Portfolio Project Genre #2

    Hey there Cambridge!

    The other genre I would like to consider for my film opening is SATIRE, a genre of films that critique flaws or stupidity in societal norms. As I was trying to figure out another genre to research, I came across this in a list of genres, and I thought it would be cool to research and consider for my film opening.

Genre Conventions

    The satire genre is known to expose flaws in society or politics through utilizing humor to make the audience laugh while facing uncomfortable truths. Satires would take a flaw in society often overlooked and highlight it to make it much more extreme. Often, critique is of an ideology or institution, especially of media and politics. This is symbolized with a protagonist who are flawed themself. Characters would also break the fourth wall and address the audience directly! Moreover, the tone could be mocking, sarcastic, or absurd. The tone affects the purpose of a satire film to highlight absurdity or for critique.

    Sound and editing are important to create irony in satire movies. For example, sudden silence is utilized after a shocking moment and make the audience question the moment/point being made. Editing shots and timing can easily put the audience in an uncomfortable position. Moreover, lighting can enhance satire. For example, high-key lighting to create a bright setting, but then contrast the sense of hope it makes with a twist, or low-key lighting that creates a sense of mystery or seriousness but then uplifting the tone randomly.

    

Target Audience

    Satire films have a diverse target audience. Their audience is based on what issue or social norm is being explored in the film. It is more of aimed at people who appreciate the genre or contemporary audiences as satires are meant to start discussion and question of the current world. In addition, audiences are diversified by appealing to both sides of the issue it is exploring (like both political sides if it satirizes politics).

Institutional Conventions

    Satire films generally critique societal norms. For example, Robocop (1987) looks at the flaws at AI as law enforcement. These films do so by utilizing real people (especially if political satire film) or made-up ones as characters. The protagonist usually acts as a symbol of the societal flaw. Characters do not know the point or problem being made about them, but the audience of course does. Additionally, exaggeration is used throughout the satire to expose flaws, so they are impossible to ignore. The whole story is based on a real idea, no matter how exaggerated and unreal the narrative world seems. 

    Trailers are focused on different purposes. Since satire films are comedic and confrontational, they must show off both sides of the satire to reel in different audiences and set the satirical tone of the film. Unfortunately, some movies fail to do so. Office Space (1999)'s trailer showed off a guy covered in sticky notes without including its humor and comedy. This also leads into the marketing of a satire film; it must be able to set the tone for the movie.

    The marketing for satire films does include satire. The best ways satire films have been marketed is with a strategy that does what the film itself does: conflict reality with absurdity. This is best seen with the marketing for Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (2006). They did pranks (viral ones), interviews (mockumentary style), and unexpected public appearances (but in character). This really made the audience question reality and what was actually a part of the satire.

    

Famous Satire Films

Robocop (1987)

       Police Officer Alex Murphy is brought back to life as RoboCop. This cyborg police fights crime and begins to remember memories from his past and decides to get revenge on the gang that murdered him. This satire confronts societal decay, including themes like corporate greed and media sensationalism and desensitization. It encourages the audience to think about human values like empathy and warns us to not let it go. 

Thank You for Smoking (2005)

    The chief of a tobacco lobby wants to be a role model for his son but also wants to succeed in his job. This satire more evidently critiques the tobacco industry. Less evidently, it confronts companies that control consumers through marketing, unethical lobbying, and bribery. It uses irony, exaggeration, and wit to do so.

Reflection

    There is not a lot of articles and research online looking at satire, which made this blog post hard to write. I still really wanted to consider this genre though, so I continued reading and searching for hours. There is so much that satire films are built on, like its major themes, the symbolism, the critique. These films must be crafted well in order for it to be a good satire. If I choose this as the genre for my film opening, it will be a bit of a challenge to plan the whole story and theme of this film since clearly it will require plenty of thoughtful, creative thinking. Anyways, despite that, satire is a really interesting genre. There are so many types of satire and exaggerating a social norm sounds like a fun idea for my film opening. It would be cool.

More Films...

Dr. Strangelove or:
How I Learned to
Stop Worrying and
Love the Bomb
(1964)  

In the Loop (2009)

The Truman Show (1998)

Parasite (2019)

More Resources...

Satirical Films - Encyclopedia of Satire

Exploring the World of Film Satires - Blog | What's After the Movie?

What Is Satire | Satire In Films | Music Gateway

The Surprising Power of Satire

The 11 Smartest Satire Films Ever Made | No Film School

Citations:

Sørup, J. (2025, October 10). What is Satire? Meaning and Examples from Film - FilmDaft. FilmDaft. https://filmdaft.com/what-is-satire-meaning-and-examples-from-film/

Exploring the world of film satires. (2024, August 23). What’s After the Movie? https://www.whatsafterthemovie.com/blog/exploring-film-satires

Gustafsson, I. (2025, August 2). How do satirists choose their targets? Encyclopedia of Satire. https://satire.info/how-do-satirists-choose-their-targets/

Ruthless, T., & Ruthless, T. (2025, February 27). The Art of Satire in Film: How Movies mock and Mirror Society - Ruthless reviews. Ruthless Reviews - Comfortable and Furious. https://www.ruthlessreviews.com/documentaries/the-art-of-satire-in-film-how-movies-mock-and-mirror-society/

Gustafsson, I. (2025b). The Art of Exaggeration: Understanding hyperbole in satire. Encyclopedia of Satire. https://satire.info/the-art-of-exaggeration-understanding-hyperbole-in-satire/

tasteray.com editorial team & editorial team tasteray.com. (2026, January 23). Exploring Movie Satire Comedy Cinema: a Guide to Humor in Film. tasteray.com. https://www.tasteray.com/articles/movie-satire-comedy-cinema#what-makes-a-movie-truly-satirical

tasteray.com editorial team & editorial team tasteray.com. (2026b, January 23). Exploring Movie satire techniques: How filmmakers use humor to critique society. tasteray.com. https://www.tasteray.com/articles/movie-satire-techniques#editing-scoring-and-the-final-satirical-touch

