CHOICE
Romance:
Romance is one of the oldest genres in the film world, and one of the most popular. The genre is based on the general idea of love, facing challenges throughout the dialogue, focusing on elements of passion, emotion and dedication, and is often weaved in different genres and movies. The reason as to why I enjoy the romance genre in film, is due to the ability for myself, as an audience, to be able to have some sort of connection with the film, with the ability to express emotion and apply the situations displayed to real life, on the contrary, the genre also allows for an audience to disconnect from reality, which I also enjoy. I find that when watching romance movies, I am more absorbed and interested in what's going on on screen, and less passive in which I will just watch the movie with no regard as to the context, mise-en-scene and dialogue. Romance movies, in my personal opinion, allow for the audience to be more active and observant whilst watching, which I enjoy |
HISTORY OF ROMANCE IN FILM
In the early days of film, romance was one of the most focused genres. The first romance “film” is thought to be made by Thomas Edison, an approximately 18 second long video. He also created the first film to feature a romance scene, which was then named “The May Irwin Kiss”, filmed in 1896.
1942- Casablanca:
Storyline The story of Rick Blaine, a cynical world-weary ex-patriate who runs a nightclub in Casablanca, Morocco during the early stages of WWII. Despite the pressure he constantly receives from the local authorities, Rick's cafe has become a kind of haven for refugees seeking to obtain illicit letters that will help them escape to America. But when Ilsa, a former lover of Rick's, and her husband, show up to his cafe one day, Rick faces a tough challenge which will bring up unforeseen complications, heartbreak and ultimately an excruciating decision to make. Details Official Sites: Official Facebook Country: USA Language: English | French | German | Italian Release Date: 23 January 1943 (USA) Box Office Budget:$950,000 (estimated) Opening Weekend USA: $181,494, 12 April 1992 Gross USA: $4,108,411 Cumulative Worldwide Gross: $4,374,761 Love story 1970: Storyline The love story of young adults Oliver Barrett IV and Jenny Cavilleri is told. Oliver comes from an extremely well off and old money New England family, the Barrett name which holds much gravitas and which is plastered especially all over Harvard where Oliver is in pre-law. Like those before him, he plans on attending Harvard Law School, which is not an issue in either the school not accepting him or he not wanting to attend. He has an extremely stiff relationship with his parents, especially his father, Oliver Barrett III, who loves his son in the old school way. Jenny, a music student at Radcliffe, comes from a working class Rhode Island background, she working her way through the program before she plans on going to Paris to further her studies. Unlike Oliver's relationship with his father, Jenny has a very casual one with her baker father, who she calls by his given name Phil. When Oliver and Jenny meet, there are immediate fireworks Details Country: USA Language: English Release Date: 16 December 1970 (USA) Box Office Budget:$2,200,000 (estimated) Opening Weekend USA: $87,198, 9 February 2020 Gross USA: $106,550,690 Cumulative Worldwide Gross: $106,550,690 Titanic 1997: Storyline 84 years later, a 100 year-old woman named Rose DeWitt Bukater tells the story to her granddaughter Lizzy Calvert, Brock Lovett, Lewis Bodine, Bobby Buell and Anatoly Mikailavich on the Keldysh about her life set in April 10th 1912, on a ship called Titanic when young Rose boards the departing ship with the upper-class passengers and her mother, Ruth DeWitt Bukater, and her fiancé, Caledon Hockley. Meanwhile, a drifter and artist named Jack Dawson and his best friend Fabrizio De Rossi win third-class tickets to the ship in a game. And she explains the whole story from departure until the death of Titanic on its first and last voyage April 15th, 1912 at 2:20 in the morning. Details Official Sites: Official Facebook Country: USA Language: English | Swedish | Italian Release Date: 19 December 1997 (USA) Box Office Budget:$200,000,000 (estimated) Opening Weekend USA: $28,638,131, 21 December 1997 Gross USA: $659,363,944 Cumulative Worldwide Gross: $2,194,439,542 The Notebook 2004- Storyline In a nursing home, resident Duke reads a romance story to an old woman who has senile dementia with memory loss. In the late 1930s, wealthy seventeen year-old Allie Hamilton is spending summer vacation in Seabrook. Local worker Noah Calhoun meets Allie at a carnival and they soon fall in love with each other. One day, Noah brings Allie to an ancient house that he dreams of buying and restoring and they attempt to make love but get interrupted by their friend. Allie's parents do not approve of their romance since Noah belongs to another social class, and they move to New York with her. Noah writes 365 letters (A Year) to Allie, but her mother Anne Hamilton does not deliver them to her daughter. Three years later, the United States joins World War II and Noah and his best friend Fin enlist in the army, and Allie works as an army nurse. She meets injured soldier Lon Hammond in