So let's take a second to dive into the Coming of Age/Drama genre with me. Together we'll find some guidelines for how to create a great film opening in this genre.
Let's Get in Some Drama
Ahhhhh the genre of coming of age/drama. The genre most teenagers relate to and enjoy. Memorable movies such as, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, The Breakfast Club, and Call Me By Your Name have come from this genre. They make us feel as nostalgic, and cry, and just feel in general. The target audience of this genre would be teens 13-18yr because the genre is very relatable and teens resonate with that.
Content:
Within the coming of age/drama genre, we tend to see, more like hear, music frequently; whether it be non-diegetic sounds like background music or diegetic sounds like music playing through headphones, we hear music playing. More specifically, the type of music playing is usually within the alternative, indie, or pop genre. This type of music is a staple in coming of age films because it is the type of music a lot of teenagers listen to on a daily basis. We also hear songs that are great at bringing out powerful emotions in viewers. Songs such as Mystery of love by Sufjan Stevens and Visions of Gideon also by Sufjan Stevens are two of the most popular songs in the movie Call Me By your name. Visions of Gideon in particular was a song used at the end of the movie in an emotional scene where the main character is seated in front of a fire and silently lets his tears fall. The music playing in the background was a great use of non-diegetic sound which brought forth powerful emotions within the viewer. I'd like to say that every time I watch that scene I cry :").
Here I have provided a link to the scene I had described: https://youtu.be/O65N5WuQfSU I cried watching it again :").
Production Techniques:
One of the major production techniques is costuming/wardrobe. I would say that I personally really enjoy seeing what each character in a film or TV show are wearing because it helps give insight to characters as well as builds character. A great example of this is in The Breakfast Club. Each character has a different style. John, the trouble maker, wears battered and baggy clothes. Allison, the outcast, wears all black and brown, long, covering clothes. Brian, the high achiever, wears simple clothing(a crewneck and jeans), Claire, the good, popular girl, wears pink, skirts, and delicate jewelry. Lastly, Andrew, the jock, wears his blue varsity letterman jacket, and underneath a blue sleeveless shirt. Each character has a different costume design that reflects who they are, or rather who they seem to be on the outside. Through costuming/wardrobe we can get to know a bit about the characters we are seeing on screen.
Left to right: John, Andrew, Allison, Claire, Brian
Marketing:
Since the coming of age/drama genre is aimed for teenagers 13-18yrs old, we can expect to see content marketed on social media. Trailers and digital posters can be seen on apps like YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok. We also see popular actors in this genre, for example Timothée Chalamet, posting trailers and posters on these apps as well to get their fanbase to see. We also see promotions on popular talk shows like The Ellen Show and The Late Late Show with James Corden.
A screenshot of the Call Me By Your Name official Twitter account
Link to Call Me By Your Name Twitter: https://twitter.com/cmbynfilm?lang=en
Samples:
The film Lady Bird is about Christine McPherson, a senior at a Catholic high school in Sacramento, California. She goes through two relationships, drops her best friend, struggles through a bad relationship with her mother, all the while wanting and trying to go to a college on the east coast despite financial problems. The film takes advantage of wardrobe to show the unity of the Catholic school; out of school, the wardrobe shows us a basic idea of each character's personality.
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