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Screenwriting I
Table of Contents
Unit 9 Overview: Screenplay Genre Conventions
9.1 Overview of Major Film Genres
9.2 Genre-Specific Story Elements and Expectations
9.3 Blending and Subverting Genre Conventions

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9.2 Genre-Specific Story Elements and Expectations

Citation:

Genre-specific story elements shape how tales unfold in different categories. From tropes and archetypes to stock characters and world-building, these components create a familiar framework for audiences.

Understanding these elements helps writers craft stories that meet genre expectations while still offering fresh twists. By mastering conventions like pacing, tone, and visual style, screenwriters can engage viewers and deliver satisfying experiences within their chosen genre.

Genre Conventions

Common Storytelling Techniques

  • Tropes are commonly recurring literary and rhetorical devices, motifs, or clichés in creative works, such as the "chosen one" protagonist or the "wise old mentor" character
  • Archetypes are universal, inborn models of people, behaviors, or personalities that play a role in influencing human behavior and are used in storytelling to quickly convey information about a character (hero, villain, sidekick)
  • Conventions are widely recognized, accepted standards or norms within a particular genre, such as the "happily ever after" ending in romantic comedies or the plot twist in thrillers
  • Plot devices are storytelling techniques or conventions used to advance the plot, such as flashbacks, cliffhangers, or deus ex machina resolutions

Stock Characters

  • Stock characters are stereotypical fictional characters who audiences readily recognize from recurrent roles in a particular literary tradition
    • The "damsel in distress" who must be rescued by the hero is a classic stock character in action-adventure stories
    • The "mad scientist" is a stock character in science fiction who is typically characterized as brilliant but unhinged, often serving as the antagonist
    • The "hardboiled detective" is a stock character in crime fiction, usually portrayed as a cynical, tough, and streetwise investigator
    • The "manic pixie dream girl" is a stock character in romantic comedies, often portrayed as a quirky, whimsical woman who helps the brooding male protagonist embrace life and find happiness

Narrative Elements

World-Building Components

  • Setting refers to the time and place in which the story takes place, which can range from realistic to fantastical depending on the genre
    • Historical fiction is set in a real place during a culturally recognizable time period in the past, such as Ancient Rome or Medieval Europe
    • High fantasy stories are set in fictional worlds with unique histories, geographies, and cultures, such as Middle Earth in The Lord of the Rings
  • Tone is the overall emotional "flavor" or attitude of a story, which influences how the audience is meant to feel about the events and characters
    • Horror stories often have a dark, suspenseful, and foreboding tone to create fear and dread in the audience
    • Comedies typically have a light, humorous, and playful tone to amuse and entertain the audience

Storytelling Structure and Pace

  • Pacing refers to the speed at which the story unfolds and the rhythm of the action, dialogue, and narrative elements as they are presented to the audience
    • Action-adventure stories like James Bond usually have fast pacing, with rapid cuts, intense chase sequences, and high-stakes confrontations to keep the audience on the edge of their seats
    • Dramas often have slower pacing, with longer scenes focused on character development and emotional conflicts to deeply engage the audience
  • Narrative structure is the framework of a story, including the order and manner in which events are presented to the audience
    • The classic "hero's journey" structure features a protagonist who goes on an adventure, faces a decisive crisis, wins a victory, and returns home transformed
    • Non-linear narratives present story events out of chronological order, such as beginning in the middle of the action and using flashbacks to fill in the backstory

Audience Engagement

Meeting Audience Expectations

  • Audience expectations refer to what readers or viewers anticipate and desire from a story based on their knowledge of its genre
    • Mystery readers expect the story to revolve around a crime that must be solved through the logical analysis of clues
    • Romance readers expect the story to focus on the development of a romantic relationship that ultimately leads to a emotionally satisfying ending
  • Genre-specific conflicts are the central problems or obstacles that characters must face and overcome, which tend to follow recognizable patterns in different genres
    • In Westerns, conflicts often arise between "civilization" and "wilderness," with the hero caught between the two worlds
    • In spy thrillers, conflicts frequently involve the hero racing against time to stop a villain's evil plot to cause widespread harm

