Audiences love love: a deep dive into romance movies

Genre

Couple’s Halloween costumes, couple's Christmas gift exchanges, people display their unique love stories year-round. Romance movies take this idea and showcase the versatility and beauty of love stories. 

Content:

Plot Structure: Romance films usually follow a familiar plot structure, such as the "meet-cute," conflict or misunderstanding, and a resolution where the characters either come together or part ways.

Character Types: Central characters often carry traits that create challenges or tension in the relationship. For example, one character may be guarded and closed off, while the other is open and ready for love.

Themes: Common themes include love and connection, destiny, personal growth, and sometimes heartbreak or sacrifice.

Production Techniques:

Lighting: Warm land soft lighting is often used in intimate moments to show peace and romance.

Cinematography: Close-up shots are frequently used to capture the emotion between characters, and scenic views may enhance romantic settings.

Music: Soundtracks are often used to set a sentimental or uplifting mood, helping to enhance the emotional parts of the story.

Marketing:

One reason the genre is so popular is its wide target audience, which ranges from teens to middle-aged people. While romance movies are enjoyed by both male and female audiences, they are more commonly targeted toward female interests.

Romance movie posters are often created to showcase the chemistry and passion between the leads. The main characters are usually the sole focus of the poster and are often positioned closely or in some sort of embrace to demonstrate their connection. Their expressions are often of happiness or longing; to convey the yearning they feel for each other. Soft lighting, warm tones, and romantic backdrops like cityscapes or sunsets are commonly used to set a sentimental tone. Posters often feature a tagline hinting at the relationship’s central conflict or theme, sparking curiosity and drawing in viewers who enjoy love-centered narratives.

Another marketing technique is planned release dates. Romance films are often released around Valentine’s Day or Christmas, capitalizing on occasions that are associated with love and togetherness.

Samples:

The Notebook (2004)

The film “The Notebook” perfectly exemplifies the classic romance genre. It’s a passionate love story with emotional depth and themes of love, sacrifice, and longing. The film tells the story of Noah and Allie, who come from different classes and lives, forming their lifelong bond. It adheres to the genre conventions in every aspect, with passionate chemistry between leads, obstacles, and a heartfelt resolution amplified by the highs and lows of their emotional relationship. The cinematography is warm, the setting nostalgic, and the soundtrack evocative. All the factors combine to create just the right romantic atmosphere and make The Notebook a real archetype of this genre.

To all the boys I've loved before (2018)

On a more lighthearted and modern note, "To All the Boys I've Loved Before," is a fresh take on the classic romance. It embodies the genre through the exploration of young love, while still upholding the same genre conventions. The story follows high schooler Lara Jean, and her life turns upside down when her love letters to previous crushes are released. The film has classic romance tropes, like fake dating and friends to lovers. The chemistry between the leads is clear, they overcome challenges together, and the ending is sweet and hopeful. This film is a great example of how the romance genre is evolving and shifting to include a wider audience range.

Romance movies to consider:

Casablanca (1942)

When Harry met Sally (1989)

Titanic (1997)

Sleepless in Seattle (1993)

Pride and Prejudice (2005)

Brokeback Mountain (2005)

One of my guilty pleasure shows is Jane the Virgin. This modern-day telenovela has been one of my mom and I’s favorite shows for years. Focusing on a family of Venezuelans living in Miami, Florida, this show hits close to home. The main character, Jane, is a second-generation Venezuelan immigrant living with her mother and grandmother. Similarly, I live with my immigrant parents, my mother a Colombian immigrant. 

In the show “Jane the Virgin,” the representation of characters is complex and multifaceted, using a combination of drama and comedy to delve into social issues, relationships, and identities.  Jane’s representations illustrate the diversity and depth of Latina women in contemporary media. Jane, the main character, is portrayed as a bright, ambitious, and determined young woman. Her representation challenges typical Latina stereotypes by presenting her as both devoutly religious and career-focused, navigating the complexities of her life as a single mother, a student, and an aspiring writer. Jane's journey underscores her independence and ambition while celebrating her cultural heritage and family values.

On the other hand, Xiomara Janes's mother shows a different side of girlhood. Xiomara, Jane’s mother, embodies a different facet of Latina womanhood. She is passionate, free-spirited, and unapologetically confident, contrasting Jane's more cautious and calculated approach to life. Xiomara’s storyline addresses the struggles of balancing personal ambitions with motherhood, especially as she tries to carve out her own identity while supporting her daughter and dealing with family expectations. Through Xiomara, the show examines the pressures placed on women to conform to certain traditional values, such as marriage and motherhood, while highlighting her own dreams of pursuing a music career. This tension between personal aspiration and family duty is a key theme explored through her character.

Sound Project

 For our latest project, we were tasked with creating a 1–2-minute soundscape, using sound effects from online databases as well as homemade foley sounds. The project audio only and couldn't contain any video. 

First, we had to think of ideas and complete a brainstorming sheet. My partner and I brainstormed many ideas including a shark attack, a basketball game, and a few other ideas. Ultimately, we decided on the basketball game.

Then, once we decided on our final idea, we had to complete an outline. The outline had to be very detailed and include every sound we would use to make our soundscape a more realistic representation of our scene. The final sound project had to include at least 4 sounds made through foley, so in my outline I also planned that out. Here is a section from my outline:

On the side line

1. Loud crowd cheering

2. water bottle being handed over

3. Drinking water bottle

4. Loud breathing

5. Referee Whistle

6. Coach “YOUR ON”

7. Bench creaking when person gets up

8. Person lets out a “argh”

9. Running footsteps

(The highlighted sections represent sound made through Foley!)

Then it was time to actually start my project. My partner and I went through online sound effects databases and used our outline to find all the sounds we needed. The outline was very useful and saved us a lot of time since it told us exactly what to look for. 

After finding all of our sounds I utilized Adobe Premiere Pro to edit all the sounds together. I've never edited only audio, so it was fun to try something new.

 

Overall, I liked my sound project and I believe that the story was identifiable and clear. However, looking back at the project there are some things I could definitively improve. My biggest critique was that I could've easily shortened some parts. I used some sounds for longer than necessary and it made parts of the project awkward. Next time I'll definitely be more aware of that! 

Here is the link to my final project: 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/18cXqSbxBblSF3AtDct5Z8Kz6kqqPt7-K/view?usp=sharing