Soundtrack/Camera Angle Analysis

This is a video for the song 'High Hopes by Kodaline'. I really like the way this video is filmed and how it ties in with the soundtrack. Although I'm creating a trailer and not a music video, I still think that it is useful for me to look at this video and analyse some of the techniques used in it. The video isn't too complex as it only involves to main characters and the other people included are just backing characters. The video focuses on the two main characters and aims to show their relationship and the love they feel for each other, the lighting and camera angles allow the audience to see how happy the two love interests are when they are together and the audience are immediately attached to their relationship and want them to stay together. The main male character is alone and going to kill himself at the start and the soundtrack is far more dark and sinister. The lighting is fairly dim and the location is foggy which gives conventions of sadness and fear. However in later shots when the two love interests are together again, the lighting is far brighter and the location is more cheerful e.g. the beach location. Slow motion is used at the start to emphasise the drama of the two characters being apart and then soon being reunited, and it fits in with the tone and tempo of the non diegetic soundtrack. In a few of the shots the sunlight shining through the window is used to lighten the room, this lightens the tone of the shot and makes the location look more calm and joyful, this represents that the two characters are happier when they're together. In the pub location the lights are fairly dim but not in a gloomy and depressing way, in more of a romantic way. The combination of this lighting and the two characters dancing together immediately makes this shot very romantic and appealing to the audience. The angles used in this music video are successful in showing the relationship between the love interests. The close up shot of the two kissing on the beach is very effective as it emphasises the kiss to the audience and kisses are seen as romantic. The slightly low angled two shot at the end is effective as we first see the male character sat alone and then the female character emerges from behind and hugs him, this shows the audience that they have been reunited and emphasises the 'happily ever after' ending.

Soundtrack for Party/Drug Taking Scene

Oliver Heldens- Gecko (Overdrive)
This is a good soundtrack for a rave or a nightclub scene because it has conventions that are stereotypical of house or dance music. The soundtrack has a very catchy/consistent beat and would be easy to dance to, it could be used very well to represent people (especially teenagers) having fun and partying. Some of the instruments and effects used in this song give it a 'trippy' and almost hypnotic tune and this is why I feel it would be appropriate to use in a scene where the characters are taking drugs as drugs warp reality and can sometimes put people in a trance like state.

Soundtrack for Party/Drug Taking Scene

Disclosure- F for You
This soundtrack would be good for a scene where the protagonists/stock characters are taking drugs as the soundtrack includes some weird, funky beats and odd sounds and these give connotations of the characters having hallucinations which is one of the effects drugs can have on people, also towards the end of the song the singing sounds like an echo and keeps fading in and out, this also represents the idea of the characters being effected by the drugs and not really seeing/hearing things clearly because they are confused so therefore I feel the soundtrack would be appropriate in emphasising the effects of the characters taking these drugs. The soundtrack is upbeat and exciting and therefore makes people want to dance which is why the soundtrack would be appropriate for a party/rave scene in my trailer.

Soundtrack for Party/Drugs Scene

Wankelmut & Emma Louise- My Head is a Jungle
This is one of the potential soundtracks I would use for either a party scene with the characters raving and partying with their friends or a scene where the characters are taking drugs and messing around. The soundtrack is quite rave-like and almost 'trippy' so I think it it would be appropriate for a scene with the characters taking drugs or a rave/party scene because teenage raves are often stereotyped as including lots of drinking and drugs anyway. Also, this soundtrack is upbeat and has a fairly catchy beat that makes you want to dance, so this would be appropriate to use in a scene of the characters having fun and jumping around.

Location Scouting 3

This is quite a secluded location, however it can look fairly romantic depending on the time of day and  whether there is suitable lighting. This could be used for shots of the couple messing around and splashing each other in the water, or sitting and talking. Logistically the location may mean a few hazards in terms of risk of the actors slipping over and hurting themselves. Therefore if I do use this location I will have to make sure the actors are especially careful to try and prevent injury, also the ground is quite uneven and could mean tripping.

