Friday, February 7, 2025

Mystery: The Genre

 Dear Readers,
Me and my partner have decided to do mystery as the genre for our film opening. Mystery films usually revolve around a problem or solution to a mystery which can either be a crime case, investigation, or a problem that is affecting the characters and their environment. Most horror films can have mystery elements like for example Nosfuratu is a movie with a lot of mystery elements and plot points.

Target audience of these films are usually for true-crime enthusiasts. Mystery films allow for the target audience to try and use logic and create a solution for the mystery and problem at hand with the limited information the story gives them. It's like one big visual puzzle for the viewer.



Common tropes in Mystery Films:

-Usually revolves or has a detective character

-Lots of files or crime bulletin board with possible subjects

-Usually revolves the death or disappearance of a character or multiple characters.

-Some characters do not believe in the mystery or think it's a hoax

-A chase scene (car or running)

-PLOT TWISTS!

Mystery films or films with mystery elements always or most of the time subvert expectations with the viewer. Plot twists are a common element in these stories. Executing plot twists can be difficult and create possible plot holes within the story. It's important that while I am planning my film opening to include me already knowing how the rest of the story and film would plan out. I need this in order to add bits of foreshadowing here and there in the opening.

Fun Fact: Edgar Allen Poe had an involvement in the creation of mystery through his literary works!

Mystery films also rely on music and non-diegetic sound to create the tone and mood of the scene. You can see this a lot in film openings like Knives Out and Clue. Music is very important and choosing the wrong music can break the tone and feeling of the scene all together.


Citations:

https://dailybruin.com/2022/05/22/cinematic-culture-mysteries-let-audiences-find-logic-and-security-in-a-confused-world


No comments:

Post a Comment

What shall I do for my CCR?

 Dear Readers, It is all not sunshine and rainbows because I am creatively stuck between a rock and a hard place figuring out what to do wit...