Genre Research Blog

 Genre: Mystery

1. Genre Conventions – Content

Conventions of the mystery genre are a suspenseful plot wherein any crime, secret, or puzzling circumstance prevails, to be solved by characters-usually detectives or amateur sleuths. Red herrings, plot twists, and the gathering of clues are all common elements. The audience is invited to solve the mystery with the protagonist, while many mysteries deal with murder, missing persons, or even uncovering secrets. Justice, deception, and moral ambiguity are common themes in such narratives.

2. Genre Conventions–Production Techniques

Mystery films contain dark or muffled lighting, creating suspense and unease in the atmosphere. Cinematography uses close-ups that outline every minute expression and detail of the participants; there is shadowing in order to suggest secrecy. The edits can use flashbacks or fragmented sequences that build tension and only show portions to the viewer as they fit together the pieces of the story. The sound design is generally low-key and suspenseful in music towards the reveal of the mystery.

3. Institutional Conventions – Marketing

Mystery films are then advertised to target audiences, in this case, usually suspense and puzzle enthusiasts who also like psychological insight, which could attract teenagers and adults alike. This could be done with the use of trailer techniques, where suspects are cited, intense scenes are hinted at, and the revelation scenes are shown but do not reveal the solution. Posters would feature symbolic things like a magnifying glass or a shadowy figure, or anything else that could define secrecy, like silhouettes or foggy settings. The movies would also be advertised through social networking, mystery clubs, and events like film noir festivals.

4. Sample Movie #1 – Gone Girl, 2014

Gone Girl is representative of the Mystery genre, with the disappearance of Amy Dunne and the unraveling of dark secrets in her marriage with Nick. The movie implements pacing, misleading information, and narration unreliability, which will keep guessing the truth behind Amy's vanishing. The bleak color palette gave every scene a different feel with tight shots, making it the epitome of subtle clues that later led to a plot twist.

5. Movie Sample #2 – Sherlock Holmes (2009)

Sherlock Holmes fictionalizes the famous detective in a tale of puzzles, clues, and deductions. The movie is an action-mystery as Holmes diligently pieces together the clues with his developed powers of observation. Indeed, the Victorian setting of the film enhances such an idea: dramatic lighting and intricate set design add to the historical and mysterious elements of the story. Equally, fast editing maintains the viewer in finding the truth.

Other Film Examples in Mystery Genre:

• Knives Out, 2019

• The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, 2011

• Zodiac, 2007

• Murder on the Orient Express, 1974

• Prisoners, 2013

• Mystic River, 2003

• The Sixth Sense, 1999

 

Blog posting - Representation

Cobra Kai is a popular series that relates to many of the specific representation related concepts we've covered in class. For instance, masculinity, trauma, and redemption are among some of the key themes explored through the identities of Johnny Lawrence—the bully stuck in his ways—and Daniel LaRusso—the Karate Kid who never give up.

 Johnny Lawrence, the ultimate bully, does not change much from The Karate Kid except he's an alcoholic struggling to get by. The series progresses with a more complex look at the character—the idea of toxic masculinity surrounding his upbringing and how it hinders his life. Ultimately, Johnny's path to redemption is full of failed attempts to distance himself from the fighting and the bullying from which he feels he is trapped.

Daniel LaRusso, the Karate Kid, is portrayed as an adult with flaws in his life, but the filmmakers create a composite of nostalgia and a new character, still emotionally hurt by his antagonists of the past. Instead, he's a  exaggerated character as they try to make him contemporary and resonate with an adult audience decades later. LaRusso's message now is one of acknowledging the past in the present with purpose where success has already been determined.

Cobra Kai masters the risky situation of identity. If Johnny and Daniel need to make amends for their actions, the series shows an unconventional version of masculinity by asserting that those who are most revered are just as pathetic and weak, meaning ultimately, both men need the same mindset and drive to be successful.

Cobra Kai also teaches us that that the ways people and things are represented is not always true. While masculinity, trauma and redemption are the main theses, Johnny and Daniel are characters designed to connect with the audience on a deeper level, which helps further represent these themes. This also represents that anyone can be what they want, even those not represented in the media.

Sound Project

    In class, I learned that sound contributes significantly in filmmaking to add depth, emotion, enhance visuals, and viewer perception. Different categories of sounds discussed include synchronous and asynchronous, diegetic and nondiegetic, sound motif, sound perspective, sound bridge, voiceover, and also foley sound, which is created after filming using various objects.

    For this project, we had to make a 1-2 minute video, but only using sound effects. We could download sounds from the internet to assist us, but 4 of the sounds needed to be created using foley. When my group was brainstorming, we wanted to do a scene that seemed familiar, and viewers would know what it is, so we ended up picking a basketball game. The outline helped us keep track of which shots we have downloaded, and which ones we needed to create. I used Clipchamp to edit. I believe our project was well done, but could have included more sound layering.

Link to the project:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/19ICe9z1_oWVJ0nR1yINc1XLFJ87IoHFX/view?usp=drive_link