This is a screenshot taken from the romance film 'The Best of Me'. As you can see this wooded location is fairly similar to my location above. Many romance films use locations like this because they are perceived as romantic because they are thought of as scenic and beautiful. Here we see the two protagonists alone in this location dancing which the audience will think is romantic. It is important that my location is quiet if I include shots like this so the love interests can be alone together as this is far more romantic than them being surrounded by lots of people in a busy, urban location.

Location Scouting 2

This is the second location I looked at, I really like this location as it is rural because it is in a field so it should be quiet and therefore there won't be many interruptions when I am filming, however the little hut in the middle makes it look slightly urban as well. I especially like this location because of the brick hut in the middle, the hut has graffiti all over it. Graffiti gives codes and conventions of gangs and cities, often cities in rundown/poorer locations with a higher crime rate. Gangs and crime are often things that teenagers are stereotyped with by the media and therefore this is a good location as my two main protagonists are teenagers. Also, this location/narrative may appeal to teenagers as they can relate to certain aspects of the lifestyle, and teenagers/young adults are my main target audience. The inside of the hut is quiet dirty and empty so this could be useful for the darker scenes such as the protagonists drinking or doing drugs. Both of these are commonly associated with youths as well as they are the generation that are seen to go out partying and getting drunk. Teens are often stereotyped as being reckless and rebellious and I intend to show behaviour like this in parts of my trailer, and locations like this will help me achieve this.

Location Scouting 1

I'm still trying to think of a narrative for my romance trailer so it's too early to start deciding on set locations yet, however it is useful for me to start looking at a few locations and deciding if they are appropriate and representative of the romance genre. This was the first location I looked at, I think this could be quite a good location for many shots as it is quite scenic and peaceful which is representative of the romance genre. Often trees/wooded locations are included in romance films because nature gives connotations of beauty and peace which can sometimes be representative of romance. The sunny weather also helps to make this location look more romantic as it provides natural high key lighting and makes the shot look more bright and uplifting which are emotions that the audience are meant to feel during some parts of films of the romance genre. Obviously the weather can't be predicted or changed especially for the filming, but I can ensure that I check the weather forecast before and choose to film on the day with the best/sunniest forecast. In terms of logistics, this location is fairly flat and quiet so filming issues or accidents will be unlikely.

Romance Soundtrack Research 4

This song is included in the 1998 film 'Armageddon'. This film is a mixture of genres one of these being the romance genre. This song is perceived to be very romantic as it is slow and quite dramatic and the lyrics talk about love. This soundtrack is played over the scene of the two love interests and automatically makes the audience feel emotional.

Romance Soundtrack Research 3

The 'Dear John' trailer uses the song "Set Fire to the Third Bar" as it's non diegetic soundtrack. Immediately when this soundtrack cuts in it provokes an emotional response within the audience and tied in with the shots it emphasises the romance between the two protagonists. This soundtrack is slow but exciting and it ties in with the narrative of the characters being apart. I think the use of this soundtrack is very effective and I would consider using a soundtrack similar to this in my romance trailer.

Romance Soundtrack Research 2

The film 'If I stay' uses this soundtrack in its trailer. The film is a romance/drama type of film which is a genre that interests me a lot. The trailer uses this song because it is slow and provokes emotions within the audience. It's lyrics reflect something bad (disequilibrium) happening and people having to overcome it which is appropriate for a film of the drama genre. The soundtrack was in the charts and widely enjoyed and therefore by using it the trailer appeals to a large audience as it catches their attention because many of them will recognise the song.

Romance Soundtrack Research 1

This clip is from the 1999 film '10 things I hate about you' this film is of the rom-com genre. The clip includes the main male protagonist singing to the main female protagonist, this is seen as a romantic gesture as he is singing about his love for her. "Can't take my eyes off of you" is a well known romantic song and the lyrics revolve around love therefore this is the reason this song has been included in this scene of the film. I probably won't create a rom-com film but it is interesting to see how the soundtrack ties in with the scene and how whilst the scene is intended to be funny, it is also meant to be romantic and the song helps to achieve this.

