Production Company Ident

 

We chose this one as our final design. We had already decided that the production logo was going to be hand drawn and look quirky as we felt it would represent the creative, film making process. In our initial ideas we tried doing it with our a picture, however they looked too bland and amature. Once we had decided on the design, sound and movement we thought about the colour. Deciding to stick with monochrome plus yellow was mainly due to its connotations. Post modernism says that every film is based on one of only a few basic story lines (for instance boy meets girl, fall in love)- this is what the black and white represents. The yellow is the creativity. The twists in the story created by LIGHTBOX that make it unique. We chose the name LIGHTBOX for its associations with bright instant ideas, which are strongly needed in a successful film production company.

Distribution Logo Ident

We were initially unsure as to a name or design for our Distribution Company, so we looked at some existing ones:

All of the examples that I looked at, with the exception of Universal Studios, used the words with a background as their logo, rather than an image as well. We decided to use this convention as we believed that with out the right technology, budget, and experience a moving image logo may look tacky and amature. 

All of the names had some association with greatness:

- 'Universal Studios' -The universe is the largest and most magical thing we know

- 'Paramount Pictures' - The web definition of paramount is 'overriding, having superior power and influence'

- '20th Century fox' - a century is a grave time span, and would suggest that any film it distributes will be remembered for centuries.

- 'Miramax' - suggest the maximum of anything.

So our name will have a magnificent reference like all of the above. We chose Galaxia Studios as our name. It has a reference to the galaxy and is also partially made up to create individuality, like Miramax.

Another common occurrence that we spotted whilst looking through some existing logos was the almost spaced themed background. We understood why it was used- as it creates the ambiance of mystery, and also the black background contrasts the lettered logo really well. We had a group brainstorm and came up with a few idea and then decided on our final distribution logo design.

Choice of Title

In our questionnaire we asked;

           "Does the title of the film make you want to view it more?"

32% said yes

9% said no

59% said it depends

From this research of our target audience we established that it is important to get the name of the film right in order to entice viewers. The main way that our demography interact now a days is social networking sites for instance Facebook. Facebook is designed to get peoples opinions, and therefor i saw it as a perfect opportunity to see what our demography thought to some film titles we had chosen for our film. I posted a status explaining what i was doing and why and received lots of comment and opinions with in minutes.

From the interviews and this further research on social networking sites we have chosen the title of Pose and Prose. This is also the title that our group preferred as it used the conventions from the film 'Pride and Prejudice'. At first we were unsure as to whether it was appropriate to use similar conventions, however our previous media work we did on films- specifically 'Shifty' reassured us. Shifty used the Kill Bill synergy to advertise itself. Whilst discussing the results in our group the question was then posed as to what order it should be...

 Prose and Pose      or       Pose and Prose

There is no preferred visual aspect to the choices however we decided that 'Pose and Prose' is more fluent. We then had to deceiver what 'and' to use. Our options were:

Pose + Prose

Pose & Prose

Pose and Prose

In a group discussion we decided that the '+' was to basic and almost looked childish. We also decided that the 'and' was too wordy, and harsh on the eye. We eventually agreed on the & as is was a perfect compromise. Our final title is..




                               Pose & Prose

Initial and Final Design of our Film Title Logo (unfinished)

Our Title Logo Initial ideas

1)

Font style: Arial (narrow)
Size: Large

This was our first initial idea. We chose the pink 'POSE' to suggest femininity of our model character. The blue shadowing behind it connotes how the writer is involved in her life- however it is only faint and thus could suggest that she doesn't know it yet. The grey '&' is used as a unisex colour. It was initially black, however we thought this may have evil connotations which were not related to our film. The grey also could suggest a grey area between the 2 characters. The draw back to this logo is its association with Hollyoaks- which also uses the gender symbols in the letter 'o'. Further more we feel that the colours are too bold for the subtle story line. The font used for both the 'POSE' and the 'PROSE' is Arial. The '&' is in arial narrow, as it is less significant. We chose a simple font as it represents their basic everyday lives.

2)

3)

Font style: Simon Script
Size: Medium

The 2nd photo of the writing is just the font on it's own, however this is was not exciting enought o be taken into considersation. The 1st one however, we had thought a lot about. The crescendo beneath the Pose implies that the storyline will reach a climax as the couple meet eachother, also because its under the 'Pose' this means that most of the conflict will be with the model. However the '&' in the middle doesnt have a crescendo or diminuendo under it which shows that their bringing together will not have any complications once they fall in love. Finally the diminuendo could imply that whilst their in love they will perhaps settle down and be together.

