Genre Research- Coming-of-Age Drama (In Depth)

 PROCESS

Now that I have finally chosen my genre, I now need to do further research on coming of age genre conventions. Im researching for pre-production factors like the type of characters I want to include. Some conventions of coming-of-age movies are character growth, dialogue and social commentary. 

Some examples of popular coming-of-age movies are the following:

The Breakfast Club (1985)

-This is a very popular film about a group of teenagers who are all very different, become trapped in a Saturday school detention.

-A group of teenagers is a good idea for my brief, however it would be hard to find and film multiple actors with just myself filming. 

Lady Bird (2017)

-A teenage girl applying for a college away from home whilst dealing with the stress of an over-bearing mother.

-A mother-daughter film would be an interesting concept but its also very hard to find adult actors.

13 going on 30 (2004)

-Awkward 13 year old teen wishes to grow older into her thirties and overnight her wish comes true. She attempts to navigate through her new adult life.

-I like the idea of the time jump, though without  including the age jump. This can potentially be an idea for my brief.

Call Me by Your Name (2017)

-Summer romance that takes place in Italy. Story is about a teenage boy's first love and how he deals with his soon departure.

-I don't want to make a romance, however I love the visual aesthetic of this movie.

Back to the Future (1985)

-Teenager is accidentally sent back in time in a time machine created by his scientist friend. He now has to make sure his parents meet and fall in love to preserve his existence.

-This movie include the time travel concept I want to use. I also like the time period this movie was made in.

For my film opening, I am considering including the time travel concept. I want a girl main character similar to Jenna Rink from 13 going on 30. Jenna carries traits like loyalty, passionate, and is self-centered. Since I am not certain what kind of character I want, I am going to research about iconic characters I can get inspiration from.

Hermione Granger

-smart, loyal, sharp minded, and disciplined

Elle Woods

-confident, determined, empathetic, and intelligent

Max Mayfield

-sarcastic, tough, loyal, and independent

Cher Horowitz

-clueless, confident, fierce and optimistic

REFLECTION

After this deep-dive of different personalities I can utilize, I decided I want my actors character to have traits like Cher Horowitz.  This research was definitely helpful for my portfolio, and I am in the right direction to making a plan for my brief. The next step in my research process is to learn more of the visual aesthetic I want, the clothing style, and the time period I want the film to be in.

SOURCES:

https://www.masterclass.com/articles/coming-of-age-movies 

https://raindance.org/coming-of-age-genre/ 

https://nofilmschool.com/what-is-coming-of-age-movie#