AICE media blog: Portfolio project Genre 2

Genre:

Another genre I'm considering for my portfolio project is family drama. These movie could consist of a wide variety of things but focus on the conflict between family members. I think this genre could be exciting for me to do and most of the filming could take place in my house. Considering I don't have a license yet this is ideal. There are also a lot of family drama movies that I watched and absolutely loved, so I think I would enjoy working with this genre. I also have a lot of ideas that could fit this genre and I feel like I could have a lot of fun exploring the setting and background in an intro of a family drama. This would this would be fitting of the genre conventions because many family drama movies start with a focus on the family, the setting or establish the background.

Target audiences and Institutional conventions:

Family dramas target audiences are families with older kids (around 10-15) but are appropriate for all ages. They use a wide range of shots to establish relationships between characters and move the plot forward. Many rely on mid shots because there are so many main characters that are all an integral part of each other's stories, but other shot types, like two shots are common. Many family dramas also use the family itself as a marketing strategy. Movie posters commonly show all the main characters and market the film as something to view with your family.

Genre conventions:

There are many different types of family dramas, but most of them share common content and techniques. The content of these movies focus on the relationships between family members. Main plot points are either the conflict or the resolution of conflict between the main characters (the family). The climax of a family drama is also most likely going to be the conflict that has been building between members of the family finally becoming too much. This main conflict could be between parents and children or siblings, both are common and fit the genre conventions. Movies also take place in or around the time they were released, making them feel relatable to audiences, and give nostalgia upon rewatches. Techniques that are used in family drama can be greatly varied, but many use non-diegetic music as a way to show emotions and bright colors to help audiences see them as light hearted and comforting.

Examples:

"Cheaper by the dozen (2022)" opens by showing photos the family had taken over the years, while "The Family Plan (2023)" opens by showing the city the main characters live in while Dan, the father in the movie has a voice over. These are both good examples of family drama movies because they both deal with the relationships and conflict between family members. Even though the main plot of "Cheaper by the dozen (2022)" is more focused on these relationships as the main conflict, "The family plan (2023)" relies heavily on this type of conflict as well. They both also follow the convention of having multiple main characters and a story that is in reality many stories woven together. Both movies also show every day life, and therefore have mise-en-scene that reflects this. There is natural lighting and characters wear clothing that is appropriate for the era the movie is set in, there is also many refences to the family in the set design. Some other movies that fit these genre conventions are "the Parent Trap (1998)" and "Invisible Sister (2015)." All these examples also the main characters (the family) on the main posters for marketing purposes. They also all have the same target audience of families watching a movie together so they are suited for all ages and genders.