Rom-com / Chick-flick film genre!

By Billie Wilson

Background

• Rom com’s (romantic comedies) and chick flicks (girly films for teenagers) are films that show love or friendship in a cute comical way. They are also relatable films which is what make them so watchable aimed mostly at young women. The earliest examples are pieces of work our from Shakespeare, showing love stories with a twist. All most all films in this genre end with a happy ending making them lovable films.

Teaser Trailer – example

Cinderella story• This is a modern version of the Disney film

Cinderella. The main character is a teenage girl who is a geek at her school. She has horrible step sisters and a vile step mother who make her do all the work after her family have died. The film follows her journey to live a normal life, through school, friends and her love life. Will she end up finding her prince charming?

Teaser Trailer – anaylsing

• The non diegetic sound of the male voice creates a fairytale feeling along with the soft romantic music whenever the main character is speaking. The music turns harsher when there is a clip of the step family, along with making it more upbeat whenever a funny scene occurs. The last scene has non diegetic sound of the actual actress, Hilary Duff’s, own music. This emphasizes the audience as she attracts a younger female audience.

Teaser Trailer – anaylsing

• The mise en scene is very conventional to the genre as most chick flicks are set in high schools. One main convention is the school prom idea with all the lights, dresses and decorations. This juxtaposes against the main characters house and work place to compare to her horrible lifestyle.

• The lighting is chiaroscuro which is bright, showing the comical side to the rom-com. The light also gets darker when the mood is unhappy or to high light a romantic scene.

Teaser Trailer – anaylsing

• The edits in most trailers are quite quick but in this trailer the pace is generally slow, getting a good grasp of the story line. The dissolve cuts indicate the effect of turning a page to show how it’s a remake of a fairytale.

• There are lots of high and low camera angles to show who is more superior in the film

Short film - example

Post – it love• This short film, running approximately 3 minutes long is

about two shy office workers who like each other. They try to express their love through post-it note messages and pictures scattered around the office.

• The first scene shows them at the photo copying machine separate by a small wall. This represents that they are separate from each others lives but can only see each other. They are very alike and do the same movements at the same time proving their compatibility.

Short film - example

• The first movement is made when there girl leaves a blue piece of paper with pink post-it notes in the shape in the shape of a smiley face. Here shyness is presented through the fact she hasn’t got the confidence to speak to the man but can send him a note. Then the notes continue. The shyness is shown through a lot of high angles looking down on the characters.

• The shyness is once again emphasized by the lack of diegetic sound and only non diagetic upbeat animation music.

Conventions of this genre

• This type of film usually involve a male and female falling in love with lots of obstacles they have to over come. If the romance doesn’t end up happening its called a platonic comedy but that’s unlikely in this genre. The initial way these two people meet is in a weird comical circumstance.

• There is sometimes someone who tires to get involve and split up the couple.

Conventions of this genre

• The person that gets the guy/girl is usually someone unexpected like a geek or misfit to prove to audience that anyone can get their prince/princess charming

• Most characters are grouped off into costumes that are easily recognized, eg jock in sporty gear or geek in jumpers and glasses.

• The mise en scene location is usually in teen or young adult popular places like schools or parties.

Conventions of this genre

• There is usually lots of two shots of the couple in the centre. Another common type of shot is a reaction shot to see how the person reacts to whatever’s happened or been said. The opening camera angle gives clear cuts to the main characters life.

• The editing in the film is usually shown from the woman's side at a slow pace to build up scenes that are romantic.

• The sounds found in these films are usually voice over's explaining what's going on to open the film along with current songs to fit with the characters.

Rules of the Vladimir Propp theory that every rom com / chick flick should include this 8 characters: