Genre ResearchELLIS BYRNES DTEC

Codes and conventions of Drama

Mise en scene Cinematography Editing Sound Characters Film examples

Mise en sceneLighting and colourNormal lighting is often used in dramas in order to portray a realistic atmosphere, however in some cases high key lighting is used for vibrant scenes that portray happiness. Colours can give a scene a certain theme to it and it can also be used to add dramatic effect to a sequence, for example the colour red is often associated with passion and so this colour would be highlighted in a romantic scene, alternatively it can symbolise danger.Costume and make-upThe costumes used in drama are supposed to be representative of the character and their personality. An antagonist may wear dark clothing to represent their negative intentions, an example of this would be the main antagonist for the film “The Babadook”. It can be seen by it’s clothing and characteristics it is an evil character. SettingDrama’s can be set in a wide range of locations, usually in real life environments such as towns, estates or famous cities/ Landmarks. “fifty shades of gray” takes place in a City. Involving sub-locations such as offices andlarge houses. PropsIn drama, props vary from genre to genre. For example, the props in a Drama-Romance film would be items that symbolise love, such as a Rose. Whereas a gritty teen drama would involve weapons such as baseball bats and Guns.

CinematographySince drama bases itself around serious issues and the emotional struggles of characters, the cinematography used in this genre must reflect this. Close up and reaction shots allow the audience to see emotion within a characters face, examples of this can be seen throughout the Drama genre.

Another emotionally focused shot would be the two shot, two shots are frequently used so that two characters can be directly compared, in some cases to highlight juxtaposition. An example of this can be seen in the Shawshank redemption, within the photo the Main character, Tim Robbins, can be directly compared with the prison guard, comparisons can be made in the way that the prison guard appears to be dominant as he has the Tim Robbins in his grasp.

EditingEditing in drama, like Cinematography, influences how the audience sees the characters within the scene. Spiritually driven scenes are further enhanced through the use of various editing techniques:One example of this would be ‘Shot Reverse Shot’ This type of shot is common in all films however the reasoning behind this differs in. Usually occurring in conversation, it allows the audience to see each characters reaction during the action shown on screen. Long Takes are extended takes which gives the audience time to clarify how the characters are feeling. Long takes are typically shots that are displayed for more than 5 seconds. of this can be seen during many drama film. During Morgan Freemans speech in Shawshank Redemption, a long take is used.

SoundSound effects are generally used to establish location, weather, time of day, or something happening off stage. For example, the diegetic animal of farm animals and tractors may symbolize the film is on a farm. In drama, only realistic sounds tend to be used as this portrays to the audience that the sequence could actually happen and this realism allows the audience to feel better connected with the film and characters.Not only this, Music is also an essential aspect of the drama genre, music is used in genre to enhance what is occurring in the scene. Drama often creates its own music so that whenever this music is heard it can be linked with the film, for example, the theme song for Titanic. The following link can establish the effect that music has on a dramatic scene: CLICK HERE

CharactersSince our short film has realistic aspects, it must have characters which reflect this type of Drama. These types of films often portray characters based on personality rather than appearance, with the majority of them looking like normal people, this is because it leads the audience to become enticed with the film and it creates a more realistic experience for them. This leads to audiences developing relationships and being able to relate to characters, therefore having an “Everyday” character is effective within Drama. Examples of everyday characters would be the cast from 12 Angry Men, a film that revolves around a Jury (Which any normal person can be selected for) deciding the fate of a man charged with murder. However it is worth noting that the most successful Drama’s don’t feature characters that people can necessarily relate to. For example films such as Shawshank Redemption which features a man being falsely arrested for murder, Pulp Fiction and The Godfather both contain extreme character violence and these are not what the everyday person can relate to, despite this they are still effective within cinema.

Film Examples

Left to right: Goodfellas, Fight Club, American Beauty, One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest, Trainspotting