Promotion

The whole point of a film trailer is to market/promote a film so that the target audience get excited and this creates a buzz about the film before it's released.  For my promotional campaign I am not only creating a viral trailer, but also a film poster and magazine article. I'm using a mixture of heritage and viral marketing to promote my film. Things like posters and magazine articles are forms of heritage marketing and have proved successful in promoting films for years. Online campaigns like trailers and social media are forms of viral marketing, these emerged when the internet was created and film companies found that it was a cheap way to reach a wide audience.

Viral marketing is good because:

• It is cheap
• It's very convenient as people can access the internet from many different places and when they are on the go.
• It allows exposure to a large audience and can be used to draw in a wider/global target audience because people subscribe and share things and then this spreads information at a fast rate. 
• Viral marketing can often take very interesting and unique forms such as fake web pages and news reports. If campaigns are seen to be different to normal campaigns then they are more likely to be remembered by the audience which is good as the audience will be anticipating the films release. 

Heritage marketing is good because:

• It grabs peoples attention when they are out and about. For example billboards will catch people's eye when they are driving and then they will be more likely to remember about the film and potentially want to watch it.
• Heritage marketing forms are conventional and have proven to be successful promotional methods as they have been around for years and years. 
• Some, particularly more of the older generation, may not have access to the internet or may prefer not to use it and therefore they are more likely to come across these heritage campaigns so these will have more of an affect on them. 

A mixture of push and pull marketing is often used in order to promote a film. Push marketing is where the institution/producer targets the audience directly with their campaign e.g. a film trailer that is shown during an advert break on TV. Pull marketing is where the audience actually seek out information about a film or actively promote/produce it themselves, for example going on to Facebook and searching for and sharing a link to a film's page. Pull marketing has become more common with the development of Web 2.0 and allowed the concept of prosumers to appear. Prosumer is a term meaning a mixture of a consumer and a producer. More of a film's target audience are becoming prosumers meaning that they not only consume the film but they produce their own things relating to the film as well. For example there has been an increase in the number of fan films created by the target audience and some of these are successful/professional enough to be recognised and win awards at film competitions. 

One example of how viral marketing was successful in creating hype about a film was the 2012 viral campaign for the Dark Knight Rises. Warner Bros organised the spreading of 300 pieces of graffiti relating to this film around the world, they then posted on the film's website the locations of this graffiti and encouraged the fans to upload images of this graffiti to the site. Each image unlocked another screen of the trailer, the full trailer was unlocked within minutes and the fans were overwhelmed with anticipation about the film's release. Fake police reports/posters and webpages were also created so that news about the film was everywhere and more and more of the audience heard about it. A virtual reality game set in Gotham city was released that the audience could play, this made the audience feel like they were actually part of the film which created a buzz among fans. By the time the film came out the fans were going crazy and huge numbers of people went to see it at the cinema, giving Warner Bros a huge profit. This campaign proved successful as it was different and encouraged audience interaction which therefore made the audience feel like they played a part in the film's release. 

Cloverfield is another example of a film that had a very successful viral marketing campaign. A number of fake news reports/videos were released with pretend sightings of the creature and of this creature destroying buildings. The clips were realistic and many who saw them online got scared and researched into the film more. This campaign was successful in creating a buzz about the film as the audience got excited after seeing these news clips. These clips were so effective that they were included on the Cloverfield DVD as extended footage. 

Here is an example of one of the many posters created for the Dark Knight Rises. The poster includes a well known character who is associated with the film so as soon as the audience see it they will know what the film is and this will excite them and make them want to read on further. Also the paper is titled "Gotham Observer". Fans will recognise the name Gotham and be immediately draw to reading this fake article and hopefully sharing it online so therefore the article spreads and reaches a wider audience. 

Distribution

The level of distribution depends on the budget the film company/institution has. Conglomerates such as the Hollywood Big 6 (e.g. Disney) can afford a large tent-pole distribution of their film which involves lots of copies being distributed globally. For independent film companies distribution will probably be on a smaller scale to a more niche audience, often independent film companies focus their distribution to local areas, sometimes national, but they are less likely to distribute on a global scale. This is due to them having a smaller budget and unless they get funding from a larger institution then it is unlikely that they will be able to afford wide scale distribution.

