Research - Picking my Genre

    When first deciding what genre I wanted to use for my 2-minute film opening, I knew that I wanted to do something that I enjoy and that I have some knowledge of. Whenever I ask myself or my family "what do we want to watch," I always find myself stumbling across romantic comedies. I know, you might be wondering: "why do you keep going back to the same predictable match-making stories?" Well I'm here to tell you guys all about the components that make this genre timeless, demonstrating that while the conclusions might be anticipated, the journey of character development and humor is what really matters. 

    To start, in a world packed with bad news, noise, and stress, romantic comedies provide something uncomplicated and cheerful. The predictable stories issue a feeling of security and comfort. I know what to expect, and the assured "happy ending" gives me a dependable emotional outcome, allowing me to have a relaxed experience without going through the pressure of an unknown result. The consistency is not a weakness. I want to know that love will succeed. That characters will grow, connect, and come across something new. 

    Secondly, rom-coms deliver a safe space to experience and process a variety of emotions. The best ones make me cry, laugh, and get frustrated, occasionally within the same scene. They can be astonishingly deep, exploring themes of second chance, fear of intimacy, identity, and forgiveness. The match-making trope introduces a glorified version of romance, proposing that love is a magical, unexpected force that can strike suddenly and reshape one's life. This connects with the universal desire for connection and the wish that such a perfect love story could take place in real life. 

    Lastly, the conventional nature of romantic comedies lets me easily exclude doubt and immerse myself into an imaginary world. The focus is less on realism and more on the emotional rollercoaster, making the unlikely scenarios entertaining instead of unbelievable. These films support universal societal norms and cultural narratives about gender roles, family values as well as relationships. The collective understanding of these conventions makes the stories relatable and approachable to a wide audience.  

    Ultimately, the romantic comedy genre is continuously advancing, and I am excited to see what new stories filmmakers bring to our screens. I am also looking forward to producing my own 2-minute film using this research as a cornerstone. It is a genre that will consistently be around because, in essence, it tells stories we all resonate with. 

Resource:

1. https://medium.com/@joyhopwood/why-rom-coms-still-matter-and-how-i-am-rewriting-the-rules-69d3b7641e82