Portfolio Project Genre #2

 Now that I've chosen my main genre, I made a mission to find a more niche sub-genre, something that sets my film opening apart and gives it a hook that would interest a real audience. Since my first genre establishes the overall tone for the narrative, I wanted a sub-genre that explain WHY the narrative happens in the first place. There were the supernatural ones, the thrillers, but I wanted something more interesting, more unorthodox. Then I found the Punitive Fantasy sub-genre and completely fell in love. 

PUNITIVE FANTASY SUB-GENRE

This sub-genre is rooted in themes of punishment, ethical dilemmas, and consequences. It uses unsettling "what if?" scenarios for a character to explore guilt and accountability, when wrongdoings are met with ironic, usually supernatural, punishments. The protagonist is often morally-grey and haunted by their internal battles or secrets becoming externalized, forcing them to face their past sins as physical manifestations. This punishment is usually the main plot of the story and mirrors the original is or crime. 

(2006). Final Destination 3 [Film still]. New Line Cinema.

Some genre characteristics technique-wise include:

- Repetitive narrative structures to suggest entrapment or a mental/physical prison.

- Restricted POV that denies the punished character any control or authority.

- minimalistic exposition so punishment feels unquestionable.

- symbolic imagery such as mirrors, loops, confined spaces to reinforce themes of self reflection and consequences.

WHAT ARE SOME FILMS/TV SHOWS THAT INCLUDE PUNITIVE FANTASY? 

A great example of a film or TV show that displays punitive fantasy is the series Black mirror (2011-), which puts morally flawed characters through technological or psychological punishments, although the series often doesn't reveal true moral authority. This encourages the audience to have their own individual interpretation on whether the punishments are justified or not. This shows how as long as the ethical complexity behind behaviors is subjective, it will always affect consequences. I want to explore these themes of ethical complexity in my film opening and leave it up to the audience to interpret the justifiability of the punishment and whether or not they will feel empathy for the protagonist. 

(2014). White Christmas [Film still]. In Black Mirror. Zeppotron; House of Tomorrow.

I was kind of having trouble finding films that fit the basic premise of what I wanted to do in my film opening, so I'll just show some movies with endings that kind of align with the type of narrative I want to develop. The films The Green Mile (1999), and the Saw series (2004-) both include elements that could work as inspirations for my vision. The concept of the villains in those stories having to ultimately experience the same pain they caused others is the root for my film opening. For example in The Green Mile, the cruel guard Percy Wetmore, who enjoyed terrorizing inmates, is forced to mentally relive the pain he caused when John Coffey transfers the suffering of a murdered inmate to him, destroying him mentally. Or in Saw, Where John Kramer (Jigsaw) traps people in lethal traps that force them to experience the same pain they caused others or that they gave to themselves through careless living. Both endings have the antagonists or antiheroes face a demise that specifically mirrors their past actions, forcing them to face the pain the inflicted. I think playing around with self reflection in my opening would be so interesting and hook the audience immediately. 

 

(1999). The Green Mile [Film still]. Castle Rock Entertainment.

(2004). Saw [Film still]. Lions Gate Films.

SOO.....

Now that I've identified the main genre and sub-genre for my opening, I'm so beyond excited to start actually developing such an insane (and frankly, ambitious) idea into a 2 MINUTE video...wish me luck?

K Blog, byeeee!!