In the past films used to be recorded on 16mm or 35mm film reels, these were often very expensive to buy and transport which is why unless a company has a big budget, they struggled to distribute that many copies. However now most films are recorded digitally which therefore allows companies to distribute more copies for cheaper, also it is more logistical as big reels don't have to be transported around everywhere. Digital distribution has made it far easier for independent companies to target a  tent-pole audience due to it being far cheaper and therefore meaning that companies can distribute more copies with a smaller budget. This change has proved very convenient for many low budget indie companies.

In terms of the distribution of my trailer, I would target a niche, fairly local audience. I would distribute it virally and use other promotional forms (such as a poster) to promote it further. I would use the internet to distribute my trailer digitally because it is free and allows access to a large audience automatically. Almost all of my target audience of teenagers/young adults will use the internet, and probably youtube, in some way and therefore they'd be more likely to see my trailer and therefore be encouraged to watch my film if they enjoyed the trailer.

Target Audience Questionnaire

Q1) Question 1 researched into whether the target audience thought that 'romance' was a popular genre. The results found that everyone who participated filled in 'yes' to it being a popular genre. This is beneficial for me as I'm thinking of doing a romance film trailer and it is useful to know that the target audience agree that the genre is popular as it means my trailer has a chance of being successful in creating hype about the film.

Q2) This question found that the audience think that females prefer romance films more than males. This supports and links to other research that I've done. Often romance trailers attempt to target a female audience by including tear-jerking scenes and props like flowers because these are seen to be romantic and stereotypically appealing to a female audience as these are the demographic that have watched romance films more in the past. This has shown me that if I do make a film of the romance genre, I should definitely aim to target more of a female audience in the hope of appealing to more people.

Q3) Question 3 helped me find out a little more about the conventional target audience of romance films. It gave me an indication of which age range stereotypically enjoy the romance genre more. It found that the people who completed the survey all agreed that 16-25 year olds are the age range that enjoy romance films most. When making my trailer I will take this into account and try to ensure that my narrative and character types relate to this demographic in some way in order to appeal to them more.

Q4) Question 4 found a mix in opinion about what sub-genre is best suited to the romance genre. 50% said that drama is the most suited sub-genre for romance films, the other 50% thought that 'coming of age' was a more appropriate sub-genre. I will have to consider this carefully when creating my trailer, seeing as the percentage of votes for each was equal I have concluded that it is just down to a difference in the opinions of the target audience. Therefore I will consider both sub-genres and decide which one would be the most logistical for me to create. If my actors are teenagers, which they most likely will be, then coming of age might be a good sub-genre to follow.

Q5) The final question on whether having an antagonist is important in films of the romance genre gave a mixture of opinion again, the majority of people said 'yes' it was important, however 2 people out of the 6 participating said 'no' having an antagonist wasn't important. This is interesting as it shows a difference in opinion on what they prefer to see in films of the romance genre. I will consider  whether or not to include an antagonist in my trailer. Overall this question shows that many people want to see an antagonist in films of the romance genre, however including an antagonist character is not necessary to make the film appealing.

Non-Diegetic Sound Analysis

Non-Diegetic Sound is sound that is outside of the films narrative and therefore the characters in the film can't hear it, it is done to effect the audience. This could include: a soundtrack that is played over the top of the film but that the characters cannot hear, often these soundtracks are played over montages of stock characters or over an important scene such as a fight scene. Voiceovers are also a form of non-diegetic sound as these are not including as part of the films narrative. Sound effects can be non-diegetic as they are added in after over the top of the film, but aren't ambient sound that the characters can hear.

