2. Drama Films are serious presentations or stories
with settings or life situations that portray realistic
characters in conflict with either themselves, others,
or forces of nature. A dramatic film shows us human
beings at their best, their worst, and everything in-
between. Each of the types of subject-matter themes
have various kinds of dramatic plots. Dramatic films
are probably the largest film genre because they
include a broad spectrum of films.
3. Dramatic themes often include current issues,
societal ills, and problems, concerns or
injustices, such as racial prejudice, religious
intolerance (such as anti-Semitism), drug
addiction, poverty, political unrest, the
corruption of power, alcoholism, class
divisions, sexual inequality, mental illness,
corrupt societal institutions, violence toward
women or other explosive issues of the times.
These films have successfully drawn attention
to the issues by taking advantage of the topical
interest of the subject
4. Social dramas or "message films" expressed powerful lessons,
such as the harsh conditions of Southern prison systems in Hell's
Highway (1932) and I Am a Fugitive From a Chain Gang (1932),
the plight of wandering groups of young boys on freight cars
during the Depression in William Wellman's Wild Boys of the
Road (1933), or the lawlessness of mob rule in Fritz Lang's Fury
(1936), Problems of the poor and dispossessed have often been the
themes of the great films, including The Good Earth (1937) with
Chinese peasants facing famine, storms, and locusts, and John
Ford's The Grapes of Wrath (1940) about an indomitable,
Depression-Era Okie family - the Joads - who survived a tragic
journey from Oklahoma to California. Martin Scorsese's disturbing
and violent Taxi Driver (1976)told of the despairing life of a lone
New York taxi cab driver amidst nighttime urban sprawl. Issues
and conflicts within a suburban family were showcased in director
Sam Mendes' Best Picture-winning American Beauty (1999),
5. Drama conventions means that there is specific
actions or techniques that an actor or director
has employed to create a desired dramatic
effect and style. In Drama exploring the
relationship of a character allows the audience
to refer to the characters emotional upheaval or
turbulence which is felt during the episodic
level which than the audience relate to as no
resolution for the character
6. Dull Lighting (Portrays gritty and bleak nature)
Close ups of characters
Low Angle and High angle shots- to portray strength
and weakness amongst characters.
Clear shots and angles show different groups within
the cast (Teen Drama) These bullet points above show
what the mise-en-scene is typically during
Drama/Teen Drama films. For example in Kidulthood
(a good example for the type of film we are
researching) the weaker girl is shown by a high angle
looking down on her and the bully is shown with a low
angle to portray the strength and power of the bully.
Also the lighting in Drama/Teen Drama’s are
important as it show’s the gritty side of Drama/Teen
Drama which is vital to our project.
7. • Alcohol
• Drugs
• Knifes
• Mobile Phones These props mentioned are
typical to the type of gritty drama/Teen Drama
we are aiming for as in many films such as
Elephant and Kidulthood, these props can be
seen clearly in the film.
8. Teen Drama:
• Close knit locations
• E.G. Council Estates,
• Flats
• Ghetto’s
• School
• Streets of neighborhood.
9. • Adulthood
• Kidulthood
• Elephant
• Paranoid Park
• American Beauty
• Requiem for a Dream
• QuadropheniaThese films are the type of
Drama/TeenDrama that we are trying hoping to
create aseach of them focus’s in particular on one
character and how different circumstances affect
them and how they deal with the gritty, bleak side
of life
10. The Protagonist He/she is the generally the main
character in the film. The audience feels sympathy
towards this character that always triumphs over
the villain. This character also has such as bravery,
determination and a desire to overcome evil. This
character is often put under trails so that these
characteristics can be exposed to the audience. The
protagonist is most commonly played by a male
character put the use of female characters acting
this role in films has increased in the past few
years. The protagonist brings a certain presence
when entering and leaving the scene and always
attempts to solve the problems that occur.