Also, the fact that cruscendo and diminuendo's are Italian is a nice touch as Italian is the language of love, yet again another clue that they will get together.


4) 

Font style - 'Harabarahand' and 'Sunshine in my Soul'

Size - medium

              

The colour of the shot will be black so therefore the best backgroud colour to use is black.The font colour is white as this may suggest purity in the relationship in the film. The differences in fonts represent the differences in the characters life. The moder or 'POSE' has a very strict life and therefore the writing is bold and upright. However, the writer or 'PROSE' has a very free and inspiring life and therefore the writing is more free fall and looks handwritten as he is a writer. Positioning POSE above PROSE suggests that the model has a higher status than the writer and that she believes or even he believes she is better than him. The ampersand is placed between them to show that they are connected in some way or another.

Analysis of Title logos

Words - Mamma Mia

Lines -  2

Font -  Bodoni Std Poster

Mama Mia is one of the most famous and recognisable Rom-Coms. The choice of colour in the title is unusual as Rom-Coms are mainly aimed at the female audience, who are stereotypically associated with pink or red. The blue used is electric navy, which creates a burst of energy in the eye. The letters all have a yellow shadow. This could suggest the sun and sand aspects of the film. Another interpretation of the colour scheme is the perfect girl. Blond hair (yellow shadowing) and blue eyes (blue main fill); connoting that the perfect girl is in this film. The use of an exclamation mark at the end suggests a sense of enjoyment and also the energy behind the film. It is written in capitals, which could suggest that it's being shouted- and therefore very important, but also it could suggest that there are many famous and loved actors/actresses in it; as the capital letter of each represents a different character, instead of the rest of the letters being in lower case.

Words - The Devil Wears Prada

Lines -  4

Font - A Variation of Times New Roman

This title conforms to the colour palette of stereotypical Rom-Com colours. The red could symbolise love, however it can also represent the devil, and danger; thus it connotes the film will be passion and danger. The Letters have a 3d effect to them, in which areas of each are highlighted with a white mark. This could suggest that light is shining onto it, and this would symbolise the hierarchy that is portrayed in the film. Like in Mama Mia, all of the letters are capitals. This makes it easier on the eye to read, as red is notoriously a hard colour for the eye to read. The caps lock also minimises the amount of soft edges on the letters, instead leaving hard point- which could suggest evil, but also the harsh reality of life. Furthermore it could suggest the peaks and troughs of life in the fashion industry. There are 4 sizes of writing in this title logo, which would suggest the importance of each word. The variation in size also aids the eye as it breaks up the chunk of text. The smallest size is used for the less significant joining words 'THE' and 'WEARS'. The next size up is used for the word 'PRADA'. The largest text size is used for 'DEVIL'- suggesting that it is the most important. The 'V' in the 'DEVIL' has an arrow/ devils logo coming off the right  side. This hints at a picture of a devil, but suggest that it is hidden, so the audience want to watch the film more to see who reveals them self as the devil.

Words - 13 going on 14 30

Lines -  4

Font - '13' and '14'- Arial

        - 'going on' - Times New Roman

        - '30' - hand written

The colour palette of this title logo is very in keeping with the film. The red is used widely in Rom-Com titles as it represents its main demography well. The blue/purple numbers in this title represents an element of boyishness with in one of the characters.  Similarly to 'THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA', the words in this title logo are sized according to their significance. For instance the 'on' is less significant than the 'going'. The main difference between this one and the last two that i looked at is the use of lower case lettering. I think that it is used well in this case as it allows the eye's attention to be drawn to the numbers- which are the key aspect. The Times New Roman style font would suggest a level of maturity- which is represented in half of the film; the other half however is about a 30 year old girl with the mind of a 13 year old still. This is represented by the scribble over the '14' and the hand written '30'. The human eye naturally reads left to right, top to bottom. This logo has used this theory in their title logo. the writing goes diagonally right and down, which attracts the eye as it is its natural reading path.

Words - Bridget Jones the edge of reason

Lines -  3

Font - Arial Narrow

This colour palette couldn't represent better its demography, as pink and purple are the two colours most associate with 15-24 year old females. The use of the bold, bright shade is used to attract the eyes attention. If it was a block colour then it would be less attractive, as the eye would see it as one thing and move on. The words are sized according to importance, but also to what fits in the 'box'. All logos whether they be word, picture or both,have a 'box' they must used this box as effectively as possible. Some (like THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA, work diagonally across the box, suggesting elegance and length) however BRIDGET JONES uses the whole box. It is a bold statement, a bit like Bridget herself. The font is Arial Narrow, in bold. The bold writing represents her valiant and sometimes brash attitude towards life.