Visual Storytelling Elements

  • Visual style refers to the overall look and feel of a film, television show, or other visual narrative, including elements such as cinematography, lighting, and production design
    • Film noir is characterized by a distinctive visual style featuring high-contrast lighting, deep shadows, and skewed camera angles to create a sense of mystery and moral ambiguity
    • Science fiction stories often feature sleek, futuristic visual designs for sets, costumes, and props to immerse the audience in the imagined world of advanced technology

Key Terms to Review (37)

Romantic comedy: A romantic comedy is a film or narrative genre that combines elements of romance and humor, typically following a central love story that is light-hearted and often features comedic situations. This genre usually focuses on the development of a romantic relationship between two protagonists, often characterized by misunderstandings, obstacles, and humorous interactions that ultimately lead to a happy resolution. The balance of romance and comedy makes it a popular choice for audiences seeking entertainment that explores love in an amusing way.
Three-Act Structure: The three-act structure is a narrative framework that divides a story into three distinct sections: setup, confrontation, and resolution. This structure helps screenwriters organize their plots and develop character arcs while creating a compelling emotional journey for the audience.
Damsel in distress: The damsel in distress is a narrative trope that typically portrays a young woman in need of rescue, often by a male hero. This character archetype serves to emphasize themes of vulnerability and heroism, as the female character's plight propels the male protagonist into action, reflecting traditional gender roles and expectations prevalent in many genres, particularly adventure and romance.
Mad scientist: A mad scientist is a popular archetype in fiction characterized by a brilliant but unhinged individual who conducts unethical experiments, often leading to disastrous consequences. This character type typically embodies the conflict between scientific discovery and moral responsibility, serving as a cautionary figure against the perils of unchecked ambition and hubris.
Genre-specific conflicts: Genre-specific conflicts refer to the unique types of struggles and challenges that characters face within a particular genre of storytelling. These conflicts often align with the conventions and expectations of the genre, shaping the narrative and driving character development in ways that resonate with the audience's understanding of that genre.
Non-linear narratives: Non-linear narratives are storytelling techniques that do not follow a straight chronological order. Instead, they may jump between different times, perspectives, or events, creating a more complex and layered experience for the audience. This approach often allows for deeper exploration of themes and character development by presenting the story in a way that encourages viewers to piece together the plot and understand relationships between events more dynamically.
Visual style: Visual style refers to the distinctive manner in which a story is presented through visual elements like color, composition, camera angles, and lighting. It plays a crucial role in establishing the mood and tone of a narrative, influencing how audiences interpret and connect with the story. By utilizing specific visual techniques, filmmakers can evoke emotions and highlight genre-specific expectations that resonate with viewers.
Setting: Setting refers to the time and place in which a story unfolds, encompassing not only the physical location but also the cultural, social, and historical context. It plays a crucial role in shaping characters, influencing plot developments, and establishing the mood and tone of a narrative, especially when considering genre-specific story elements and expectations.
Horror: Horror is a genre designed to evoke feelings of fear, dread, and suspense in the audience, often featuring terrifying elements such as monsters, supernatural forces, or psychological disturbances. It plays with the audience's emotions and reactions, creating tension through atmosphere, character situations, and the use of shocking imagery. The horror genre often intersects with other genres and can subvert traditional conventions to explore deeper themes.
Stock Characters: Stock characters are recognizable and often stereotypical figures that embody specific traits or roles commonly found in various genres of storytelling. These characters are used to quickly establish context and expectations for the audience, making them effective tools for writers to convey themes, plot points, or moral lessons without needing extensive backstory or development.
Hardboiled detective: A hardboiled detective is a fictional private investigator or police officer characterized by a tough demeanor, cynical worldview, and a strong sense of justice. This archetype often navigates through gritty urban settings while solving complex crimes, reflecting the moral ambiguity and harsh realities of society.
Science fiction: Science fiction is a genre of storytelling that explores futuristic concepts, advanced technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel universes, and extraterrestrial life. It often blends imaginative speculation with scientific principles, prompting audiences to consider the potential consequences of innovation and discovery. This genre can also subvert traditional conventions by merging with other genres or challenging the expectations set by established narratives.
