Let's Fall in Love!💘
Being a hopeless romantic all my life, I find myself watching a huge amount of rom-coms and romance movies in general to feed my interest.
The textbook definition of romance is a feeling of excitement or mystery associated with love. This means that a lot of romance movies can identify with not only a love story for other hopeless romantics like myself, but also a storyline that consists of either mystery and suspense or light-hearted comedy and general excitement. This is because there are many sub-genres that fall under the romance category.
Content:
Due to the endless amount of sub-genres under romance, there are many different roads taken by directors when approaching a romance film. However, most films will coordinate with a similar formula, "A Central Love Story". Typically, these films consist of hardships that the character's face which ultimately lead them to meet their "love". And in the end, they overcome it and live happily ever after.
A huge factor used in a lot of romance films is the ability to relate with the characters. Portraying a hard-working, independent woman can help put the female audience in the character's shoes. This is used to create a deep connection with the audience which will make them truly enjoy and feel an attachment to the film.
EX: The Notebook (2004) uses a dramatic take on romance to
create a tear-jerking and intriguing film on a love story.
Production Techniques
Depending on the sub-genre, romance novels are known for a more light-hearted scenery and mood. This is created through lighting and color scheme.
Lots of brighter lighting is used in romance-comedies while dimmer, suspenseful lighting may be used in romance films that contain mystery or even a bit of horror at times.
Color usage is also crucial in setting the mood for a lot of romance films. In Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again, the use of bright, fun colors are used to depict a light-hearted scene and the fun party life of Donna.
Also, when viewing historical romance films, color usage helps set the scene in a specific era or time range.
EX: Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again
Marketing:
One very expected statistic is that 82% of people who read or view the romance genre are female. The age range of the majority of these woman is 35-39 yrs old. However, today, there is much more to take into consideration when it comes to marketing a romance piece.
Romance films have broadened their variety as far as LGBTQA+ and racial representation over the last decades. Representation of Asian, Black, and Hispanic communities have increased as well as same-sex couples and individuals with same-sex attraction. This is because the emotional connection techniques used to create a bond with the viewers requires representation of all people so the everyday person can feel a special attachment to the film. On streaming platforms like Netflix, people have claimed to look up certain keywords that pertain to themselves when looking for romance films to view. For example, a lesbian woman may look up the keyword "lesbian" on the search bar when searching for a romance film. This is because she may feel identified with the content of the film. Different romance films mostly include the couple or main characters on the film cover. This helps the audience have a visual of who they will be observing in the film.
Samples:
The film Little Women (2019) tells the story of the March sisters and how she lives her life by her won rules. "About 20 minutes in, the characters cease to be characters; they are now flesh and blood, our sisters. We feel their happiness and despond, their cold feet and warm hearts, their slights and loves. It's a masterful, passionate, all-in kind of adaptation." A review from Paul Byrnes on Rotten Tomatoes. The film depicts a certain raw aspect where they reach out to the audience and establish a genuine connection which is why many feel a unique connection to this movie. The wardrobes and earthy tones used helped established the scenery in this historical romantic film. This particular film added more power to the characters of the March sisters and their personas.
The film
Blended (2014) is a romantic-comedy that depicts the story of the characters played by Drew Barrymore and Adam Sandler who are single parents that live busy, hectic lifestyles when they both coincide on a family vacation far from home. On this trip, they're both taken out of their comfort zones through a series of adventures and ultimately fall in love. The tropical colors set the mood in the family vacation where bright lighting is used along with light-hearted humor.
More romance film recommendations
Hitch (2005)
50 First Dates (2004)
Five Feet Apart (2019)
The Fault in Our Stars (2014)
The Notebook (2004)
Sources:
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3281548/
https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/little_women_2019
https://www.rwa.org/Online/Romance_Genre/About_Romance_Genre.aspx
https://www.examples.com/business/famous-movie-marketing-examples.html
