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.