Portfolio Project Genre #2

 Psychological Dramas

Psychological dramas have always kept me insanely entertained as they are very eventful with turning points, or unexpected actions/dialogue. There has been several successful psychological dramas that have been produced in the past years that I have watched with my family countless of times. The plot, setting and mindset of characters are always so complex that only adds onto the mysterious side of this genre of movies.

Target Audience 

The target audience for this genre of movies are primarily older teenagers and adults around 16 years or older. This genre is appealing towards audiences who enjoy viewing complex characters along with emotional depth; such as stories that reach to explore the human mind and behavior. Psychological dramas always explore different sides of the mind or of deep, emotional sides many do not pay attention to which makes these films appealing. They often attracts viewers who enjoy viewing or learning the sides or affects of mental health, morality, and identity. The fans towards these movies have a smaller number compared to more mainstream and popular genres.

Genre Conventions (content)

Psychological dramas heavily focus on character's internal conflicts rather than external action. Although, there are many movies that normally use the character's internal conflicts and produce them or connect hem to external factors. These movies explore mental health struggles; trauma, guilt, obsession or paranoia. As many of the characters could be unreliable narrators due to their mental status, it normally creates a blurred line between reality and recognizing awareness. Themes also include identity, control, power, and isolation. These dramas could be often considered as "slow-burn" and emotionally intense considering the fact that many viewers never know where to point in the direction of where the ending will end up.

Genre Conventions (techniques)

These movies  are able to emphasize emotion and discomfort through close-ups and extreme close-ups. Low-key lighting and shadows are also used throughout the films to reflect mental instability and tension. Distorted sound designs such as as echoes, ringing or straight up a loud, deafening silence to add to the suspense and thriller part of the film. There are also many uses of "non-linear" storytelling. For example, flashbacks and fragmented timelines in case they need to reference something that previously had happened. Psychological dramas also use mirrors, reflections, or confined spaces as symbolism towards the environment or characters. All of these factors and more ad to the pacing and uneasiness of the film.

Institutional Conventions 

Psychological dramas focus on characters, often have unclear endings, and use dark or minimal visuals. The marketing for these films vary with details that add to the plot, characters and ending. For example, the trailers focus on mood, tension, and pressure rather than the plot. It normally consists of unsettling, cold dialogue. On the other hand, posters often show isolated characters, shattered faces/emotions and symbolic imagery. Such as for the movie Split, the cover of the movie consist of the main antagonist with what seems to be shattered glass creating a hidden message of his "split" personality disorder (DID). Psychological dramas are normally distributed through film festivals, streaming platforms, and limited theatrical releases. 

Two popular psychological dramas would be...

Donnie Darko (2001)

Black Swan (2010)