Romance Genre Codes and Conventions

 

Codes and Conventions of a Romance Genre:

• Aimed at the female audience
• Lead characters are usually attractive
• 12-15 certificate to maximise the audience
• Would usually involve sexuality, status, gender and relationships
• Narrative: usually the main character talking to themselves
• Often a voice over to introduce the love theme
• Setting: often set in a recognisable environment so the audience can relate e.g the city, beach, countryside.
•  Establishing shots, wide shots in the opening to set the scene around the character
• Sound usually sets the mood or the atmosphere e.g guitar, piano
• If the movie is going to be sad it can introduce the non-diegetic sound of a violin
• Pretty scenery, builds the romance
• Usually set around special times of year e.g christmas, new years eve
• Main characters meet through work, easier for the audience to relate.

Cliches:

• Boy meets girls, boy loses girl, boy finds girl again
• Female lead never ends up with the man she was originally supposed to be with at the start.
• Hero realises he makes a mistake at the airport and runs to be with the love of his life
• Misfortune brings lovers together
• Dance can be a crucial element of love
• Bride or groom is ditched at the altar
• Woman initally hates the man
• Opposites attract
• Love is an obstacle course
• Heroine initially involved with a possessive creep