Romance Genre! (Research)

This will be a second part continuation of my last post. I will still be looking at the cinematography and mise en scene aspects. However, I will be choosing to do the romance genre! The film I have chosen to represent romance is Her.

Romance Genre

A genre that focus on emotional connection and relationships between characters. It builds feelings like attraction, intimacy, love and vulnerability to make the audience emotionally invested in the relationship.

Her

When I first think of films with a romantic setting, the first thing that comes to mind is Her, oddly enough. The movie Her is notorious for its coloring, emphasis on a soft and intimate tone and feel. 

MISE EN SCENE

In this scene, it shows Theodore’s apartment. How it is full of personal items, furniture, and papers, making it feel authentic and not performative. It makes it feel safe which may invite intimacy.

It uses warm, muted tones (red, peach, beige, orange…), this helps to visually convey affection without words. It makes use of lightings from lamps which gives a warm and healthy glow.

CINEMATOGRAPHY 

In this scene of Her, it often uses medium to medium close-up shots of Theodore’s face, hands, and every micro-expressions/gestures. It mostly uses a shallow depth of field, which isolates the characters, blocking off the rest of the world and visually removing distractions. 

The camera slowly moves in, it eases in on the scene, making the movements comforting and inviting for the audience. 

How will I incorporate this into my film?

For the beginning of my film, I want it to have a warm, intimate and inviting aesthetic. I enjoy how in this scene, the filmmakers uses a red motif to signify romance and love. I want it to start out as something soft and romantic… which will contradict the later parts.

Similarly to my last blog, there are many ways I can take inspiration. Many ideas I’ve listed down below!

• Make the space feel lived-in and personal. This makes the setting feel intimate and inviting.
• Soft warm palette. Use reds subtly but keep the overall tones muted.
• Use slow, non-invasive camera moves. Makes the movement feel natural.
• Possibly use warm, diffused lighting.