Codes and Conventions of a Rom Com

 
My Own Expansion:


Plot: Expanding on what is said on the slide, the narrative in a romcom is usually in a three part structure. A boy and a girl will meet, and for some reason, they will be torn apart. Throughout the movie, they will realise that they are meant to be together, and by the characters will meet yet again and work out went wrong between them.

Characters: The two main characters, male and female have to be relatable and down to earth. The audience need to connect with them, so they ‘support’ them throughout the film.

Setting: RomComs are typically set in large, well-known cities. The most common places to set a romcom are New York or London. Usually the settings of romcoms are in cities because they are so busy, so the events happening in the film can be believable. Big cities such as New York are recognisable and famous, so the audience can recognise and be familiar with the setting, even if they have never visited.

Sound/Music: As romcoms are supposed to be ‘relatable and realistic’ the music in the film tends to be very natural and usually a ‘real’ song, such as something written/sang by a famous band. For example, in the film Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging, the song ‘She’s So Lovely’ performed by Scouting For Girls is featured, and this was a song that charted in the UK Top 40.

Colours: The majority of the film will have a happy atmosphere, so the lighting and misé en scene will be used to reflect this. Romcom’s are less serious than other genres, and are designed mainly to entertain the audience. There may be certain points in the film when a scene goes slightly dark or sad, but this ‘mood’ will soon change.

Rom Coms fit with the equilibrium, disruption, realisation, action, and new equilibrium theme.