Genre research

GENRE RESEARCH: SOCIAL REALISM

StorylinesThe good thing about social realism films is that they incorporate real world social issues to try and reflect real life, this therefore gives social realism films a verity of sub genres. Although most of these genres are born through the genre of drama. Therefore social realism films can have very different story lines and it is quite hard to pinpoint a generic underlying theme among their story lines. However some have large similarities. Social realism films are usually based on working class people who are undergoing some sort of struggle and often focus on the development of a character, for example this can be seen in Billy Elliot and This is England. The complicated action often ends up in large character development which the viewer can sympathise with. This then makes social realism films quite deep, giving them a large impact. Since social realism films deal with real world social issues controversial topics such as drugs, sex and abuse are covered. For example in the film Tyrannosaur a woman is undergoing abuse from her husband and ends up drinking.

Forms and Conventions The use of unknown actors is one large convention of social realism. Using an actor with no previous reputation adds to the realistic feel of the film and makes it easier for the audience to empathise. Social realism films often hold a political or social message that has come from the director, giving the director an opportunity to portray his/her views as artistically or as graphically as possible. As stated on the previous slide there are some recurring topics that are covered, drugs, violence, family issues, poverty, crime and sexuality etc.

Previous to this is England the majority of these actors had minor roles or were unheard of.

AudiencesAudiences can completely differ depending on the content of the film. Some social realism films like Billy Elliot can attract family audiences and can be watched by most people. However films like Trainspotting have smaller audiences due to the content of drugs and violence ect. The era the film is set in can also have a huge impact on the audience. For example Trainspotting is set in the late 1980’s, this is more likely going to attract people in their mid to late forties, or when it was released mid twenties to thirties. Whereas films such as kidulthood will attract the attention of the current day youth. Obviously the stereotypes are dramatized slightly for entertainment but social realism films can be seen as a form of historical interpretation.

CharactersDepending on the era and content of the film characters often belong to a subculture or social group. As times change so do sub cultures so in some cases the social commentary in social realism films can be very individual and can in some cases be part of history. Kidulthood is a good example of this as it helps show British society the pain of the modern youth in some parts of Britain. This is England and Trainspotting cover subcultures that were prominent at the time such as skinheads etc..

ShotsIn social realism films shots are effective in the sense that they are realistic and could be from the perspective of someone else in the room, almost like a fly on the wall. Directors can get very creative with this and use locations to their advantage. Basic shots give actors a chance to show raw emotion. The weather usually reflects the atmosphere, in This is England and Tyrannosaur shots are usually very dark.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXDNsPRTANwThe close framing and the foregrounding in this shot makes the viewer feel involved and uncomfortable, shots like this help emphasise the social realism genre. This is a trailer for This is England.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvyqXFmV-LIAgain close framing is used, the camera is angled into a realistic perspective. This put with the location makes the viewer feel submerged in the event. This is a trailer for Tyrannosaur.

PropsProps are often dependent on the stereotype and subculture of the characters. Clothing and style is very important in Social Realism films, they help add to the artistic but realistic feel. A sense of personality can be shown through the clothing. Since social realism films need to be realistic as possible, representations are shown through subtle things like clothing accent and attitude etc..

Soundtracks Soundtracks are again based around the subcultures in the film, in This Is England There is a lot of skinhead reggae. The music is also based around the era and the characters personality.