• The non-diegetic music cuts in at the very start of this scene, there is a clunking beat which sounds like metal being hit on something and each beat happens in time with the footsteps. This immediately grabs the audiences attention as it builds tension because it emphasises the importance of the character walking and that something is about to happen because the sound is very loud and consistent. 
• The metallic beats continue and some other more exciting music cuts in over them, this cuts in when we see the character going to put his bag through security. This shows the audience that something is about to happen and it will have something to do with this character and the security guards. The sound creates excitement as the audience are anticipating what is going to happen next and know that something will happen due to the sound increase and the soundtrack becoming more fast paced.
• The sound continues and other diegetic sounds cut in as well, it is all very loud and tense and then a "swoosh" sound cuts in and there is silence when we see the main character with lots of guns under his coat. This complete cut out of music is significant and sometimes silence can be as effective as loud sound effects. The sound was so loud and there was about 4 different sound types happening, by cutting all of these out at once the audience are focused on just the guns alone which shows this is a significant moment in the scene/narrative, as it is the first time the audience see the character is a potential threat. 
• There is a non-diegetic falling, almost like a wind/air, sound effect when the man is falling down in slow motion after being hit. This emphasises the strength of the character that pushed him to the audience as it shows the man is falling very hard and is helpless. 
• The sound effects cut back in after the first shooting and the sound is tense but exhilarating. The sounds sound slightly like alarms which ties in with the narrative as the characters are breaking into somewhere. 
• There are loud non-diegetic drum beats when the shot of the feet running appears, these continue and we see the security emerging. Drum beats are conventionally used as a way to build tension within an audience. They give connotations of an increasing threat or danger in some form or another as they are loud and can be threatening. 
• The music changes it's tone and becomes slightly quieter but still very exciting as the second round of shooting begins. The music reflects the skill of the two dressed in black with sunglasses and is used to allow the audience to perceive them as cool as they aren't phased by the fact they are outnumbered and they continue to fight without fear. Music similar to this is often used in action films as it builds suspense in fighting or car chase scenes etc. 
• A slow motion "swooshing" sound effect cuts in as the female does a run up/flip against the wall. This is used to draw the audiences attention to her skill and to make her seem athletic and in control. 
• Sound effects are used when the female is fighting and kicking the man holding the gun. These are used again to make the audience aware of the characters skill and to make her appealing to the audience as some of them may want to be like her because she is independent and breaks some of the stereotypes associated with women. 
• The non-diegetic music increases as the other stock character is shown, this emphasises his importance in the narrative and makes him seem appealing due to his skill and fearlessness. 
• The music becomes slightly sci-fi like when the character is walking and the bullets are flying through the air. This links to the genre and emphasises this to the audience. The character does cartwheel and this sound continues indicating that the character could potentially have a sic-fi/supernatural element to him or he could just be extremely skilled at fighting.
• The music cuts out for a moment whilst the character is stood behind the pole and then cuts back in when he re-emerges and starts shooting again. This shows his importance and makes the audience excited as they are hooked on the fight scene and want the protagonist to win. 
• The sound increases as the character is running and then fades out as the last man falls to the floor. This signifies to the audience that the fighting is ended for now and that the man and the woman have been victories. 
• The music gets louder and louder and then changes tone to a different, but still just as dramatic tone when we see the bomb. This hints at the narrative and the combination of the music and the close up shot used shows that it is significant in the plot and the audience are meant to pick up on this. 
• The music gets far quieter in the cut shot to the different characters somewhere else in the building, this indicates that the two characters in the lift are more key in the narrative or at least more important in this scene. The difference in sound shows a contrast between the two environments, one creates a far more dangerous tone whilst the other is tense but less so. 
• The sound effect of the two characters in the lift shaft as they cling on to the rope is very dramatic and is used to increase anticipation in the audience and emphasise how dangerous the situation is. 
• An explosion sound effect is used as the bomb explodes and the floor is blown up. Sound effects like this are often used in action or adventure films to emphasise the danger of something or to create suspense and excitement in the audience. 

Non-diegetic soundtracks can often completely change the tone of a scene or successfully emphasise the importance of something. In action films sound effects and dramatic music involving loud noises e.g. drum beats are often used, especially in scenes of violence or extreme importance. In romance films the non-diegetic music is often used to show a connection or to emphasise romantic feelings, especially in scenes where the protagonists are together. 

