Katriona Fraser's Media Studies AS: October 2015

Audience Expectations Of Romantic Comedies

07:44
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Nine frame analysis of 'About Time'

'About Time'

The opening to 'About Time' starts with simple four frames of opening credits on a black screen with white writing. First frame says 'Universal Pictures Presents'. Second frame says 'in Association with Relativity Media'. Third frame says 'A Working Title Production'. Fourth frame says 'About Time'. Throughout these credits, it is silent. I want to take inspiration from this and use simple opening credits for my film opening. The voice over then begins after 'About Time' fades from the screen and it is entirely black. Then, these are the first nine frames:

In this first two minutes of the film, Tim, the protagonist, is narrating footage of him and his family by a voice over.

This first wide shot is of Tim, the main character. He is talking about himself in the shot, therefore the shot shows him, obviously. The jokey way he describes himself means that this Romantic Comedy has highlighted the convention of comedy from the get-go. Because we can see him while he describes himself, the audience can get a sense of his characterisation straight away. It possibly shows that he makes fun of himself and doesn't take himself too seriously, which is an important quality for the protagonist of a comedy to have.

In this second wide shot, he is beginning to describe the rest of his rather odd, but lovable, family. This is his mother, who he describes as 'not quite like other mums' which shows how the family of the protagonist are quite comedic. However, this shot shows a seemingly normal women, so the audience may be able to relate their own mother to her.

In this third frame, he is still describing his mother, who seems like a normal British mother. This wide shot shows her walking across a field.

This fourth shot is also a wide shot. It not only introduces his father but also the scenery as we can see the sea. The audience can immediately guess that this family live on the British Coast.

The fifth shot is also a wide shot which shows the family lounge or study. From this, the audience may learn that this is a typical family home. We have a room like this in our house, with shelves and shelves of books. It seems homely and comforting. Furthermore, it introduces the close, jovial relationship between father and son.The following four shots all show Tim and his father playing Table Tennis. These are shot/reverse shots which change sides when a different person hits the ball. This shows that they are playing a match. These shots change quickly. It does not break the 180 degree rule as they are both looking in different directions.

This sixth shot is over Tim's shoulder and shows him hitting the ball towards his father, then his father returning it.

The sixth shot changes quickly into the seventh shot, which is match on action as it follows the ball and changes sides to behind the father so we can see Tim hit the ball back.

Then, the eighth shot returns to over Tim's shoulder and his father tries to hit the ball back and fails, so it hits the net.

Finally, the ninth frame. This frame is another over the shoulder shot showing Tim celebrating his victory.

07:26
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My Film Treatment

Planning

06:38
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Main task updates

Film Openings Research

06:45
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BBC Trip Video

Camera

13:28
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The History Of Romance Films Research

Film Openings Research

History of romance films
Romantic films have been in production since the very beginning of moving picture.[1] The Romantic Genre has been around since medieval times, with drawings, tales and literature all contributing to it through portrayals of love, courtship, desire and marriage.[2]

1890-1927 The Silent Era

Romance was a natural theme for the first narrative films owing to the long history of romance films. The May Irwin Kiss, 1896, was the first on screen kiss by Thomas Edison. Other early examples include: - Camille, 1915; Intolerance, 1916; Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, 1921 and The Big Parade, 1925 (wartime, young love); The Hunchback of Notre Dame, 1923; For Heaven’s Sake, 1926 (family ties, young love)[3][4]

1927- 1950s

The age of Film Noir saw a shift from happily-ever-after perfect love, to destructive, dangerous love. The Postman Always Rings Twice, 1946 and Double Indemnity, 1944 both revolved around dangerous, obsessive love between a femmes fatales and an entrapped male character.[5]

Casablanca, 1942

Generally considered one of the best and most famous Romance films, Casablanca is, like most romantic films of its time, set against a back drop of war and destruction that inevitably affects and disturbs what would otherwise be a fairy tale romance. In Casablanca, Rick (Bogart) and Ilsa (Bergman) meet again after Ilsa ran out on Rick in Paris and attempt to escape Casablanca. However, the Nazi influence in otherwise unoccupied Casablanca proves difficult to circumvent. The graveness of the situation creates tension and makes it great.[6]

1950s

The 50s saw Romantic Comedies bloom with films such as Pillow Talk, 1959; Lover Come Back, 1961; Send Me No Flowers, 1964 grossing at the box office. These contrasted to the gritty Noirs of the Hollywood Golden Age, with a squeaky clean feel and formulaic, feel good plots.

1960s and 70s

Saw a movement to more avant garde cinema and bizarre on screen coupling. West Side Story, 1961- a modern day adaptation of Romeo and Juliet, with Natalie Wood playing a Puerto Rican woman and white American, Tony stuck in the middle of their rival family gangs’ feud in New York.[7] Lolita 1962- Kubrick’s adaptation of Nabokov’s controversial novel is an example of dynamic and experimental cinema with its portrayal of paedophilic, obsessive love.

1980s

The 80s saw an increase in film adaptations from famous novels or plays such as Room with a View, 1986 and The Unbearable Lightness of Being.

The 90s and 00s

From the 90s through to current day, Rom-coms have flooded the market. Films such as Love Actually, 2003; The Holiday, 2006 and Notting Hill, 1999 are all famous for their focus on comedy and romance equally. Richard Curtis is a major writer, director and producer in the British Rom-com genre. There is a greater diversity of Romance movies than ever currently- whether it be in an unusual narrative structure, such as (500) Days of Summer, 2009 or an unusual coupling such as Brokeback Mountain, 2005, with its portrayal of pure homosexual love.