Now that my partner and I have researched the typical scenes of a romcom, we have to research how to record those. To figure that out, we have to now research the technical conventions of a romcom. There are many crucial technical elements that tell the audience the specific mood of these scenes and I can't wait to find out!
Typical Genre Conventions:
Editing and Sound:
The editing styles of romcoms are the true storytellers of the film. The style determines the balance of romance and comedy, as well as the emotional factor of the movie. This balance makes it possible for these films not to be just slow, but also entertaining for audiences. These movie generally use continuity, cross-cutting, fades, and shot-reverse shots to put the movie together. The way directors use these methods are different. For example, continuity is used to keep a smooth flow throughout the film, cross-cutting is used to convey emotional parallels between characters, fades are used to mark emotional transitions, and shot-reverse shots are used to show dialogue between characters.
Cinematography:
Romcoms utilize specific camera techniques to emphasize the couple's relationship, highlight humor, or showcase scenes. Since there are 2 leads in these movies, two-shots are typical as they demonstrate the couple interacting with each other. These movies can also use close-ups, establishing shots, over-the-shoulder, mid-shots, tracking, and panning shots. Close-ups can be used to capture a character's emotions or facial expressions, a good scene where this could be used is during "Relationship in Trouble" scene to show how one character is heartbroken. Establishing shots and mid shots can be used to set the tone of current scenes. Over-the-shoulder shots are used to display typical dialogue in these films. Tracking and panning are used to show the audience the couple being together and reinforce their connection.
Mise-En-Scene:
In romcoms, embodying stereotypes are typical. For example, a common trope is opposites attract. To achieve this trope for the public eye, for example, one of interests has to be very stylish while the other has to be a geeky character. Outfits are a big factor for the audience to tell how a certain character is like. These films either embody commonly known tropes or dress their characters in causal clothing. Furthermore, locations in a romcom are realistic locations. They can be malls, workplaces, school, coffee shops, parks, etc. These locations are used to give the audience a more relatable feel because these are every day areas they can be at too.
Self Reflection:
Diving into the technical side of romcom was not what I expected. I assumed that there was fancy cinematography but in reality, its elements are simple and easy to achieve between me and my partner. I can picture me and my partner having so much fun while record instead of being stressed which is great news! Now knowing the ropes, I'm excited to start recording my brief and include all of these key factors like a true pro!
Sources:
https://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/your-place-or-mine
https://georgedavisonstudios.com/blog/decoding-how-filmmakers-create-romantic-comedies/
https://medium.com/aputure/filming-romantic-scenes-b0326bdb1f09
https://untamedscience.com/blog/behind-the-lens-how-cinematography-enhances-love-stories-in-film/
https://prezi.com/rkxwxfdt1wj4/codes-conventions-of-romcom/
https://www.stephaniebourbon.com/post/romantic-comedy-character-archetypes-who-needs-to-be-included
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