CCR #1

 Hey Cambridge! As for my CRR, I will create one piece answering questions #1 and #2 and another for questions #3 and #4. This blog post will discuss the research regarding question #1. Enjoy!

Research:

As you are aware, the genre of my film opening is a sports drama. It involved a high-school senior who desperately needed a scholarship from gymnastics but was struggling due to her knee injury. My film follows her struggles and overcomes them as she achieves her dreams. 

Sports film + Drama film= Sports Drama film

A sports drama includes dramatic elements to a sports-based storyline. These types of films will usually cover the rise and fall of the chosen subject. The target audience is more mature individuals since the sporting world is not all rainbows and sprinkles, and the films accurately represent it. 

Common characteristics of a Drama:

• Conflict: Central to driving the story forward.
• Pressure on the main character creates tension and intrigue.
• Clear plot
• Emotionally-driven characters
• Exaggeration of characters and setting, enhancing dramatic effect.
• Mise-en-scene: Use of costume, props, lighting, and music to create characters and atmosphere.
• Character connection with the audience, creating interesting and relatable characters.
• Exploration of diverse topics, such as love and family.

The highlighted ones above are some of the bigger conventions we implemented in the film opening. The main conflict in our story concludes with our main character's injury and her pursuit to perform well in a competition to receive a scholarship. Gianna's poor grades and injury leave her stuck between a wall and a hard spot. Of course, with any film a clear plot is essential, and as stated above and in previous blog posts our plot is structured well and organized. Of course, mice en scene is crucial in all films but it is heavily used within dramas. We used several props such as the medals, the calendar, and the knee wrap to emphasize our characters and plot. Lastly, we attempted to create a relatable character. We came up with a sneaky, obsession-driven, dedicated gymnast with poor grades and one outlet to let all her worries out; gymnastics. The reason we chose not to include emotionally-driven characters is because we want our film to emphasize Gianna, and solely on her. Due to the multiple actors participating in the gymnastics filming session, it was difficult to incorporate emotional expressions into the film. This goes for any aspect of exaggeration in our film since it was difficult to change anything in the gym because it is a public space and we tried our best with what we had to dramatize Gianna's love her gymnastics through her room decorations and actions. Finally, we did not explore various topics because we wanted to emphasize her dedication to gymnastics, which contrasts her lack of interest in school. The strong contrast helps our story propel forward. 

Common characteristics of a Sports film: 

• Focuses on a singular sport
• Has a sports setting
• Shows real, unfiltered hardships 

We implemented all of the following in our film opening. Firstly, we filmed in a gym and showcased the skills Gianna possesses, this emphasizes and gives our film a spark. Our film only focuses on gymnastics and no other sport to illustrate her love and dedication to the sport. The second one ties in with what is stated above. Lastly, showing Gianna's failures whether in school or in the gym (her injury) checks this box up and gives a realistic appeal in our film, not covering anything up. 

Ultimately, we attempted to balance both conventions of each genre to produce a sports drama!

Representing social groups/issues:

All of these characteristics and techniques we use aid our representation of groups and issues. For instance, our film opening represents rebellion among teenagers. Gianna goes against her strict mother's and coach's wishes to take a training break. The mother and coach represent restriction vs support. Gianna feels extremely misunderstood by those most prominent in her support system. In addition, our main character is training through an injury, representing the struggles athletes face with an injury (passion vs health). Our film opening foreshadows the consequences of going behind the backs of your guardians. 

Citations: 

Slideshare. (2019, January 28). Genre conventions. SlideShare. https://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/genre-conventions-129559988/129559988

https://medium.com/@english_grammar/characteristics-of-drama-2d42c83e9a08

By: Education Help Published: September 10th, 2015 

Title: Characteristics of a Drama