Plot devices: Plot devices are narrative techniques used by writers to advance the story, create tension, or evoke emotions in the audience. These tools can range from simple elements like foreshadowing to more complex structures like flashbacks, all aimed at enhancing the storytelling experience and fulfilling genre-specific expectations.
Film noir: Film noir is a cinematic style characterized by its dark, pessimistic themes, moral ambiguity, and a distinctive visual aesthetic that often includes low-key lighting and high-contrast imagery. Emerging in the 1940s, film noir frequently explores complex characters, crime, and existential dread, often blending elements of mystery and thriller genres while subverting traditional narrative structures.
Manic pixie dream girl: The manic pixie dream girl is a character trope often seen in films and literature, typically characterized by an eccentric, free-spirited young woman who inspires a male protagonist to embrace life and pursue their dreams. This character often exists solely to support the male lead's development, lacking her own depth or story arc. This trope raises expectations in storytelling by emphasizing the dynamics between male and female characters, often placing the emotional growth of the male character at the forefront.
Jump scares: Jump scares are sudden, intense moments in film or media designed to provoke a quick, startled reaction from the audience. They often occur in horror and thriller genres, utilizing loud noises, abrupt changes in visuals, or unexpected events to create shock. The effectiveness of jump scares relies on the audience's build-up of tension and the abrupt release that comes from the scare, enhancing emotional engagement with the story.
Conventions: Conventions are the established practices and norms that define specific genres in storytelling. They shape audience expectations, guiding how stories are structured, characters are developed, and themes are presented within a particular genre. Understanding these conventions is crucial for screenwriters as they navigate the balance between innovation and audience satisfaction.
Happy ending: A happy ending is a narrative conclusion in which the protagonist's conflicts are resolved positively, leading to a sense of satisfaction and joy. This type of ending typically aligns with audience expectations, especially in certain genres, reinforcing themes of hope and fulfillment while often contrasting with more tragic or ambiguous conclusions.
Audience expectations: Audience expectations refer to the preconceived notions and beliefs that viewers bring to a story based on their experiences with genre conventions, storytelling techniques, and cultural contexts. These expectations influence how audiences interpret and engage with narratives, affecting their satisfaction and emotional responses. Understanding these expectations is essential for blending and subverting genres effectively while crafting compelling stories.
The Shining: The Shining refers to a supernatural ability possessed by certain individuals, particularly children, to perceive psychic phenomena and communicate telepathically. In the context of storytelling, this concept often plays a crucial role in horror narratives, emphasizing themes of isolation, fear, and the impact of trauma.
Exaggerated dialogue: Exaggerated dialogue refers to the use of overly dramatic or heightened speech patterns that often amplify emotions, character traits, or situations within a script. This type of dialogue is particularly effective in certain genres, as it captures the audience's attention and enhances the storytelling by emphasizing key moments or character relationships. It plays a crucial role in defining the tone of a piece and can help to establish comedic, dramatic, or even surreal elements within the narrative.
Archetypes: Archetypes are universal symbols, themes, or character types that recur across different stories and genres. They serve as foundational elements in storytelling, helping to convey complex ideas and emotions through recognizable patterns. Understanding archetypes allows writers to blend and subvert genre conventions effectively while also meeting audience expectations within specific genres.
The mentor: The mentor is a guiding character in a story who provides support, wisdom, and advice to the protagonist, helping them navigate challenges and grow throughout their journey. This character often embodies traits such as experience, knowledge, and a nurturing attitude, and serves as a catalyst for the protagonist's development, playing a crucial role in their transformation. The mentor can be found in various genres, fulfilling different narrative expectations depending on the story's context.
Genre mashup: A genre mashup is a creative work that blends elements from two or more distinct genres to create a unique narrative experience. This blending often results in innovative storytelling techniques and the exploration of unexpected themes, challenging traditional genre conventions and expectations. By combining different genres, creators can appeal to broader audiences and produce fresh content that revitalizes familiar tropes.
Tropes: Tropes are common themes, motifs, or devices that are widely recognized and used in storytelling across various genres. They help to convey familiar ideas or concepts quickly to the audience and can shape the narrative structure, character development, and overall tone of a story. Understanding tropes is essential for blending and subverting genre conventions and meeting genre-specific expectations, as they provide a shorthand for communication between the storyteller and the audience.
