Conventions

In film, conventions are regarded as a set of rules or ways that

something is usually done in. For example, conventions of a
romance film would include the generic and typical love story,
where the male and female protagonist face obstructions that
disallow for them to be together. Below, I have explained and
elaborated the possible conventions in several genres:
Conventions of Action
In action films, the plot usually is filled with violence, weapons,
futuristic technology and crime. It is very likely for the plot to be
based on an on-going feud between the "good" side and "bad"
side. Furthermore, the action-movie plot's are usually based in
urban settings, such as large cities. In addition, there may be a
considerable amount of special effects, such as explosions and
mass destruction.
Conventions of Romance
Romance films are usually based on love and affection between a
male and a female protagonist. Most plots of romance films
contain events in which obstruct the male and female to be
together. As mentioned earlier, a good example of a romance film
is "Titanic", as protagonist Jack is unable to be with Rose, as she is
engaged to another man. This is considered as a generic
obstruction in romance films, as it disallows the male and female
protagonist to be together. Other conventions of romance films
include "happy" endings, where in the end of the film the male
and female have now overcame all obstacles and can be together.
Furthermore, scenes which evoke emotion such as happiness,
sadness, etc would be very common.
Conventions of Comedy
Comedic films usually contain conventions that have positive

connotations; humour, ridiculous characters and unusual events

may fill the plot of a comedy film. Comedies are usually set in
settings that are bright and well-lit. Furthermore, the colourscheme would usually consist of colors that are associated with
happiness: Red, yellow and green. In addition, the characters that
are introduced in comedies have the generic traits of being
unintelligent, socially awkward or being of unusual nature. A good
example of a comedic film would be "Ted", as the plot consists of
a plush toy that engages in illegal activities, such as drug abuse
and prostitutes. The irony of the film causes it to be humorous, as
a plush toy would be associated with children and innocence, yet
this plush toy partakes in not so "innocent" activities.
Furthermore, the events that occur in comedic films are supposed
to evoke humour and joy.
Conventions of Horror
Horror films are usually filled with scenes that shock, scare and
thrill the audience. This is generally scenes of murder, violence
and paranormal events. Horror films conventionally have a
mass/serial killer that goes on a rampage, killing his/her victims.
Conventional props include knives, masks, blood, gothic objects,
etc. Furthermore, horror films usually conclude on a shocking or
frightening finale, which leaves the audience thrilled. Depending
on the sub-genre of the horror film, the film will have different
conventions. For example, a ghost horror film will be filled with
paranormal, unexplainable events, usually caused by ghosts.
Slasher horror films will consist of gore and a psychotic killer
which murders using weapons.
Conventions of Drama
The Drama genre likes to focus on real life situations, therefore
the movie is usually set in a realistic place. Drama movies tend to
reflect on real-life situations and highlight how things affect our
everyday lives and the way we live. Many of these movies leave
the audience feeling emotional at various points also. The genre
explores many different themes and a few of them are drug and
alcohol abuse, bullying, relationships and religion. Drama movies

usually show the protagonists/s going through some sort of

journey and towards the end of the film, the audience comes to a
realization and moral conclusion of what the films message was.