the hospital. After the war, they meet each other again going on dates and then, Lon, who is wealthy and ... Details Official Sites: Official Facebook | Warner Bros [United States] Country: USA Language: English Release Date: 25 June 2004 (USA) Box Office Budget:$29,000,000 (estimated) Opening Weekend USA: $13,464,745, 27 June 2004 Gross USA: $81,001,787 Cumulative Worldwide Gross: $116,144,526 Portrait of a lady on fire 2019- Storyline In 18th century France a young painter, Marianne, is commissioned to do the wedding portrait of Héloïse without her knowing. Therefore, Marianne must observe her model by day to paint her portrait at night. Day by day, the two women become closer as they share Héloïse's last moments of freedom before the impending wedding. Details Official Sites: Official Facebook | Official site Country: France Language: French | Italian Release Date: 14 February 2020 (USA) Box Office Opening Weekend USA: $67,344, 8 December 2019 Gross USA: $3,759,854 Cumulative Worldwide Gross: $22,978,382 |
TYPES OF ROMANCE FILMS: SUB-GENRES
1. Historical romance — A historical romance is a romance film with a specific time period and setting in the past, in which the film illustrates certain codes and conventions, such as costume and vernacular, to successfully inform the audience of the historical setting, and example of a historical romance is the movie Titanic
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3. Romantic drama — Romantic dramas generally base around the idea of a couple facing a challenge, such as family disapproval, which prevents them from establishing their love. Music is usually employed to point out the emotional mood, making an atmosphere of much better insulation for a couple. The best examples for this are Casablanca and Romeo and Juliet.
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TARGET AUDIENCE FOR ROMANCE FILMS
Romance films are usually aimed at the female gender ages 13-18 and some older. Romance films are usually based around the female and her feelings, therefore attracts a female audience. Girls may also find them relatable, due to heart-aches are relationship problems in their own lives. Romance films are meant to evoke emotion, which women are more likely to be open about, and due to the general concept most commonly being based around the woman's feelings, men may find it harder to grasp and understand.
Example: The Wedding Singer
AUDIENCE POSITIONING
Audiences:
A passive audience is an audience that merely observes and event rather than actively responding it, and are easily susceptible to media messages. Passive audiences usually accept what they are given a an audience, without questioning or looking further into it. The syringe theory (1923) represents this.
An active audience is and audience that engages with the film, able to create their own ideas and scenarios and emotionally respond to the film. Active audiences are more likely to use media and film to escape reality, specifically with romance films, in order to fill the absence of said romance in their real life. The uses and gratifications theory (1974) represents this.
How the genre of romance may appeal to the audience:
The genre of romance may appeal to passive audiences, as they would be happy and content with the outcome of the story. The notebook is a good example of a romance movie that would be suitable for passive audiences. However, in other cases, romance movies may not be aimed for passive audiences, and more so for active audiences, as the story may end in an unexpected and unhappy way, in which the audience would not want to relate to or have happen in their own lives. Titanic is a good example of this, as the audience may want to come up with their own theories and ideas as to what should've happened instead, and be more engaged in the film, creating their own new ideas and outcomes.
A passive audience is an audience that merely observes and event rather than actively responding it, and are easily susceptible to media messages. Passive audiences usually accept what they are given a an audience, without questioning or looking further into it. The syringe theory (1923) represents this.
An active audience is and audience that engages with the film, able to create their own ideas and scenarios and emotionally respond to the film. Active audiences are more likely to use media and film to escape reality, specifically with romance films, in order to fill the absence of said romance in their real life. The uses and gratifications theory (1974) represents this.
How the genre of romance may appeal to the audience:
The genre of romance may appeal to passive audiences, as they would be happy and content with the outcome of the story. The notebook is a good example of a romance movie that would be suitable for passive audiences. However, in other cases, romance movies may not be aimed for passive audiences, and more so for active audiences, as the story may end in an unexpected and unhappy way, in which the audience would not want to relate to or have happen in their own lives. Titanic is a good example of this, as the audience may want to come up with their own theories and ideas as to what should've happened instead, and be more engaged in the film, creating their own new ideas and outcomes.
