Julia’s GoodFilms: November 2021

Fantasy

Fantasy is a genre in which the whole aspect is created to contribute a mystical aesthetic. This genre consists of supernatural and magical elements that do not exist in reality.

Content Conventions

In film, content conventions that are included when considering a fantasy film are specific to convey the theme the genre is defined by. One convention that is almost essential to most fantasy films is a magic system. This element is essentially the idea of including special effects or certain possibilities that would never happen in the real world. An example of this are the films of Harry Potter. In fantasy films, journeys or quests are very common and are usually the main plot of the film. It includes going through a rather long and difficult journey towards an end goal while defeating obstacles that come along the way. Journeys and quests add to the fantasy genre by producing an engaging plot that evokes a supernatural atmosphere while exposing the viewer to new ideas and traditions. These elements suck audiences into the film, engaging them into what is occurring on the screen. The majority of fantasy films have a happy ending. Something in which they all live happily ever after, perhaps. The also have a reputation for being ideologically conservative. Disney's fantasy films, for example, tend to inculcate gender roles to their young audience. Many fantasy films have a hero or heroine who sets out on a quest. In order to succeed, they usually have to face off against a villain. Most times, the heroic character was played by a man, but more films are now featuring female heroes. Other examples include princes and princesses and other inclusions of royalty characters.

Production Technique Conventions

When it comes to production technique conventions and how they contribute to the conveying of fantasy themes, there are many aspects to consider. A wide-angle shot can also convey the epic scale of a film's setting, such as the immensity of space, the technical marvels of a futuristic city, or the densely filled battlefields of many flicks. Crane shots are also included, which provide a bird's-eye view of as much of the fantastical world as we are permitted to see. This alone gives us setting and sometimes a sense of time in which the film is taking place. Costume design is a big part of making a fantastical character come to life. It allows for us to not only be attracted to the differences in our reality versus the fantasy, but also tell a lot by a characters way of dressing. Production design is a large aspect for fantasy films as the whole idea is the building of the 'mystical world'. Having a set setting and using that to create a world where the audience can immerse themselves and get attached to is important for fantasy films because it builds the idea as a whole. The Harry Potter world in Universal Studios for example, is one way that filmmakers used their production and created a real-life replica of the setting they used for the film. This allowed for audiences to really see for themselves the sense of magic the films wanted to convey. Saturated primary colors are common in fantasy films. These give the art a more welcoming air, and provide a stark contrast to the piece's more wicked side, whose figures and items are usually darker in color, and in some cases are associated with the colors green or red, with blue for the lighter characters. As a result, the colors serve as a distinction between a character's good and evil qualities. The colors also add light and give the painting a more mystical sense. The use of lighting also aids in portraying the good and evil within characters. It can give the picture and its characters a bright, friendly, if not mystical aura. Characters who are darker are frequently cast in shadow.

Institutional Conventions

Posters and magazine covers frequently include the major characters of the story, generally using an image that is instantly recognizable by the audience and connects the poster, the magazine, and the trailer in some way. Colors are linked to the genre as a whole, providing a diverse palette to work with. Fantasy trailers usually reveal that the film is in the fantasy genre right away, but they do so in a fairly hidden manner. They, like all other trailers, contain just enough information to entice viewers to see the film without giving too much away. People will be able to identify with the genre despite the tales not appearing realistic. Universal Studios has used their hand on the Harry Potter films and created a section in their amusement parks to advertise the movies to a larger audience, larger than they already had. Disney's parks advertises the Star Wars films in the way of having multiple attractions that include the film's theme and content as well as most Disney princesses. These alone create a interactive way for audiences to experience the movies without actually watching them.

Shadow and Bone

Shadow and Bone is a Netflix Original Series based on the books by Leigh Bardugo. This series is a big presentation of the fantasy genre, more specifically the sub-genre, high fantasy. High fantasy is when the whole setting is done in a entirely fictional fantasy world. It can also be called as epic fantasy. The series includes multiple characters to which we see a back and forth between their stories. The series stars two character: Alina Starkov (Jessie Mei Li) and General Kirigan (Ben Barnes). The show revolves around the newest discovery of Alina's powers and how she maneuvers around the sudden attention spotted on her. She is thrust into Grishaverse, which is the world the show is set up in. Alina meets General Kirigan and throughout the series, they work together as best they can to figure out the power she contains. This show consists of many elements that the fantasy genre goes by. Their dark colors and pale neutrals in the beginning show a sense of normalcy and dull aspect, but when they are suddenly changing settings to a more fantastical aspect, the colors become more vibrant and bright. Dark colors do remain consistent to show mystery and danger throughout the show. The inclusion of heavy special effects conveys the magical sense of fantasy. The creation of a fantasy world also immerses the audience into the production while keeping it unrelatable in a sense of distinguishing it from reality.

Harry Potter

Harry Potter is well known for the production itself as well as the made-up world known as the Wizarding World. Harry's story throughout the eight movies and seven books has a heavy amount of fantasy elements. The whole idea of magic in general is fantasy, seeing as in the real world, we do not see anything related to real magic. The use of these special effects and use of mythical beasts creates a fantastical environment for the audience when watching this production. The production design behind Harry Potter is clever in a way that though it looks like a old style school o the inside, on the outside it still has that fantasy element of a castle. Plotwise, Good vs. Evil is used a lot in this film as Harry goes through multiple conflicts, both central and internal. His main conflict being the existence of Voldemort and how Harry is his main target. All these elements do show fantastical conventions.

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