 

Words - Love actually

Lines -  2

Font - Arial (black:narrow)

This title is unique and even just the shape and colour is associated with the film. The word 'love' is in arial bold and in red. The red connotes love, passion and romance, and it also attracts attention as it is natures warning colour (possibly a warning that love, or the fight for love is a painful process. In contrast, the 'actually' is in black, arial narrow. This could suggest that the reality of love is a mystery until you are there, as the feeling of love is unexplainable, and unimaginable until you have experianced it. The red 'love' is also heavily associated with Christmas- a time in which many romances begin. The title logo is very basic, however I feel that it is one of the most effective.

Conclusion

From this research into exsisting title logos I have created a list of important aspects to consider when we design our title logo:

• The 'box rule' - every logo is created in a box. The box itself suggests the genre of film (for instance rom coms tend to be horizontal rectangles or squares). How the writing fills the box also connotes and represents the film. For instance a flowing plot film like 'the devil wears prada' goes diagonally right and down; where as a more drastic storyline like Bridget Jones fills the whole box.

• Colours - Colours are used to represent the main characters in the film. Generally pink for girls and blue for boys (using stereotypes), however other colours are used to suggest thier views or attitudes; (for instance in 13 going on 30- the numbers are in a more masculine colour- suggesting her tom boy attutude).

• Size - The words are sized according to their importance. However they are also sized to fit flowingly in the 'box'.

• Font -  Fonts are used to represnt the characteristics of the main characters. For instance a girly girl would have a serif font, or a child main character may have a hand written font.

Final Idea

Before storyboarding the opening for our film, we decided to recorded a chronological order of our ideas:

1. Distribution logo appears

2. Production logo appears which also fades and then the name appears - during this, the sound of a kettle boiling becomes increasingly louder.

3. There is a sound bridge as the kettle is still heard. The establishing shot is of the torso of the main male character who opens a cupboard, which the camera is placed inside, with a mug handle framing the shot. With only the torso still being viewed, the man reaches into the cupboard, taking out the mug and then closing the cupboard door. There is a diegetic sound of the 'click' of the kettle finishing and then the title of the film appears with non-diegetic music gradually getting louder.

4. There is an extreme close-up of boiling water going into the mug and then the camera tracks the mug with the man walking to a table. He then places the cup on the table, half on some paper and sits down down as the camera tracks up and around the still unknown character to an over-the-shoulder shot, where he also moves his mug slightly.

5. We then cut in to see him writing some of the title names which is sped up and then he also turns the pad of paper for the second title. The camera moves/tracks across the table to see other pieces of paper with title's on and magasines with the main female character's picture on and the camera then moves across to the male character.

6. There is then a close-up, side-on shot of the pad of paper which he flicks through and stops in the middle of to see a cut out of the model who we identify to have been on the front of the various magasines.

7. There is a point-of-view shot of the picture of the model which then dissolves into the female model's photo shoot, whilst upbeat music gradually gets louder. 

8. There are then jump cuts of different shots/poses of the model in her photo shoot whilst there are camera flashes. The shot freezes on the last pose of the model as the camera zooms out to see a polaroid photograph and a man's hand holding it. 

9. The camera is placed next to a reception table and it pans to see a man approach the table and deliberately drops the polaroid. 

10. Whilst the photo is being thrown down onto the reception table, the camera cuts to the main male characters setting where the same polaroid is continuing to fall as if it had been thrown down directly like the other setting. There is then the point-of-view shot of the polaroid and the man pulls a magasine towards him and opens it to read whilst he picks up his mug to drink.

11. There is a cut to a medium shot of him sitting at the table and he drinks from his mug as the audience finally see his face for the first time. Also as he drinks from the mug, the director's name is seen on the mug. 

Music

Once we had drafted our story board we had to deceiver what music we wanted, and how we were going to get it. Some of the ambient sounds like the kettle boiling we new we could get from freesound or from recording one of our own kettles.

http://www.freesound.org/

The main music behind our opening we wanted to start off acoustic. Its would first be heard non diegetically behind the writer scene, however the music belongs to the models world. We looked around school and our community for local bands, however most of them were rock, jazz or electric bands. We then decided to broaden our search and we began to look on the Internet. The type of music that we thought would be appropriate would be bands like Oasis or Kasabian. Their lyrics have meaning but don't over power the melody.We understood that gaining permission from such a large scale band would be almost impossible, so we started to look at up and coming artists. We found an artist who was perfect- Jersey Budd, however due to copyright laws we have to gain permission to use his work. We emailed his manager explaining our situation and requesting permission to use his songs:



...





