FLM201 Film Genre: Understanding Types of Film TMA01 TMA02 | 2025

FLM201 SUSS TMA 01

Weight: 25% of the final mark for FLM201.

Before you write your TMA, you should do the following:

• Watch Música (dir. Rudy Mancuso, 2024) here (see the “Course information” document for the password).
• Read the write-up “Música Stars Rudy Mancuso and Camila Mendes on Making Their Non-Musical Musical (Exclusive)” by Sara Tardiff (2024).
• Read Study Unit 5 and the relevant chapters from your textbook: “The Musical” and “Romantic Comedy.”
• Read the content packages on “Introduction to Film Genre,” “The Musical Film,” and the “Romantic Comedy Film.”

1a)
Genre covers many aspects of film production, including how a film is marketed. The marketing strategy is important, as it contributes to the commercial success of the film. One such marketing tool is the use of movie posters.

Choose one of the movie posters on Música (dir. Rudy Mancuso, 2024) from these IMP Awards links:

• Poster design 1
• Poster design 2

Choose one movie poster from a different film that is a musical or romantic comedy or musical hybrid or romantic comedy hybrid.

The IMP Awards site is a good resource for posters.

Analyse the two chosen movie posters and demonstrate how specific poster elements draw on genre elements/conventions in similar and different ways to market these genre films.

In total, write between 325–375 words. Ensure that you insert both movie posters in your answer (see Advice section).

1b)

Watch the following clips from Música (dir. Rudy Mancuso, 2024):

• Clip A: Rudy shows Isabella what he sees and hears (25:53–30:52)
• Clip B: Rudy meets Haley’s family (50:48–55:26)

WARNING: You must submit your own original work. Ensure that you maintain academic integrity in every aspect of your assignment.

Compare and contrast the two scenes given to you. You may, if you have good reason, add an optional third scene of your own choice to the discussion. Discuss how genre elements/conventions are significant to your experience and interpretation of the scenes, specifically in relation to the idea of love. Explain your stance, using no more than 10 stills in total from the scenes.

In total, write between 550–625 words.

Some Advice

For question 1a, you should take note of the following:

• Choose movie posters that will allow you to discuss similarities and differences in an interesting and insightful manner.
• Present those arguments effectively in one document.
• Identify the genre(s) clearly and correctly. For instance, if you use a musical hybrid film, you must state and discuss the other genre(s) in relation to the core musical genre.
• In order to ensure that the posters are clear enough, you may use one A4 page per poster. You are free to use arrows to identify and discuss the elements in the posters.

Here is an example:

For question 1b, you should take note of the following:

1. The idea of love can be examined in countless ways in storytelling—whether it be on film or television—to convey different themes. Themes are most effective if conveyed in a meaningful and emotionally impactful way, and genre is part of this process. In other words, theme and genre go hand in hand.

2. Here are some guiding questions and pointers to help your brainstorming process:

• Preliminary film-level brainstorming: What are the various forms of love (e.g., acceptance, romantic love, materialistic love, artistic passion, etc.) depicted in the film? What social and cultural norms clash with certain forms of love? How are these conflicts resolved? Ultimately, what does the film have to say about love?
• Once you have thought about the entire film, you should narrow it down to the scenes in question.
• Scene-level brainstorming (for your answer): How do the scenes develop/modify your responses to the questions above? At what stages of the overall thematic development—about the idea of love—are the scenes?
• Linking back to genre: How do the scenes present the idea of love through the lens of genre? How do they portray Rudy’s relationships with Isabella, Haley, and himself? What do they have to say about love and acceptance? How do the “non-musical musical” sequences reflect Rudy’s interior world and shape your understanding of these relationships? What cinematic techniques, such as sound, setting, props, costume, figure behaviour, camerawork, etc., are used to evoke powerful emotions and convey meaning?
• If the scenes have more than one genre, how does the interaction between genres help to present the idea of love in a meaningful and emotionally impactful way?

3. Choose no more than 10 stills in total from the two given scenes and the optional third scene of your own choice. To avoid an incomplete reading, try to use a good spread of evidence rather than focusing on a tiny aspect of the scene.

• You may analyze the stills one by one, though you are strongly encouraged to group a few together to discuss their links. You must engage with every skill.
• If you are grouping stills, you do not have to follow the chronology of the scene. For example, you may choose a still from the start and another from the end of the scene to make a point through comparison and contrast. For the latter purpose, you may also group stills from different scenes.
• For each point of analysis, whether it comprises just one still or a group of stills, ensure that you apply the 3-step approach thoroughly—that is, include all C1, C2, and C3 components.
• Pay attention to the finer details of the chosen stills, such as the use of character types, frame composition, props, sound, camera angles, dialogue, editing, etc., about genre and the idea of love.

FLM201 SUSS TMA 02

Weight: 25% of the final mark for FLM201.

WARNING: You must submit your own original work. Ensure that you maintain academic integrity in every aspect of your assignment.

Before you begin this task:

• Watch Godzilla Minus One (dir. Takashi Yamazaki, 2023) here (see “Course information” document for password).
• Read Bradley Schauer’s chapter on “Kaiju Film” from The Oxford Handbook of New Science Fiction Cinemas (2023).
• Read Study Unit 4 and the relevant chapter from your textbook: “Science Fiction.”
• Read the content package on “The Science Fiction Film.”

Imagine that you are interviewing to be a writer for a film production company. You are given a task so the company can see if you understand how genre creates meaning and emotional impact. You are to show how Godzilla Minus One (dir. Takashi Yamazaki, 2023) presents the idea of trauma. To do this, you must choose at least two key scenes or moments from any part of the film. Then, examine no more than 10 stills in total from these scenes/moments and explain how genre elements/conventions are significant to your experience and interpretation of the idea of trauma.

Write between 900–1,000 words.

Some Advice

Be sure to correctly identify the genre(s) in Godzilla Minus One. Incorrect genres will be unconvincing and will not do well.

Brainstorm before you write.

1. Film-level brainstorming: The idea of “trauma” is a broad topic, so you must unpack it. Do not simply parrot the term without showing what it means in the film’s context. For example, what does trauma mean within the historical post-war context of the film? How does the film title reflect the idea of trauma? How do the various characters respond to this national trauma? How does the film make a distinction between mere surviving and living as a coping mechanism? What is the importance of this distinction? What is the significance of Kōichi Shikishima’s character development, particularly in his role as a fighter pilot? What is the film’s overall tone and message regarding trauma?

2. Scene-level brainstorming (for your answer): How do the scenes develop or illuminate or add layers to the idea of trauma? Remember to consider your scenes about each other, as they all contribute to the film’s meaning.

3. Linking back to genre: How do your scenes/moments present the idea of “trauma” through the lens of genre? For example, what trauma does Godzilla represent? How does the portrayal of Godzilla’s invasion of Ginza evoke trauma? How is Godzilla subdued, and why is this symbolically significant? Also, what are the genre character archetypes present in the film, and what do they have to say about national trauma and Japan?

Other films such as Arrival and District 9 present the idea of trauma, too; what is so special about how Godzilla Minus One deals with it?

Similar to question 1b in TMA 01, you should pay attention to the finer details of the chosen stills, such as the use of character types, mise-en-scène, camera movement and angles, sound, dialogue, editing, etc.