The Sub-Genre Search Begins

Oh gosh. Here we go. The hard part.

The search for a sub-genre.

Many acclaimed musical movies are historical romances, "Grease," "Hair," and "West Side Story" to name a few. The idea of creating a movie in a set time period is highly alluring as I've always enjoyed pieces that whisk one off to the past in order to highlight how it has (or has failed to) impact our present. While I'm certain could manage to find appropriate costumes, the biggest difficulty with this would be recreating the sound and style found during those time periods. Nobody could watch "The Sound of Music" if the songs were replaced with today's modern synths with a serious look on their face. Also, as an avid fan of contemporary musical theatre composers composers such as Kerrigan and Lowdermilk, Drew Gasparini, and Ryan Scott Oliver, I imagine it would be much easier for me to create a contemporary piece.

The film opening for Rent is a clip I have analyzed extensively for the soul purpose of this project. The musical originated on Broadway and much of the original cast was used in the film version. As a theatre gal who happens to currently be in a production of this powerful show, I remember the surprise I felt when the film opened with the iconic song "Seasons of Love" in contrast to the musical's opening song "Rent." After further analysis of the shots and angles, I realized that the simplicity of the set, predominantly straight forward shots, and the lines created by the opening image of the characters lit by individual spotlights, the back light only illuminating their shadows were done to present the characters as individuals who are all equal. Even the selection of using small white font that depicts the names of the cast promises a honest, open story. Despite the characters' diverse personalities, the selection of this song for the opening of the film suggests that this story focuses on the importance of love and the idea that though we may not be perfect, we are all equally imperfect. 

Another genre that I might dive into would be what this filmsite page describes as a "backstage musical." The first image that came to mind when I came across this idea was that of Sharpay Evans from the infamous "High School Musical," the perky, clever blonde scrawling her name in huge letters on her high school's sign up sheet for the school play. As someone who has been auditioning not only for her teachers and classmates throughout the years but now for musical theatre colleges, I am well acquainted with the lengthy, stressful, and wonderful process know as audition season. As I have also aided in casting (I've choreographed four shows throughout my high school career and my theatre director often cross checked her list of dancers with me), I'm familar with both ends of this tense process. While there are many movies that cover the audition process inside high school and out in the real world ("Funny Girl," "La La Land"), there are none I can recall that touch on the stress of getting into a college when you are competing with thousands of other theatre hopefuls for six college spots.

My life is going fine. Bags under my eyes? Nah, that's just the lighting. Heh...

The last sub-genre that I'd really love to dive into would be fantasy. While it's obvious I have a high appreciation for Disney movies, one of my favorites to sing around my house would be "Enchanted," and that's not just because I love Idina Menzel! The whimsical fairytale combines animation with reality, the lead character of Giselle, played by Amy Adams, being tossed out of her story and into the real world by her power hungry mother-in-law.
Through the course of the tale, Giselle develops from a sweet maiden into a strong warrior, her environment and circumstance (I don't want to spoil the exact situation if you haven't watched the movie. If you're looking for a movie that will make you happy, I highly recommend it!) molding her into a powerful female character. While I have yet to decide anything of my plot, my movie will definitely include a strong female character, that is certain.

Here's a quick chart I've organized that compares some of the pros and cons of each option. Hopefully I'll have settled on a sure decision with my upcoming posts!

Finally, some new melodies should you be searching for some:

• Some Girls (Isaac Powell) from "Once on this Island"
• It's On from "Camp Rock"
• No Turning Back Now (Jeremy Jordan) from "I Could Use a Drink"

7. (n.d.). 11 Things We Need in the Enchanted Sequel. Retrieved March 04, 2018, from http://www.zimbio.com/Beyond the Box Office/articles/EnYJAE1A-97/11 Things Need Enchanted Sequel

Access. (n.d.). Retrieved March 04, 2018, from https://d23.com/favorite-disney-weddings/

Ashley tisdale gifs. (n.d.). Retrieved March 04, 2018, from https://wifflegif.com/tags/16628-ashley-tisdale-gifs?page=12

Film Sub-Genres Types (and Hybrids). (n.d.). Retrieved March 04, 2018, from http://www.filmsite.org/subgenres2.html

T. (2008, October 20). RENT The Movie Part 1 - HQ. Retrieved March 04, 2018, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIPIwK3PjfU