This document discusses conventions of the romantic comedy (rom-com) and chick flick genres. It provides examples of a teaser trailer for a modern Cinderella story film and a short film about two shy office workers expressing their love through post-it notes. Key conventions highlighted include the main characters overcoming obstacles to find love, inclusion of a character trying to split up the couple, and the unlikely hero winning the person's affection. Technical elements like mise-en-scene locations, shot types, editing pace, and voiceovers/music are also described as typical of these genres.

1. Rom-com / Chick-flick
film genre!
By Billie Wilson

2. Background
• Rom com’s (romantic comedies) and chick
flicks (girly films for teenagers) are films that
show love or friendship in a cute comical way.
They are also relatable films which is what
make them so watchable aimed mostly at
young women. The earliest examples are
pieces of work our from Shakespeare, showing
love stories with a twist. All most all films in
this genre end with a happy ending making
them lovable films.

3. Teaser Trailer – example
Cinderella story
• This is a modern version of the Disney film
Cinderella. The main character is a teenage
girl who is a geek at her school. She has
horrible step sisters and a vile step mother
who make her do all the work after her family
have died. The film follows her journey to live
a normal life, through school, friends and her
love life. Will she end up finding her prince
charming?

4. Teaser Trailer – anaylsing
• The non diegetic sound of the male voice
creates a fairytale feeling along with the soft
romantic music whenever the main character
is speaking. The music turns harsher when
there is a clip of the step family, along with
making it more upbeat whenever a funny
scene occurs. The last scene has non diegetic
sound of the actual actress, Hilary Duff’s, own
music. This emphasizes the audience as she
attracts a younger female audience.

5. Teaser Trailer – anaylsing
• The mise en scene is very conventional to the
genre as most chick flicks are set in high schools.
One main convention is the school prom idea
with all the lights, dresses and decorations. This
juxtaposes against the main characters house and
work place to compare to her horrible lifestyle.
• The lighting is chiaroscuro which is bright,
showing the comical side to the rom-com. The
light also gets darker when the mood is unhappy
or to high light a romantic scene.

6. Teaser Trailer – anaylsing
• The edits in most trailers are quite quick but in
this trailer the pace is generally slow, getting a
good grasp of the story line. The dissolve cuts
indicate the effect of turning a page to show
how it’s a remake of a fairytale.
• There are lots of high and low camera angles
to show who is more superior in the film

7. Short film - example
Post – it love
• This short film, running approximately 3 minutes long
is about two shy office workers who like each other.
They try to express their love through post-it note
messages and pictures scattered around the office.
• The first scene shows them at the photo copying
machine separate by a small wall. This represents that
they are separate from each others lives but can only
see each other. They are very alike and do the same
movements at the same time proving their
compatibility.

8. Short film - example
• The first movement is made when there girl
leaves a blue piece of paper with pink post-it
notes in the shape in the shape of a smiley face.
Here shyness is presented through the fact she
hasn’t got the confidence to speak to the man
but can send him a note. Then the notes
continue. The shyness is shown through a lot of
high angles looking down on the characters.
• The shyness is once again emphasized by the lack
of diegetic sound and only non diagetic upbeat
animation music.

9. Conventions of this genre
• This type of film usually involve a male and
female falling in love with lots of obstacles
they have to over come. If the romance
doesn’t end up happening its called a platonic
comedy but that’s unlikely in this genre. The
initial way these two people meet is in a weird
comical circumstance.
• There is sometimes someone who tires to get
involve and split up the couple.

10. Conventions of this genre
• The person that gets the guy/girl is usually
someone unexpected like a geek or misfit to
prove to audience that anyone can get their
prince/princess charming
• Most characters are grouped off into costumes
that are easily recognized, eg jock in sporty gear
or geek in jumpers and glasses.
• The mise en scene location is usually in teen or
young adult popular places like schools or parties.

11. Conventions of this genre
• There is usually lots of two shots of the couple in the
centre. Another common type of shot is a reaction shot
to see how the person reacts to whatever’s happened
or been said. The opening camera angle gives clear
cuts to the main characters life.
• The editing in the film is usually shown from the
woman's side at a slow pace to build up scenes that are
romantic.
• The sounds found in these films are usually voice over's
explaining what's going on to open the film along with
current songs to fit with the characters.

12. Rules of the Vladimir Propp theory
that every rom com / chick flick
should include this 8 characters: