Generic Conventions of Drama Films

OverviewThe main conventions of a Drama film are that the story line is usually serious and they have a plot-driven presentation. Also, they usually have realistic characters, settings and situations and involve intense character involvement. This is because Drama films entertain the audience by grabbing their attention emotionally. They do not focus of special effects, comedy or action. Their main focus is the emotional effects that they try to portray, be it happy or sad. A good drama film will create an overwhelming emotion within the audience.

Conventional ThemesDrama themes are usually based around a character dealing with emotional problems, such as drug addiction, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, crime and corruption. They put the characters in conflict with themselves, others and society. All film genres can include dramatic elements, but typically, films considered drama films focus on the drama as the main theme.

Music-Heavy music, usually an instrumental with a chorus.  The lyrics (if any) are relatable with the film and are hard hitting. this is done to make the film seem more emotional and creates sympathy within the audience

Lighting-Lighting is usually grim and dull.  This is to reinforce the heavy, deep atmosphere. There are exceptions to this, like trainspotting, which uses warm, orange light.  this effect is used if the film is aiming to invite the audience into the film.  It immerses the audience into the setting of the film, giving the feeling of being in the film.  This is used in drug/crime dramas to make it more relatable and real.  This is  good, different way to make the audience see the 'grim' reality that drug/crime dramas try to portray 

Camera shots   -Drug/crime dramas do not usually have a lot of action, horror or special effects. these are usually the main ways to build suspense, tension and to keep interest in the film.  Instead of these, they rely a lot on the camera shots to do this.  the camera shots are usually a contrast between a shaking, handheld camera and a still camera. this is to make it seem either realistic, and to make it look chaotic, or to release a calm atmosphere.  in a drug/crime drama, the main idea of it is to portray grim reality. the shaking camera makes the shot seem like the character is in action or movement. Whereas the still camera is to give off their immobile shots.  it usually differs between the two types of camera effects to portray the grim reality of constantly changing emotions.  this keeps the audience interested because it can make small acts of violence look as big and dramatic as huge wars in action films.  a good example of this is the opening of ill manors.  the first scene is of a man watching television.  it is calm and relaxed, then it jumps into jagged camera movement and constant scene change.  This makes it seem dramatic and chaotic. 

Settinga drug/crime drama is usually shot in deprived areas of cities.  This is the typical setting because it exaggerates the grim reality because the deprived areas represent desperation and pain. There are many examples of this setting being used, like Ill Manors, Trainspotting, Fish Tank and This Is England

Characters   There are no clear protagonists or antagonists within in a drug/crime drama.  There is usually one main character, with a group of semi-main characters as their friends. the film is usually a fight between the characters emotions.  There is no 'good' and 'bad' guy.  The good is the part of the character that is striving to do right, and to bad is the part of the character who indulges into crime or drugs.  by this i mean that they would mess up by going down the wrong road, by taking a drug, or cheating on their partner, or by doing a crime like a robbery.  the stereotypical characters within a drug/crime drama are either a drug abuser, or a troubled teen.  this is because the drug/crime dramas are usually aimed at the young people, who are open to interpretation and are interested about the outside world, the grim reality.  the trouble teen or drug abuser are the typical main characters because they are the easiest to relate to by the young audience. An example of this is This Is England.  the main character is supposedly the young child, but he acts like a troubled teen, and his friends are all troubled teens or young drug abusers.  

As you can see, the lighting is warm and orange. This does immerse the audience into the film (see more detail under the lighting header)

The troubled teens in ‘This Is England’ are so good because they are very relatable to the younger target audience (see more detail under character header)

Ill Manors was set and filmed in East London. The less privileged, more crowded part of the city (see more detail under setting header)