Dystopian society: A dystopian society is an imagined community or society that is undesirable or frightening, often characterized by oppressive societal control, extreme inequality, and the illusion of a perfect society. This concept highlights the negative consequences of certain ideologies or systems, making it a compelling element in storytelling that critiques real-world issues and human behavior.
Anti-hero: An anti-hero is a central character in a story who lacks conventional heroic qualities such as morality, courage, or idealism. Instead of being purely good, anti-heroes are often flawed individuals with complex motivations, making them relatable and intriguing. This character type challenges traditional notions of heroism and plays a significant role in shaping the narrative and thematic elements of a story, often reflecting the moral ambiguity of the world they inhabit.
Love conquers all: The phrase 'love conquers all' suggests that love has the power to overcome any obstacles, challenges, or adversities. This idea is deeply rooted in storytelling, where love often serves as a central theme that drives character motivations and plot developments. In narratives across various genres, this concept highlights the transformative and redemptive qualities of love, suggesting that genuine affection can triumph over hatred, misunderstandings, and societal constraints.
Suspenseful pacing: Suspenseful pacing refers to the strategic manipulation of time within a narrative to create tension and anticipation in the audience. This involves varying the speed of the storytelling, using techniques such as cliffhangers, slow reveals, and heightened moments of conflict to keep viewers on the edge of their seats. In relation to genre-specific story elements, suspenseful pacing is essential for meeting audience expectations, especially in thrillers, horror, and mysteries, where tension and uncertainty are crucial for engagement.
Cross-genre storytelling: Cross-genre storytelling is a narrative technique that combines elements and conventions from multiple genres to create a unique and innovative storytelling experience. This approach often involves blending genre-specific tropes, themes, and character types, allowing writers to subvert audience expectations while still appealing to diverse viewer interests.
Pacing: Pacing refers to the speed at which a story unfolds, influencing how the audience experiences the narrative. It involves the rhythm of action, dialogue, and description to create a balance that keeps viewers engaged and emotionally invested in the characters and plot.
World-building: World-building is the process of creating an immersive and believable universe for a story, complete with its own rules, cultures, and histories. This technique allows writers to establish a rich backdrop that enhances character development and plot progression, making the story feel more engaging and authentic. Effective world-building is essential during the setup phase of a narrative, influences genre expectations, and shapes how story elements resonate with the audience.
Tone: Tone refers to the overall attitude or emotional quality conveyed in a piece of writing, influencing how the audience perceives the story, characters, and dialogue. It can set the mood and shape the viewer's emotional response, playing a crucial role in defining how scenes are received and understood, impacting everything from character interactions to the overall narrative structure.
Pulp fiction: Pulp fiction refers to a genre of popular fiction that emerged in the early 20th century, characterized by its sensational themes, fast-paced narratives, and often lurid subject matter. This style has influenced various forms of storytelling, leading to innovative approaches in screenwriting that challenge traditional norms, adopt alternative structures, and cater to specific genre expectations.
Hero's journey: The hero's journey is a narrative structure that outlines the typical adventure of a hero who goes on an adventure, faces a crisis, and ultimately returns home transformed. This structure emphasizes universal themes of growth, transformation, and self-discovery, making it relevant across various film genres and alternative story structures. The hero's journey serves as a framework for storytelling, guiding the development of characters and plots in both mainstream and genre-specific narratives.
Plot twists: Plot twists are unexpected developments in a story that change the direction or understanding of the narrative. They often challenge the audience’s assumptions and can create dramatic tension or surprise, enhancing the overall impact of the story. Effective plot twists are usually set up by earlier events or details, making them feel both surprising and inevitable when revealed.
Narrative structure: Narrative structure refers to the framework that organizes the elements of a story, including the sequence of events and how they relate to each other. It provides a roadmap for how a story unfolds, guiding the audience through its development and emotional journey. Understanding narrative structure is crucial for crafting effective one-page or detailed synopses, as it allows writers to succinctly convey the core components of their story, including exposition, conflict, climax, and resolution. Additionally, it plays a key role in meeting genre-specific expectations by adhering to familiar patterns that audiences anticipate.