GENRE RESEARCH

BY AYA N M A G U D I A

WHAT IS A DRAMA?• In the context of film, drama describes a genre of narrative fiction (or semi-

fiction) intended to be more serious, focusing on in-depth development of realistic characters who must deal with realistic emotional struggles.

• Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, child abuse, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, sexuality, poverty, class divisions violence against women and corruption put characters in conflict with themselves, others, society, or even natural phenomena.

• A drama is a film genre which revolves mainly around the development of realistic characters in which the audience can relate to which is known as 'dramatic themes.

• Drama is effective because it usually have the ability to gain empathy from the audience and touch upon the deepest emotions of the audience.

THE HISTORY OF DRAMA 1950’s: In the early years of cinema, melodrama had been dominant and influential. Silent cinema’s pantomime meant films were done in a presentational manner. In the 1950s, the arrival of stage actors like Marlon Brando, trained in more naturalistic techniques, slowly changed drama to a more realistic tenor. A Streetcar Named Desire is considered a pivotal film in this development.

1960’s and 1970’s:The 1960s brought politically driven dramas focusing on war, such as Judgment at

Nuremberg Flashback and The Manchurian Candidate. Sports dramas became inspiration such as The Hustle and Downhill Racer.

During the 1970s, modern dramatic directors made some of their first films. Francis Ford Coppola directed The Godfather. Martin Scorsese directed Taxi Drive, and musical drama New York, New York. Sylvester Stallone created one of the most successful sports drama franchises with Rocky. In addition, in sports drama were films that focused on the struggle of athletes such as The Longest Yard . War films and specifically World War II films were produced, giving the most realistic adaptation of the war seen in films at that time. Tora! Tora! Tora! and Apocalypse Now which all show the trials and hardships of war, are still considered classic war films.

THE HISTORY OF DRAMA

1980’s and 1990’s: • In the 1980s, dramatic film put emphasis on highly emotional

themes. Do the Right Thing and The Colour Purple were full character studies of African American culture and history.

• Drama, with a science fiction edge was a theme when Steven Spielberg directed E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.

• During the 1990s, Goodfellas took a gritty, hard-edged look at mob crime. The Shawshank Redemption, which was set inside a prison, had strong themes of hope.

• Dramas also took a turn with existentialist thrillers such as Fight Club. race relationships were a theme in American History X (1998), and the AIDs epidemic and discrimination were the focus of Philadelphia (1993)

CONVENTIONS ASSOCIATED WITH DRAMA

• Spoken thought • Lighting • Slow motion • Freeze frame• Conflict • Struggles• Tension• Flashbacks

• Narration• Realisation at the end• Struggles • Elements of abuse

•Portrays a characters journey and developments •Exhibits real life characters, situations, settings and stories. •Intense social interaction •Dramatic sounds and exaggerated performance

SUB GENRE• Historical is a sub-genre of Drama film that examines a specific time in

history or group of people. Many Historical films aim to portray true events and people. However, most Historical films are only loosely based on these events and people.

• Melodrama film is a sub-genre that appeals to the heightened emotions of the audience. The plot and characters often are more unrealistic than those found in the traditional drama film. Melodramas usually cater towards a female audience and tell a story that centers on a great crisis and a heroic protagonist

• Courtroom drama film uses the justice system as a main component of the plot. The story usually unfolds inside a courtroom with the prosecutor, judge. Tension plays a large part in courtroom dramas as the judgment can often mean li

• Period Piece is a sub-genre of Drama film that focuses on a specific time era. The era in which the film is set adds not only to the plot, but to the characters and costumes as well. A Period Piece films are often based on a novel or death.

• Political drama film contains themes, characters, and a plot specifically about politics and the political scene. The main protagonist is often at odds with the harsh reality of corruption in politics

• Romantic Drama film is a genre that explores the complex side of love. The plot usually centres on an obstacle that is preventing love between two people. The obstacles in Romantic Drama film can range from a family's disapproval, to forbidden love, to one's own psychological restraints

• Tragedy Drama is a genre wherein the downfall of the character is caused by a flaw within the character. While Tragedy Dramas sometime put the character in extraordinary circumstances, this genre is really about the self-destructive behaviour of the character. This can and eventually result in death or other form of degradation.

• Comedy Drama a balance of humour and serious content.

WHY WE CHOSE A DRAMA AND WHAT INSPIRE US

As a group, we decided to do a drama as we felt they are many different elements that we can use to portray this to the audience which will make them emotionally invested. I felt it would be a rewarding challenge as I had never created a drama piece.A drama’s require attention to detail and thus could be extremely hard to pull off, we aim to create a production that focuses on minor details to create a meaningful, yet clear drama that the audience will be able to interpret and understand. We have taken inspirations from dramas such as Thirteen and Saving Augusta – both films that centre on young girls self destruction. Both executed with honesty and raw emotions, we aim to emulate these qualities within our own production.