Genre Research: Romance

Common Camera Angles:

• Common angles in this genre will include eye-line angles and high angles, used to capture the emotions of the characters.

Common Camera Movements:

•  Common camera movements of the romance genre will include slow zooms, simple camera pans, and tracking movement.

Common Camera Shots:

• Shots like two shots, tracking shots, and close-ups are used very frequently in romance, especially to display emotions of the characters. 

Common Costumes:

• Romantic films are usually set in a plot where the characters get married at the end, so the costumes of a wedding me be used in romantic films. However, this does not occur every romance, so typically characters will wear casual clothing, such as t-shirts, button-ups, sneakers, etc.

Common Lighting:

• Most romance movies are set in an inviting mood to the audience, so warm lighting is used most often. Clever uses of lighting are also used, for example a two shot of characters with their shadow being cast into the camera.

Common Acting:

• Actors in a romance must have to portray their emotions, more so than, say, an action movie. For this reason, romantic actors tend to very good at their jobs, placing their actions in the character's shoes.

Common Makeup:

• Romance actors need to look good for the camera, especially since a typical theme of romantic films is two attractive characters falling in love. It is because of this that when in a romantic setting, actors will likely have lots of makeup on to appear more attractive.

Common Props:

• Romance films typically do not have much action or movement, but instead focuses on the socialization between two or more characters. Because of this, romantic films usually do not have many props, as opposed to something like horror, which will likely contain weapons of some sort.

Common Setting:

• Romance movies are usually set up in a normal society, and will feature normal, happy lives. This is only part of the genre, however. With dystopian societies, romance can also prove to take place in a dark, uninviting environment.

Common Editing:

• In romance films, the plot will usually follow two characters with simple editing. Not much camera or special effects are used, making this genre relatively easy to edit. Usually what is seen is cross cuts, with two actions happening at the same time.

Common Sound Design:

• Most sounds in romantic movies will be diegetic, meaning they can be recorded in real time. The sound design will likely not feature any special effects, except for small details, like clothes moving in the wind, hair being combed, or footsteps.

Movies in this genre-

Some romance movies include:

• The Fault in Our Stars
• Crazy, Stupid, Love
• Me Before You
• The Perks of Being a Wallflower
• What if?

Romantic movies carry a certain light feeling to them, not displacing common themes like conflict, but instead using lower stakes, and usually containing comedy. This genre of film has classics that almost everyone knows about, and it's rare to see a romantic film receiving astoundingly bad reviews. For this reason, it is a good candidate for a genre to pursue.

As for some downsides of the romantic genre, these films can tend to be perceived by wide audiences as "boring." This genre has less appeal than others, while it is at much lower risk to receive bad reviews or a negative stigma.