Drama Film Research

Picking the genre of my future film project has been very difficult. Although it may seem like a simple task, I want to carefully decide on the genre because I will be working on the project for the next 2 months. I have been researching past films that I have really enjoyed. Drama and thriller genres had reoccured multiple times and I have decided to narrow down on the two. 

Drama films are often very serious and represent the emotions of the protagonist very well. I am very interested in drama films because of the great suspense and realism of the films. I will attempt to implement conventions of drama films to build great suspense in my film. Choosing this genre will allow me to create a meaningful story. 

Drama Film Topics 

Although films in the drama genre have a variety of topics, majority of drama films revolve around current events in our world. Moonlight is an example of this, primarily focusing on the life of being a part of the LGBTQ+ community when you are a person of color. These films portray realistic character that often conflict within themselves and the society around them. Just like these genre films, I will take upon a topic that is based upon a current event in our world. 

Additionally, films in this genre heavily build upon character development. Character conflict or internal conflict are forms to build the protagonists development. This further adds to the realism and emotions that are meant to be represented. In my film, I will attempt to implement the internal conflict of the protagonist to build upon their character development. 

Dramatic Conventions 

Slow motion is a very common way to build suspense WHEN DONE CORRECTLY. Slowing down a moment or action adds emphasis to the scene and causes the audience to recognize the importance. By utilizing this in my film, I will be able to emphasis important scenes in the film. 

An example of slow motion in film is in , "Hacksaw ridge", last battle scene,  to emphasize the grenades being thrown by the Japanese soldiers 

             - I will try to implement a slow motion portion into my film to emphasize the character and the environment they live in. 

Sound

Sound is a key element in story building and can cause the audience to feel the emotions of the scene. Sound can elevate the emotions of a scene, often causing feelings of suspense or exhilaration. For example, a theatrical score can cause the audience to be on the edge of their seats. An example of this in modern films is in the soundtrack of "Dunkirk".  Hans Zimmer uses a Shepards tone (repeated beat that tricks the audiences mind that the speed of the beat increases) to make the scene of the soldier running to the beach become much more suspenseful and dramatic.  

A score from the film, "Dunkirk", Running to the beach scene,  Score: " The Mole "

             - I will use a non copyright, theatrical score for my film to add to the drama and suspense of the introductory scene. Additionally, I can utilize certain theatrical scores to allow me to make the audience's emotions to feel a certain way.

Camera Shots

A close up is used to emphasize an emotion of a character or to emphasize key objects. Furthermore, extreme close ups of objects or people can draw heavy focus to the character's environment and their emotions. Not only will this emphasize the environment around the character, but it will also explain the backstory to the audience. Close ups also can set the mood and setting of the film. 

An example of this is in, "1917", where the soldier looks scared and anxious 

           - I will implement close ups and extreme close ups to the objects around the room to fully represent the protagonist in my film. Additionally, I will use multiple points of views to build suspense and make the film more engaging. 

After conducting this research, I feel more comfortable with the conventions used in dramas films. I have a picture of how my film will look like and the key elements that will be used in it.