...

...



This is the song that we have chose nto include : Bright Soul- Jersey Budd

This is a really successful outcome and we extremely pleased with our choice of music.

Initial Ideas

Initial idea 1)

                        “A Models Life”

The real life of a model. How it isn’t glamorous behind the scenes and how she wants to find true love instead of dating hot fashion models who always let her down.

       

• 1^st shot of lots of magazines with one girl in particular in the pictures
• Have a really short shot to the girl crying in a corner, then back to the glamorous photos of her in the magazines.
• Black screen, then lights in the studio go on in stages- hear the diegetic ‘chunk’ as they go on. Bright white studio with a model having lots of photos from angles. (Video camera is from point of view of the photo camera).
• See a TV screen with her on it. Pan around the room to have a low angle shot of the model slouched out on the sofa, surrounded by healthy food, water and slimming pill but she is eating ice-cream.

Initial idea 2)

                        “The writer”

A guy who is so involved in his writing that he’s forgotten his social life. He goes out clubbing looking for a good time and a one night stand but ends up falling for the girl.

• 1^st shot of a pad of paper with a fast forwarded hand scribbling all of the titles. The paper is stained with coffee and smoke is passing over.
• He stops, turns over the page and starts to doodle his perfect looking girl. Shot fades into a real life girl walking down the street drinking Starbucks and chatting with her mates.
• Cut to the writer going into his cupboard (camera in cupboard- framed by a mug handle), he retrieves the mug and as he closes the cupboard door the kettle ‘bings’.

Initial idea 3)

                        “Corridor Love”/ “Love locked up”

When an average class girl drops her books in the corridor, she expects the high school ‘hunk’ to laugh and walk on. He stops and helps her pick them up. The film follows their ‘dates’ which are forced to secrecy by their divide in high school status. Love is the only thing holding them together but is it enough?

• 1^st shot is with the camera in a locker covered by ‘school junk’ and a tatty family picture; shot begins to clear as we see an average girl moving the stuff out of the way and into her bag. Her eyes are red and it is evident that home life isn’t great
• Cut to the main school corridor with the high school ‘hunk’ walking down the centre with his ‘wing men’ either side.
• School bell goes and the corridor empties as people flood into their classes. The girl stays by her locker looking at the photo.
• She turns round to go to class but her bag gets caught on the locker and her belongings go everywhere; simultaneously in the background we see the ‘hunk’ walk out of his classroom. He stops and helps her pickup he things. He lingers when picking up the family photo and looks up at her: their gaze locks (shallow focus- blurry background). She snatches it of him in panic and walks away.

Certifications

As part of our research into our target audience we have decided to look at what age ratings are on other films, similar to the genre that we have chosen. Also what the BBFC’s criteria are for these. The main certifications that seem to appear surrounding our genre are PG, 12(a), and 15.

PG (Parental Guidance)

"General viewing, but some scenes may be unsuitable for young children. Unaccompanied children of any age may watch. A ‘PG’ film should not disturb a child aged around eight or older. However, parents are advised to consider whether the content may upset younger or more sensitive children."

In our group discussion we decided that our film opening would not be suitable for a PG rating, as it is aimed at a more mature audience. Our demography are 15-24 year olds so scenes of a sexual nature may be used in the main part of the film.

12/12a

"Exactly the same criteria are used to classify works at ‘12A’ and ‘12’. These categories are awarded where the material is suitable, in general, only for those aged 12 and over. Works classified at these categories may upset children under 12 or contain material which many parents will find unsuitable for them. The ‘12A’ category exists only for cinema films. No one younger than 12 may see a ‘12A’ film in a cinema unless accompanied by an adult and films classified ‘12A’ are not recommended for a child below 12. An adult may take a younger child if, in their judgement, the film is suitable for that particular child. In such circumstances, responsibility for allowing a child under 12 to view lies with the accompanying adult."

Whilst I was talking to my friends about my film opening, and choosing what certification it should be, they made a valid point that just because the certification says 15 for instance, it doesn't discard younger viewer from watching it. However to stay in regulations set by the BBFC, we will aim our film appropriately. We decided that a 12 rating or even a 12A would still be too young for the type of content we imagine being in the main film. Our opening doesn't contain any dialect however, the main film would most likely contain strong language- which according to the BBFC is inappropriate for a 12/12A.