Diegetic Sound Analysis

Diegetic sound is the sound that originates from within the film's narrative, the characters can hear diegetic sound and respond to it. This could include background/ambient sounds, instrumental sounds or sounds made by objects (for example a ticking clock) and dialogue. 

This scene used diegetic sound very effectively, the diegetic sound is deliberately included to exaggerate certain key narrative points. The diegetic sound of gun shots is used to immediately prove how dangerous the location is, it builds tension within the audience and allows them to feel scared. These gun shot sounds show that the location is likely to be in a war zone of some sort and that this may be relevant to the film's plot or tell the audience a bit more about a character/lifestyle. The dialogue shows the characters whispering which emphasises the suspense even more and implies that  the soldiers are trying to sneak around without being heard, this implies to the audience that a wider threat or an enemy is present as the soldiers are being deliberately quiet in order to avoid them, because the audience know that something/someone else is there, they are gripped and on the edge of their seats because they are wanting to know what will happen. There is no non diegetic music in the background which emphasises the importance of the diegetic sounds going on in the scene. The sound of the soldiers running and moving around in the dark and some smashing/clunking sounds are used. These sounds are used to signify the importance of their movements and because the lighting in the scene is quite low key, sounds like these are important to inform the audience of what is properly going on. The smashing glass sound emphasises violence and the derelict/damaged location that the soldiers are in, violence and rundown locations like this are stereotypical of war films as they both give connotations of war and a instability. The dialogue gets louder when they begin the raid and there is lots of shouting in a foreign language that sounds shocked and worried. This shows that the location is likely to be in a foreign country where there is a significant amount of violence, maybe terrorism. The increase in the sound of the diegetic dialogue  emphasises and increase in excitement and encourages the audience to anticipate what will happen next. The diegetic screaming sound is used to provoke fear within the audience. Screaming gives connotations of fear or pain and therefore it is used to indicate that this specific scene in the film is meant to be scary. One character shouts "3 children, 3 children" which is a very significant line in the script and shows that children may potentially be in danger which is always seen as an unfair and terrible thing because children are too young to deserve to be involved in violence or war. This line is used to provoke a worried and fearful emotional response in the audience. The diegetic sound of heavy breathing from one of the characters is included over a very dark shot, this increases tension as the audience don't know what is going to happen or if anything will appear from within the darkness. The sound of the gunfire is louder than the dialogue of the characters panicking, this could imply that the situation is almost hopeless for the characters because their voices have been displayed as less important. The gun shots are displayed to be too much for the characters and begin suddenly and the characters have to get to safety or fight back as quickly as they can. 

Often films use a range of diegetic and non-diegetic sounds to help emphasise the narrative or significance of something in the films plot or to make it more realistic. Sometimes using one or the other is more effective as it grips the audience more. 

BBFC Film Certificates

The BBFC stands for the British Board of Film Classification, it is the institution in charge of providing films with age ratings and certificates reflecting the content of the film therefore indicating who the appropriate audience is. The lowest age certificate a film can receive is the Universal certificate, this indicates that the film is appropriate for all age groups. The highest certificate in the UK is an R18 certificate, this includes explicit sex or strong fetish scenes and is a legally-restricted category.

• PG stands for Parental Guidance, this means that children are permitted to watch the film as long as their parents give them permission.
• 8 or older is the general guideline for PG rated films as the content included should not upset children older than this. 
• Sex references are unlikely and infrequent and if used then often un-obvious so only the older audience will understand them.
• Mild violence
• No strong focus on drugs
• Dangerous/anti-social behaviour that children could copy will not be promoted and will always be challenged.

