Social Problem Films

Introduction

In this entry I am planning on discuss the style of film of social problems, this fit in nicely with my chosen genre of psycolgyical thriller, as mental health is a social problem.


What are Social Problem Films?

Social problem films are films that feature social problems as a Key theme of the storyline. Social problems are things that effect the people of a community.
For example:

• Crime
• Discrimination (race, gay, disability, etc.)
• Prejudice
• Housing
• War
• Alcoholism

This differ from country, region and area of a community. The gold age of this style is considered to be postwar, between 1947 - 1951. These issues are topical and often new worthy.


Why produce a Social Problem Film?

Social problem films can be met very well with audiences due to the fact that the audiences have the ability to relate to the issues tackled. Due to the often controversial nature of these films, they can cause a large impact. This impact can sometimes be native for the film company, such as is there is a mass boycotting of the film and fights from the office of censorship to ban the films. But sometimes it can be positive, causing more people to go and watch the film, which would therefor increase box office figures.


Who produces Social Problem films?

This style of film has been growing in popularity over the current years. Proof of this in on the block buster website. They have a section solely for this style, as shown in the image below.

A few social problem films are Home of the Brave and The Snake Pit.

How will Social Problems be displayed in my opening sequence?

My open will be feacturing the social problem of mental health. This is a social problem as it greatly effects the lives of people, and also there is a prejudice surround this type of film. I will need to make sure that I do not discriminate. I am planning on making the issues of mental health shown through special effects, etc.


Conclusion

I feel that the issues of mental health could effect the impact of my film in a positive way, as there will be no discrimination in the film. People may find my film interesting due to the relatible nature of mental health issues.

Cycles of Genres

Introduction

In this blog post, I am going to research into the idea that certain genres go in and out of fashion.

Cycles of Genres

Making sure that the genre of film I am going to release with be met well by the audiences, means making sure it is currently on trend. Hollywood is known for capitalising on trends and cycles within the film industry. This is due to is short term production plans with allow it to move fast. They also use the method of timed releases, to suit not all the current trends, but the seasons too. Hollywood also has the power to do large amounts of research to make sure they are aware of all the current trends.

An examples of this is hugely successful 1945 film "Lost Weekend". This was quickly followed by "Smash Up: The Story of a Woman", in 1946. It was thought that this was released to attempt to grab hold of the audience that had enjoyed Lost Weekend. The similarity's included alcholism being a key theme and the main character being female. How ever Smash Up was not as successful, proving that this method does not always work out.

The cycle in which certain genres go in and out of fashion is complex as it relies of many factors. For Examples:

• Policital Situation
• Current Events
• Current trends
• Economic Situation

Sometimes it is impossible to put a reason on why a certain genres is out of trend. For example, in 1980 there were no western films for a long period of time. However, this gap was replaced with large amounts of science fiction films being produced.


Conclusion

My conclusion for this post is that, I might need to research into how style of films are currently popular in order to make sure that my film is met well by audiences.

The Hollwood Genre System

Introduction

In this blog post I am going to explore the Hollywood genre system and how I can use these ideas to help me with my opening sequence.


The Hollywood Genre System

The Hollywood genre system was developed by Robert C. Allen and Douglas Gomery. They stated that the classical Hollywood style is vital to representing character, setting, ect, to the audience. They feel that these ideals created what a film is supposed to look and feel like. They felt that each genres ideals varied but were still necessary to create a regulated variety in a cinema.

One of these is the narrative system, that has been adopted as it's aesthetic and ideological. It sticks to not only the general parameters of the Hollywood style, but also to the norms of the social system. This helps make any story more believable and relatable for an audience. This generic storyline also has a strong selling point, which means it is a hit with audiences. Certain phrases are used to describe the different types of this narrative system, such as "Thriller" or "Romantic Comedy". This phrases can be used to quickly grab viewers attention such as on the covers of magazines.


Source

"In a Lonely Street" - By Frank Krutnik


Conclusion

The Hollywood genre system has made me realize that I should have "Psychological Thriller" somewhere within my opening sequence, to grab viewers attention.