15

"No one younger than 15 may see a ‘15’ film in a cinema. No one younger than 15 may rent or buy a ‘15’ rated video work. Sexual activity may be portrayed without strong detail. There may be strong verbal references to sexual behaviour, but the strongest references are unlikely to be acceptable unless justified by context. There may be frequent use of strong language (for example, ‘fuck’). Aggressive or repeated use of the strongest language is unlikely to be acceptable."

As my group and I read through the criteria for a 15 we felt that it matched the vision of our main film. Both the language and the sexual reference descriptions fitted. To double check our findings we looked at other Rom-Coms and what certifications they were awarded. We have come to the conclusion that our Rom Com will be certified a 15. This is because aimed at 15-24s our film has a more mature plot and thus we feel a 12 would be inappropriate. Scenes of a sexual nature and also swearing may feature in our plot.

(criteria taken from the BBFC website) http://www.bbfc.co.uk/download/guidelines/BBFC%20Classification%20Guidelines%202009.pdf

Rom-Com Certifications

Music and Lyrics                         PG

Mamma Mia                               PG

My Girl                                      PG

Girls Just Want to Have Fun         PG

Marley and Me                            PG

Meet the Fockers                        12

In Her Shoes                              12

The Holiday                               12

I am Sam                                  12

The Time Travellers Wife             12

Mean girls                                 12a

Juno                                         15

Amelie                                      15

Pretty Woman                            15

Notting Hill                                15

Bridget Jones (edge of reason)     15

Cake                                         15

The Best Man                             15

Starter for 10                             15

Target Audience Interviews

Following on from our questionnaire we carryed out an interview on both a male and a female in our prime demography. This is so we could get an even clearer view as to their opinion. At the time of these interviews we had already discussed and chronologically arranged our opening idea, and what we may call it. The responces we got via these interviews were taken in and our plot and ideas were reconsidered or chosen. We didnt get a decisive opinion on what our film should be called, and there for we will carry out more research into what our target audience think.

Target Audience Questionnaire and Results

Results

Conventions of a Rom-Com

Setting and date

Rom-Coms are stereotypically set in a major/busy city rather than quite suburbs or countryside. ‘13 going on 30’ was filmed in a city in central California and ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ was filmed mainly in Paris.  This is mainly because the city provides sub plots to engage the audience; cities are huge, bold and full of different classes making the ‘Cinderella’ theme more plausible.  Also because a city is so small but with so many people that it is likely that a ‘true love’ can be found, whereas in the countryside everyone knows each other.

The Rom-Coms which are aimed at the younger demography- or featuring a younger related storyline by and large feature a house/flat of one of the main character, for instance in Juno around 40% of the shots are in her house. Where as rom-coms aimed at a older demography are more likely to predominantly feature a corporate place of work, for instance The Devil Wears Prada, and 13 Going on 30.

The majority of romantic comedies are set around holidays, the main one being Christmas, as it is a time full of parties and not a time to be alone. Another holiday these films are set around is Valentines Day. This is a time in which people/ couples come together (making a perfect base for a conventional boy meets girl storyline). The main seasons that are predominant it Rom-Coms are winter and spring. Winter is used for the iconic, beautiful setting of snow for a romance, or rain and storms when there is a bad twist in the plot. Spring is also used for its fresh sunny days and new buds of live on trees and in animals; spring also can have miserable days which again would fit with a twist in a plot.

Rom-Coms are designed primarily to entertain the audience. They use setting and lighting to mirror the tone of the plot. For instance a girl might be on a date in a romantically lit restaurant, however on the way home in the dark streets she may get a text explaining how he thinks she is nice but just not the one; and thus the setting reflects the atmosphere.

Mise en Scene

Most typical rom-coms, aimed towards a teenage audience, are mostly set in schools or colleges such as films like 'Bring it On' and 'It's a boy Girl Thing'. Therefore many of the settings for such films are within classrooms, canteens and corridors (particularly including lockers) and so the mise-en-scene is composed of natural items such as desks, books etc. The main characters usually wear fairly plain/normal clothing which helps the audience be able to relate to them so that it is more likely for a consumer find an aspect of the character which is similar to their own. Most films also have the antagonist who is conveyed as the enemy to the main character and this disliked character can be shown through wearing a cheerleader's uniforms which have the connotations of a 'stuck up' personality.

