Romance Conventions ☮ ☮ ☮

Clichés  

Romance films often use the same cringey, romanticised scenes, as this is the type of themes and settings that make the audience feel good and why they watch the films. The type of scenes you can expect to see in pretty much every romance film, consist of the girl or boy who usually dreams of being with the attractive and popular male or female, wanting to change themselves to get them to notice them but in doing so find someone that loves them for them and end up with that person. Or being a chosen outcast , build an emotional wall and constantly try and block out their love interest, but they allow themselves gradually to let them in and end up living the so called "happily ever after", which every romance film has. You can also expect to see a scene towards the end of the film where the two main characters realise they can't live without each other, and run to each other in the rain and share a passionate kiss. You can also expect to see a misunderstanding, that aggravates the audience, to cause a drift between the pair midway during the film, but will be reunited as the end, it goes without saying. Their is also usually a love rival, that usually would be that drift, this is what causes the audience to hate the rival as they are usually, sneaky and mean.

Conventions

Character and Location Conventions

The main character usually doesn't fit in whether is be a teen romance, or adult, The character is either outcast either due to lack of popularity, clumsiness or by choice and usually are a rebellious "tough" guy or girl, with a large emotional barrier, soon to be broken down by there future partner. The character usually has a tough parent who doesn't allow the child to go out with their love interest.You also usually have a "dorky" friend who gets in-between the two, unintentionally causes a drift between them. The films are usually set in busy city's in order to show that although there is a huge amount of people , these two people have found each other and are perfect for one another. Other times they set in small countryside towns, that have large, beautiful scenery's, to amuse the audience and fit with the love story.

Shot types/ Camera Effects

Typical shots used are high angled close up shots on the woman to show her looking lovingly into the mans eyes, also showing that the male is dominant as the woman I seen looking up to the man, and men looking lovingly into the woman's eyes in a low angled shot to show him looking down at her. You  usually have a slow motion running scene where the man/woman run to one another and kiss passionately in the rain showing that they do care about each other and forget all about their argument. Romance films also tend to have the car scene where angry and upset the person drives ,sound tracked by a sad love song to express the mood of the scene and how the actor feels.

Theme and Narrative Conventions

Romance films have a number of themes that portrays love, and is usually at different ages. Teen romances usually involves the nerdy kid wanting the popular girl to end up with a "nerdy" girl like him and be happy together, This will usually be set in a high school, where cliques and hierarchy groups are desired and overcome towards the end. Then you have slightly older people who usually have a job they dislike a crush they know they'll never get and live in a large city away from their family, with some funny friends who attempt to help them in a stupid way to get a boyfriend/girlfriend. Narrators are usually the main character in a future date talking back about how hey met the love of their life and come in at regular intervals to show you what they where thinking at the time, and give their unspoken opinion of the vents that occur, this is usually used in a comedic way, giving a light feel to the movie. Sometimes we have both male and female comment and be narrator to show what each other are thinking when they converse with each other, again used in comedic way. You tend to have narrative in rom coms rather than romance drama as it gives a less realistic effect.