Hi there! 👋 As mentioned previously, I'm more interested in creating a coming-of-age film opening. So, today I'll be sharing my research on the coming-of-age genre for my portfolio project. Hopefully, this goes well and I'll be decided on my official genre by the end of this post!
Coming-of-age (COA):
Target Audience:
- The TA for COA films are teenagers and young adults, roughly from ages 12-19, and is a predominately female audience. Even though the TA is mostly younger, people of all ages enjoy COA films. This is the TA because this genre is meant to be relatable and develop an emotional connection to the audience as they are likely going through similar situations like their identity, first loves, and entering adulthood.
Genre conventions with content:
- Living Life to the Fullest
- Some COA films are easy-going and cheerful watches that primarily focuses on the enjoyable, funny moments that are commonly associated with one's teenage years. These movies are often nostalgic and very comedic.
- Self-Discovery
- Other films dive into the difficulties of understanding who you are and who you want to become as you dive into adulthood. Because most teenagers go through this type of situation, these films become relatable to them.
- Not Fitting In
- COA films often star a teenager who doesn't quite fit in with the rest of their school/community. These films dig deeper into who the character is and why they act that way. Some common misfit character types include: rebels, members of the LGBTQ+ community and the quiet kid.
- First Love
- Being a teenager and developing many new emotions and opinions is rough and during this time, many begin to experience their first loves. These relationships are complicated and intense but also bring so much joy to both people involved, which makes it an iconic type of COA film. Many of these films explore love and sometimes, sadly, the heartbreak.
Genre conventions with techniques:
- Voice-over
- Throughout COA films, a popular narration style is through voice-overs. This often uses the main character's voice to tell the story and explain their thoughts and emotions while creating a more intimate bond between the character and audience. This can be used to highlight the character's personality in a way other than their actions. Voice-overs are usually synchronized with what is happening on-screen and paired with pauses for reflection and maximum effect.
- Soundtrack
- COA films always feature songs and most times the soundtrack of the film appeals to the TA. These soundtracks include iconic songs that connect to teenhood and make the film more relatable because these are likely songs that the TA listen to as well.
Institutional conventions:
- Different Character Archetypes
- Every COA film features a handful of different character archetypes including: the jock, the nerd, the popular girl, etc. The reason for this is to appeal to a wide audience so that everyone watching will relate to at least one character. This also increases the "Four-Quadrant Appeal" which is the ability for a film to appeal to the four core demographics: males under 25, females under 25, males over 25 and females over 25.
- "Becoming" Moment
- Many COA films explore both the highs and lows of the teenage years, but because it is a film, they usually end with a happier ending. There is often a "becoming" moment for each character towards the end whether it be a graduation or finally finding good friends. This is to give hope to the audience that they will find their place.
Examples:
Sources:
Fiveable. (n.d.). Voiceover narration: Unit 6 study guide. https://fiveable.me/storytelling-for-film-and-television/unit-6/voiceover-narration/study-guide/j6JxKlaCmpcC13Gi
Heller-Nicholas, A. (2020, December 31). What is a coming-of-age movie? No Film School. https://nofilmschool.com/what-is-coming-of-age-movie
Long-Crowell, E. (2024, May 22). Genres: Order and integration. Media Studies. https://media-studies.com/genres-order-integration/
Mean Girls Wiki. (n.d.). Category: Cliques. Fandom. https://meangirls.fandom.com/wiki/Category:Cliques
Moxie. (n.d.). Mean Girls. Downtown Phoenix Inc. https://dtphx.org/do/mean-girls
The Screen Academy. (n.d.). Teen movies genre. https://www.thescreenacademy.com/knowledge/genre/teen-movies-genre
Vignoles, G. (2014, October 23). Target audience research [Presentation]. Prezi. https://prezi.com/u-mzr7kqffc7/target-audience-research/
Campion, J. (Director). (1993). The piano [Film]. CiBy 2000; Jan Chapman Productions. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0102492/
Chbosky, S. (Director). (2012). The perks of being a wallflower [Film]. Mr. Mudd Productions. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1659337/
Gerwig, G. (Director). (2017). Lady Bird [Film]. Scott Rudin Productions; Entertainment 360; IAC Films. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4925292/
Heckerling, A. (Director). (1995). Clueless [Film]. Paramount Pictures. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112697/
Hughes, J. (Director). (1984). Sixteen Candles [Film]. Universal Pictures. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088128/
Waters, M. (Director). (2004). Mean Girls [Film]. Paramount Pictures. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0403508/
Zeller, F. (Director). (2022). The Son [Film]. See-Saw Films; Intale; Film4. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9683478/
MsMojo. (2023, June 17). Top 10 most iconic songs in coming-of-age movies [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nebaBmsafv8
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