Romance Codes And Conventions/Profile

Codes and Conventions of the Romance Genre

The romance genre is aimed mostly at women, with 91% of their viewers being female and the remaining 9% male. The genre is typically rated 12 or 15, meaning that the main target audience generally ranges from 12 -24, however it is a popular genre and so the viewer’s age range varies. The age range and female target audience is mainly due to the light hearted nature of the films that are produced in this genre. The predominant market for romances are First World citizens such as teenage girls from countries such as America or Britain, so most of the actors or actresses are from either of the two countries due to their versatility in film and their dominance in the film market. All romantic films tend to have a general trend follow when it comes to the plot of the film. Most never fail to follow the stereotypical narrative structure; however they vary in plot in order to make them different and interesting to watch. The romantic genre is often emerged with the comedy genre, creating a popular sub genre called a romantic comedy – rom-com, which is a hybrid genre in which a romantic plot is presented in a comedic way.

The stereotypical conventions of the romance genre consist of having a central plot revolving around two characters that are lovers. Romantic films usually contain at least one heroic person and at least one romantic interest for the hero. There are many different elements to a romance film, one being that the lovers must be star-crossed but in a way that creates conflict in their ability to come together. The couple do not always have to fall in love and live happily ever after as stereotypically expected, however this type of ending does not usually exist in Hollywood films as they usually end with a happy ending, meaning that these types of films are usually British. The three most stereotypical parts to a romance film consist of – boy meets girl, they are then torn apart and then they realise they are meant to be together and resolve their differences. Although this is usually the basis for the plot, there are various codes and conventions added to create and interesting plot. As said before, most romances end with a happy resolution, although it is becoming increasingly popular to end on a more real life prospective because things don’t necessarily work out the way people want them to. This type of ending has become more popular as it is more realistic and so more relatable, which people tend to enjoy.

It is important the audience are able to connect with the main characters, and be able to relate to them. They need to be likeable and down to earth so that the audience are able to support them in their whirlwind of love troubles. Similarly if there is a character the audience are not supposed to like, such as an ex-boyfriend who is trying to get in the way and cause trouble, it important these characters have unlikeable personalities or appearances. A typical convention often portrayed in the romantic genre is that the two main characters are complete opposites and so it is unlikely for them to be together. One way in which this is done is by having the two main characters part of different social groups, which often acts as a strong barrier keeping them apart, mainly due to social expectations. The more likeable character will typically be from the middle class background, helping to make them more relatable and the less endearing character such as the ex-boyfriend will usually be an extreme of a social class, for example very rich and spoilt, immediately causing the audience to form a disliking to them which helps to build the plot.

Throughout the film there will be an underlying theme of true love conquering all barriers that are encountered. Behind this, at the centre of the plot but less obvious than the prominent underlying love theme, morals/life lessons will usually be taught and dealt with, again helping to reinforce the realistic nature of some of the films. Helping with making the film realistic and the main characters likeable, are the other characters. A common re-occurrence in this genre is that the main characters are usually introduced by best friends and/or family members. This usually ties in with rom-coms as it brings a humorous feel to the film with awkward situations taking place, which again is relatable to real life. The mise en scene of this genre is less obvious to others, such as action or horror. The lighting is set in order to produce a happy tone/atmosphere, meaning it is relatively neutral and light which means it usually goes unnoticed as there are no dramatic changes following the plot, unless there was some kind of accident or breakup which may be mirrored by darker lighting. Romantic films tend to use a well-known song as backing tracks which are easily recognisable. This helps the audience relate to the story and the lyrics of the songs can even help in the story-telling process. Romantic films are typically set in big, well-known cities. London is a very popular place for events to take place, and this creates a wide target audience as it very popular to Americans or tourists. Places like this are used so that other events are always going on in the background and there are always lots of people making the film more believable and realistic as it helps to provide reason behind what takes place within the plot. A popular convention of the genre is the time of the year the film is set in. Christmas is a very popular time of the year due to its morals being based around love and care, as well as a large friends/family gathering which often sparks other events, helping to keep the plot moving forward. Valentines is also popular for similar reasons.