Many rom-coms also include typical Proms or Dances with dramatic dresses for the female characters to be identified from others. This is apparent in 'The Cinderella Story' where the main character wears a white dress - connoting perfection- but also shows a contrast to the scenes set at home or work with her 'difficult life'. Therefore many rom-coms set in conventional high schools are composed of the typical teenage lifestyles which are usually changed in some way within the film.

Rom-coms aimed towards older audiences are usually set in work places like such films as 'The Devil Wears Prada' or 'The Ugly Truth'. This is where such typical stories as 'romance in the workplace' are shown where usually the two main characters may dress differently to one another e.g. one wearing a suit whereas the other wears more casual clothing (which supports the Cinderella story narrative).

Additionally within rom-coms the lighting is shown in a positive way to reflect the comical aspects of the film. However within the usual plot there is a final stage of an argument such as one of the character's lying about who they are, after they have fallen in love and so at this point the lighting is reduced to echo this tone; even with pathetic fallacy although ultimately in the end the couple, in most cases, get together again creating the 'happily ever after' ending.

Music

In a rom-com one can generally expect to hear well known pop songs which are either about falling in love, breaking up, or just to generally fit the mood; for example in Bridget Jones when the two men are fighting over her ‘its raining men’ in the background- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfKXbS7f5Xw&feature=related (go to 1:22). They generally have to relate to the story being told, or on the other hand, clash against the mood of the film for effect on the viewer. The songs may even be able to play apart in the story telling of the film as the audience feel as if they can relate to the lyrics, and so can the characters.

Characters

In romantic comedy the characters must be convincing and real but a little over the top (like comic creations). The audience should care for the characters. Characters aren’t always where the comedy comes from. They might not always be in on the joke.

Heroine- Needs a goal that can be sympathised with by everyday women. People need to be able to like her and empathize with her. This means she needs to be believable and maybe just everyday women like members of the audience... (Bridget Jones). She needs to be a complex character and a little unconventional however she can’t be too helpless or the comedy elements become uncomfortable. The heroine will go through torture because of her love so she needs to be able to take it.

Hero- The hero needs to be almost the perfect man which viewers are destined to fall in love with as the heroine is. He needs to be as complex as the heroine and believable to the viewers. Viewers need to fall in love with him so if he is made to look stupid or incapable readers will feel uncomfortable and no connection will be made. Romantic humour should never be cruel or demoralise the characters. It should make them seem intelligent, smart and fun.

Both characters should have a sense of humour although they may not find their own actions as funny but the audience will. Flaws make the character more realistic and these are good reasons for conflict between the characters. The characters can be totally different but with some over locking needs that draw them to each other. One should complete the other.

Comic devices conventionally used in Rom-Coms

• The element of surprise. Surprise is often used in Rom-Coms and is used enough to amaze the readers but also make sense in retrospect. This surprise is generally the opposite of what the audience is anticipating. The main aspects which Rom-Coms avoid as far as surprise go are major coincidences which would make the audience feel patronised.

• Another technique used in Rom-Coms is the use of puns, plays on words and repetitions. This device is becoming increasingly used in the sub genre; Indie Rom-Coms. For instance in ‘Scott Pilgrim vs the World’ the phase “dating a high schooler” was repeatedly used to reinstate the absurdity of the relationship.

• Slapstick Comedy is used often in Rom-Coms. The best example of a film containing this is Bridget Jones. When she is going down the ski slope and crashes into everything because she doesnt know how to ski.

•  Misunderstandings are further used. In Rom Coms these are generally concerning affairs etc, and are often learnt through friends of friends or eavesdropping. The 2 main character in a Rom-Com are conventionally a man and a woman. Different character will interpret the same thing in different, sometimes even opposite ways.

• Absurdity and exaggeration of stereotypes. They are used enough to amplify the situation, but a good Rom-Com doesn’t over use them as it can make the plot tacky, unbelievable, and unrelatable.

• Internal dialogue / monologues often in the form of a diary (which maybe read by another character that wasn’t meant to read it). It is used to highlight the inconsistencies and contradictions of human beings. They say one thing, and mean another. They do one thing, and think another. An example of this is in the film ‘Maybe Baby’ where the woman writes a diary. The man reads this with out her permission and he continues to produce a film with it.

• A character's frame of reference. Most characters bring with them a set of experiences, expectations, assumptions about the world. These are often exploited to bring out humour, for instance a chef will see most things, including romance, in terms of food. Often, the gap between different characters' expectations adds to the comic aspect of a Rom-Com.