Researching the Genre

In preparation for writing my script, I wanted to research the genre and the general conventions of it. I would say my script is a romantic comedy, a playful tale of an elderly postman on the hunt for love. 

'Rom coms' have a quite strong stereotype around them, seen as very cliche, cheesy and enjoyed predominantly by woman. Although there is nothing wrong with a typical 'rom com' I want to subvert the typical conventions and offer a more refreshing twist on the genre. 

Well-known and successful romantic comedies include:

• Love, Rosie (2014)
• About Time (2013)
• 10 Things I Hate About You (1999)
• The Notebook (2004)

Codes and conventions include (outlined by AMC Theatres):

• An eccentric best friend
• The unexpected love interest
• The near breakup
• The grand gesture
• The happily ever after ending
• The ex who gets in the way
• The beautiful setting
• The concerned parent
• The rain scene
• The epic first kiss

Keeping these in mind, I am now going to focus on whether I want to subvert or conform to these conventions. I need to remember that my script is only 15 pages, as opposed to the typical full-length film. 

My script:

• An eccentric best friend- Ted's pet parrot Lazarus acts as his sidekick, giving him advice and egging him on
• The unexpected love interest- Patricia is set up to slightly surprising but more satisfying as the discovered creator of the hunt
• The near breakup- no as there isn't time in my script to set up their relationship that far
• The grand gesture- Patricia's Cluedo-esque hunt works in this way
• The happily ever after ending- the two sit eating spaghetti bolognese together, definitely a happy ending
• The ex who gets in the way- not an ex but Colin acts as a nuisance in them getting together, he does fancy Patricia which is similar to that of an ex
• The beautiful setting- the script is set in a quaint village, beautiful and sweet
• The concerned parent- again, Lazarus perhaps fits this part, but there isn't much time for a concerned character to take Ted off the track of finding the admirer 
• The rain scene- unless I make it into a joke, I don't think I will include this as it doesn't work with the elderly characters 
• The epic first kiss- again, doesn't fit with the sweet old characters but perhaps them holding hands and hugging could be included as the first moment of intimate physical touch

Another convention I found when researching the genre is that the characters are typically young adults, between 20 and 35 years old. One of the main reasons I wanted to write my script was to give some representation to older characters that isn't just the character with wisdom/good advice or for humour. I want to show that fun things can happen when you're older. The media is extremely ageist, promoting anti-ageing skin care and forcing the idea that your teenage years are the best of your life. My choice to use older characters is one that entirely diverts from the genre, and hopefully brings some comfort to those worrying about growing old.