CONDITIONS OF RECEPTION
Conditions of reception in the film industry have undoubtedly shifted and changed throughout the years, with the introduction of online websites and apps such as Netflix, which enable an easy on the go access to films and series that was unavailable before.
Casablanca is a great example of an old film that had differing conditions of reception to those films made now. Casablanca was initially released in 1942 in New York, and was a popular romance film at the time. In the years of its release, cinema was the prominent source of film entertainment, and the most common among society. The film was popular in cinemas, making $181,494 in its opening weekend. Today, Casablanca is available in DVD form, despite the decline in the DVD industry, and the increasing popularity of online streaming services. Casablanca however, is not available on Netflix. This is mainly due to the streaming services' focus on newer and more demanded films.
Titanic, made later in 1977, is an example of an older film with various conditions of reception. Despite Titanic not being a modern day Hollywood blockbuster, since its release it remains one of the most popular and renowned romance films of all time. Due to this heavy title, it is evident that the movie must be made available in all sorts of ways, in order to continue its legacy and make it available world wide. The film premiered on November 1, 1997, at the Tokyo International Film Festival, and made $2,194,439,542, as it became the highest grossing film of all time worldwide in 1998. The film has since been produced on DVD's found all over the world, and is accessible on Netflix, however depending on region.
Portrait of a Lady on Fire is an example of a modern romance film, released in February 2020, accumulating a worldwide gross of $22,978,382. Due to the films nature and story line, reception is declined in some areas. For example, provocative lesbianism in the film, as well as with other romance films displaying nudity, homosexuality and aspects of that sort, are often cut out of the film before displaying, depending on the region. Middle eastern countries, and the country which I live in, Oman, have cut out scenes from movies which go against the countries morals, either socially or religiously. This evidently affects the conditions of reception in a cinematic aspect. DVD versions of this film are available, however in a much smaller version that that of Titanic for example, due to the modern day release in which online streaming services are becoming the most common way of streaming movies. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Netflix has been making more films available, as the cinema industry is unable to display films at this time. Portrait of a lady on fire is available on Netflix, and moreover, films that have previously been labelled as "in cinemas only" have now been made available on Netflix, showing the importance and popularity of online and app versions of conditions of reception.
Casablanca is a great example of an old film that had differing conditions of reception to those films made now. Casablanca was initially released in 1942 in New York, and was a popular romance film at the time. In the years of its release, cinema was the prominent source of film entertainment, and the most common among society. The film was popular in cinemas, making $181,494 in its opening weekend. Today, Casablanca is available in DVD form, despite the decline in the DVD industry, and the increasing popularity of online streaming services. Casablanca however, is not available on Netflix. This is mainly due to the streaming services' focus on newer and more demanded films.
Titanic, made later in 1977, is an example of an older film with various conditions of reception. Despite Titanic not being a modern day Hollywood blockbuster, since its release it remains one of the most popular and renowned romance films of all time. Due to this heavy title, it is evident that the movie must be made available in all sorts of ways, in order to continue its legacy and make it available world wide. The film premiered on November 1, 1997, at the Tokyo International Film Festival, and made $2,194,439,542, as it became the highest grossing film of all time worldwide in 1998. The film has since been produced on DVD's found all over the world, and is accessible on Netflix, however depending on region.
Portrait of a Lady on Fire is an example of a modern romance film, released in February 2020, accumulating a worldwide gross of $22,978,382. Due to the films nature and story line, reception is declined in some areas. For example, provocative lesbianism in the film, as well as with other romance films displaying nudity, homosexuality and aspects of that sort, are often cut out of the film before displaying, depending on the region. Middle eastern countries, and the country which I live in, Oman, have cut out scenes from movies which go against the countries morals, either socially or religiously. This evidently affects the conditions of reception in a cinematic aspect. DVD versions of this film are available, however in a much smaller version that that of Titanic for example, due to the modern day release in which online streaming services are becoming the most common way of streaming movies. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Netflix has been making more films available, as the cinema industry is unable to display films at this time. Portrait of a lady on fire is available on Netflix, and moreover, films that have previously been labelled as "in cinemas only" have now been made available on Netflix, showing the importance and popularity of online and app versions of conditions of reception.