• 12A requires the child to be accompanied by an adult to the cinema, whilst adult accompanying cannot be monitored at home, the DVD's use just the 12 certificate on their films. Also, the 12 certificate is easier to enforce for retailers.
• The viewer has to be over 12 years old. 
• Used for blu-ray and DVD's.
• Strong language could be passed depending on the manner used, but not too frequently.
• Aggressive use of language may change the certificate. 
• Sex may be discreetly portrayed.
• Moderate violence without much detail/graphic images shown.
• Infrequent drug misuse.
• Moderate physical or psychological threat (horror/thriller)

• Nobody under 15 is allowed to watch the film at the cinema or buy/rent the film.
• No theme is specifically prohibited.
• Any of the following could be included in a 15 rated film:
• Strong violence
• Frequent use of strong language
• Strong verbal references to sex
• Nudity
• Brief sexual violence or verbal reference to it
• Discriminatory language/behaviour e.g. racist or homophobic etc. However the film must not endorse this discrimination.
• Drug taking- cannot promote drug taking.
• Dangerous behaviours such as suicide should not be dwelled on in detail.

• For adults only, nobody younger is permitted to watch them.
• Films that have an 18 certificate are allowed to include all of the same content that films with a 15 certificate can and more.
• Strong blood and gore could feature in films of the 18 certificate. 
• No limits on language.
• Discriminatory behaviour can be included but it mustn't breach any relevant legislation. 
• Very dangerous or criminal behaviour may be cut. 

Narrative Theory

Propp: 
Vladimir Propp says that there are 7 stock character types in films. These are:

• The Hero
• The Villain- who hinders the hero in some way and tries to stop him in what he is doing by actively blocking him/her.
• The donor- this character provides an object (often a magical object) to help the hero in their quest.
• The dispatcher- this character gives a message to the hero.
• The false hero- This person claims to be helping/on the heroes side, but actually disrupts the heroes quest.
• The helper- who aids the hero.
• The princess- the hero often gets her in the end and she is usually an object of the villains plot.

Romance films often follow a lot of these character types. For example, there is always some sort of hero and villain character in each, the villain is often someone getting in the way of the couples relationship e.g. a "bitchy" female or the main female characters father who doesn't approve of the relationship. The false hero is a character that we see appearing a lot in romance films, often it is a friend of the couple that they think is helping them but actually wants to end the relationship. The helper is often played by one of the love interests' parents or friends. The princess character role sometimes comes into it as romance films usually consist of two heroes (the couple) and one of them is usually female therefore they fill the princess role, but they are more of a main character/main part of the narrative and not just a prize that the hero gets at the end of his quest.

Todarov:
Todarov says that there are 5 stages in the narrative of films. This applies to films of all genres and is stereotypically used widely in action/adventure films. The 5 stages are:

• An initial stage of equilibrium where everything is fine and as it should be (pretty much everyone is happy)
• The next stage is a disruption breaking this equilibrium by some sort of bad event happening.
• A recognition of this disruption in the next stage, when the stock characters realise what has happened.
• An attempt to repair the disruption.
• Then finally a restoration of the peace and a new equilibrium. 

Films of the romance genre often follow this narrative structure as it has proven to engage the audience as they are used to it and have proven to enjoy it in films in the past. An example of how they might follow these stages is:

• Equilibrium stage- The couple are in a happy relationship together and everything is peaceful.
• The disruption- something or someone cause the couple to split up.
• Recognition- the couple realise that they have broken up and miss each other.
• Repair- the couple want to get back together and try to resolve their break up in some way or another e.g. with a romantic gesture. 
• Restoration- The couple forgive each other and get back together and everyone is happy again. 

Levi Strauss:

This theory talks about binary opposition, this means that two completely different things are needed to balance out the films plot. For example:

• Good vs evil
• weak vs strong
• East vs West
• Modern vs traditional cultures

These things are complete opposites and are used in films as opposing forces/ideas that challenge each other as part of the narrative. 

Laura Mulvey:
Laura Mulvey created her 'Male Gaze' theory in 1975. This talks about how she thinks that film audiences have to view characters from the perspective of a straight male. The camera angles emphasise the curves in a females body and the way that the camera is moved often demonstrates how a male character would look at (check out) a females body. She thinks it objectifies women by the way the camera is positioned. The romance genre is often a genre to use angles similar to the ones  Mulvey is talking about, often females in romance films are over sexualised and these specific camera angles are used to do this to emphasise her sexuality to the audience.