How Is It Fantasy?
Being that the fantasy genre has such dominance in the world of modern-day films, I felt that it was only necessary to analyze the genre of fantasy.
Fantasy is a type of genre that incorporates magical elements in a fictional world, like superpowers monsters, fairies, etc. While fantasy is present in an entirely fictional world, it may have aspects to it that resemble the real world. There are a variety of subgenres that fall underneath the genre of fantasy, including epic fantasy, fairy tales, myths, fables, etc.
Content:
A common aspect in fantasy would be a heroic figure that must go through a dangerous journey, which is filled with magical elements like villains or monsters. This is usually the main focus of the plot. These journeys usually show how the protagonist changes mentally and emotionally, showcasing their growth as a person. Magic elements such as mythical creatures may also be found throughout the genre of fantasy. The inspiration of the creation of mythical beings is usually from organisms that exist in the real world.
Ex: The film Harry Potter incorporates magical beings like the Thestral, which is inspired by a mixture of a bird and a horse.
Another important factor that a fantasy film would be having an entire fictional world created. Fantastical films have a purpose of fully engrossing a viewer into the setting of the film, helping one escape from reality. In order to create the effect, fantasy films have to incorporate very detailed environments within the film to help distract the audience from reality.
Ex: The film Spirited Away incorporates very detailed scenes, filling up the screen with magical element to help distract one from reality.
Fantasy films usually incorporate a strong bond or friendship between 2 or more characters. This friendship usually occurs between the protagonist and another character that is introduced through the hero's journey. This teaches younger audiences about the value of friendship and its benefits while going through hardships. Fantasy films usually contain a theme or message that they want to make aware for the audience, and the importance of relationships is a major theme found in many films.
Production Techniques
Throughout the production of a fantasy film, lighting has a major role in setting the mood of a scene and also helps build the characterization or relationship of a character. Using different lighting techniques helps the viewer develop a sense of the plot of the film or of the characters' identities. A common example of this would be in a battle scene in a film where the hero and the villain have a face off. Having a contrast in lighting on the two characters helps the viewer understand what "sides" the characters are taking, whether it's the "heroic" side or the "villainous" side.
Throughout the production of a fantasy film, color is also a very important aspect. Fantasy is all about absorbing the viewer into a new fictional and magical world, so the role of color is to have its vibrancy to be a distractor. The younger audiences that fantasy films usually attract are pulled in by bright and vibrant colors. Also, color helps set the mood of scene to give the viewer more of an idea towards the atmosphere of the film.
Ex: The Film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory contains many vibrant colors throughout the film to emphasize its fantastical elements and attract more of an audience.
Marketing:
The target audience for fantasy films range from 8-18 year olds, depending on the subgenre of the film. The children of this range are a target audience for fantasy films since the films contain bright colors that appeal to children and also teach them important life lessons. The other side of older people within the range are a target audience for fantasy films since the films allow one to escape from the stresses of reality and become absorbed in a magical world.
Many fantasy film posters incorporate bright colors and fantastical elements like mystical beings or superpowers to attract on audience. The center of the poster usually shows the protagonist with appealing stylistic choices for the outfit worn and an appealing background with the side characters. Some of these posters may show relationships between some of the characters with their facial expressions and interactions behind the protagonist.
Samples:
The film Moana is an example of a fantasy film. This film is about a girl named Moana that encounters a dark force threatening her island, pushing her to go on a long journey to save her island before it's too late. As she progresses through her journey, she creates a strong bond with a demigod named Maui, who helps her along her journey. This film incorporates magical elements like superpowers, Gods, and evil spirits. It contains vibrant colors that attract younger audiences and also displays the value of a strong relationship and how one can benefit from it.
The film Spirited Away is another example of a fantasy film. This film is about a young girl who accidentally enters an entirely new world and finds herself surrounded by spirits, monsters, and witches. The protagonist, Chihiro goes through a tough journey of reuniting with her parents again and helping a friend along the way, Haku. Chihiro creates a strong bond with Haku, and they help each other out throughout the movie. With her actions, Chihiro teaches younger audiences about the consequences of greed and desperation for money.
Toy Story
Up
Cinderella
The Incredibles
Harry Potter
Lord of the Rings
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