Romantic comedies follow a lighthearted plot where true love overcomes obstacles. The lovers are typically young and meant for each other, but faced with complications like class differences or parental disapproval until marrying in the end. Common conventions include a male protagonist falling for the female, meeting by chance in an urban setting, and targeting both male and female audiences. Costumes and makeup keep the female lead natural and girlish while revealing little about the male to avoid stereotyping. Examples of successful romantic comedies in the genre include Clueless, Friends with Benefits, and Pretty Woman.

1. Romantic Comedy

2. • Romantic comedy films are films with light-hearted, humorous plot lines centered
on romantic ideals, as the true love is able to overcome most obstacles.
• In a typical romantic comedy the two lovers tend to be young, likeable and
apparently meant for each other yet they are kept apart by some complicating
circumstances (e.g. class differences, parental interference: a previous girlfriend or
boyfriend) until they overcome all obstacles and finally get married. A Wedding
bells, a fairy-tale style happy ending is practically compulsory.

3. CODES AND CONVENTIONS
• Two protagonists, a male that falls in love with the female, sometimes there
are two males and one female that fight for the love of the female.
• Often starts with a voiceover explaining characters
• A typical boy meets girl scenario
• Normally set in an urban environment centered around the work places,
schools or apartments where a chance encounter would happen.
• Target audience male and females because of the hybrid genre
• Usually based on the female characters point of view

4. SUB AND HYBRID GENRES
• The Rom-Com genre is short for the genre Romantic Comedy. Rom-Com
is a hybrid genre which means it has many conventions as it is a romantic
film with references of comedy.
• The typical rom com features a ‘narrative that enters on the progress of a
relationship and being a comedy resulting in a happy ending’.

5. MISE EN SCENE
• In romantic comedies costumes are usually simple, for females outfits are
girly – skirt and dresses this is so we can think of the girl as a ‘princess’.
Male characters are usually dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, this is so the
audience can’t stereotype the male character.
• Makeup used in rom-coms is usually kept to the minimum this is so the
main female character is very natural like a ‘princess’. There may be
another female character who likes the male who wears a lot more
makeup to show she isn’t as innocent.

6. FILMS WITHIN THE GENRE
• CLUELESS
• FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS
• THE BACK-UP PLAN
• PRETTY WOMAN
• LOL
• BREAKFAST AT TIFFANYS
• LOVE ACTUALLY
• LEGALLY BLONDE
• VALENTINES DAY
• WILD CHILD
• THERES SOMETHING ABOUT
MARY

7. METHODS SECONDARY
TECHNIQUES Internet Research
INFORMATION LOG http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romantic
_comedy_film
http://www.slideshare.net/search/slide
show?searchfrom=header&q=rom+co
m+conventions
ORGANISATION Unit 1 Criterion 2
REVELANCE The information I have gathered helped
me complete my assignment by giving
me valid information that is very
reliable. The information gathered has
helped me understand my chosen
genre a lot more.