Lee, S. (2025, June 14). Comedy lighting for cinematography. https://www.numberanalytics.com/blog/comedy-lighting-for-cinematography

Molloy, T. (2025, September 11). 12 movie satires that do the same thing they satirize. MovieMaker. https://www.moviemaker.com/12-movie-satires/

Satire. (n.d.). TV Tropes. https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Satire

Stares, N. (2025, November 25). What is Satire? Social Commentary and Subversive Humor. Celtx Blog. https://blog.celtx.com/what-is-satire-screenwriting-guide/#screenwriting-satire

Lee, S. (2025, June 17). The power of satire in narrative. https://www.numberanalytics.com/blog/the-power-of-satire-in-narrative

Poe, A. S. (2025, November 28). Marketing Flops that Doomed Good Movies. Comic Basics. https://www.comicbasics.com/marketing-flops-that-doomed-good-movies

Beyond the Screen: Top 5 viral movie campaigns | The Concierge Club. (2024, February 15). https://www.theconciergeclub.com/blog/viral-movie-marketing-campaigns

How the original Robocop was a brilliantly dark satire on the evils of Captialism. (2023, August 24). The Astromech. https://www.theastromech.com/2023/08/how-original-robocop-was-brilliantly.html

Fenton, L. (2025, October 3). ‘Thank you for smoking’ a satirical lambasting of the tobacco industry. https://welldonemovies.com/2025/10/03/thank-you-for-smoking-a-satirical-skewering-of-the-tobacco-industry/

Gustafsson, I. (2025c). Thank You for Smoking (2005). Encyclopedia of Satire. https://satire.info/thank-you-for-smoking-2005/

RoboCop (1987) ⭐ 7.6 | Action, crime, Sci-Fi. (1987, July 17). IMDb. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093870/

Thank You For Smoking (2005) ⭐ 7.5 | Comedy, drama. (2006, April 14). IMDb. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0427944/

The Truman Show (1998) ⭐ 8.2 | Comedy, drama. (1998, June 5). IMDb. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120382/

Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964) ⭐ 8.3 | Comedy, War. (1964, January 29). IMDb. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0057012/

In the Loop (2009) ⭐ 7.4 | Comedy. (2009, September 4). IMDb. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1226774/

Parasite (2019) ⭐ 8.5 | Drama, Thriller. (2019, November 8). IMDb. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6751668/

Yours Truly, 

Macie 💗

    

Portfolio Project Genre #1

    Hey there Cambridge!

    I've been considering different genres for my film opening recently. Originally, I was thinking of doing comedy or drama. Until I somehow fell onto the idea of THRILLER! To be honest, I barely watch thrillers, but after viewing film openings to a few thrillers, like Psycho (1960) and Jaws (1975), I researched more and more until it felt like the right choice! This genre is meant to create feelings of surprise and suspense, which is exactly what I would like to do in my film opening.

Genre Conventions

    Thrillers are known to have a very threatening setting. Details are important to create a sense of uncertainty and fear. To illustrate, in the Jaws (1975) film opening, the setting was outside at night with shots of a vast ocean. The way the setting was presented felt suspenseful, like anything was about to happen. There is also an item of value that the protagonist and antagonist desire. This could be money or anything of value to them. Whatever it is, it tends to be the root cause of tension between the two. Speaking of the protagonist, what sets them apart is a unique trait they have to overcome the antagonist. They are usually trying to stop the criminal or bad guy. This tension is developed by a sense that time is running out, high stakes involved in this conflict, and an escalating sense of danger. At one point, the protagonist becomes a victim and succeeds or gets defeated by the villain. Most importantly, there is suspense which makes the audience a thousand times more invested in the film or about what will happen next.

     In order to build suspense, thrillers often utilize high angles, low angles, and close-ups. Simply since high and low angles can make a character look more vulnerable or powerful while close-ups catch character's emotions/expressions. Sound is also crucial in thrillers for building tension. Sudden silence, rapid tempos, and rhythmic patterns can invoke anxiety and abrupt changes in volume can scare the audience. Moreover, fast-paced editing is known to increase viewers' heart rate as quick cuts create a sense of urgency. Cross-cutting are also utilized, especially with juxtaposing scenes, for a sense of forthcoming danger. These techniques all play a major role in thrillers. According to research from the University of Southern California, dynamic camera movements are able to give audiences anxiety, showing a direct correlation between film techniques and viewers' emotions.

Target Audience

    There are many types of thrillers (psychological, crime, mystery), but their audiences all tend to be people who love suspense, unexpected moments, and to be scared or excited. That is why thrillers are purposefully produced to invoke those certain emotions.

Institutional Conventions

    In a thriller, a villain does a crime, and a protagonist tries to stop them. Obstacles get in the way of the protagonist, who has a 'deadline' for when they must defeat the villain by. Lives are usually at stake. There are also unexpected moments and false endings.

    Visual metaphors are used to convey complex ideas in an impactful, subtle way. These ideas are also illustrated though symbolism to hint at other themes in the play. These two elements give insight to a character's thoughts and feelings. In addition, foreshadowing is also utilized to suggest future events in the story, ultimately adding more tension. The setting includes texture and detail to create an immersive experience and establish the tone of the thriller film. Fog and lighting are usually added so that audiences feel uneasy.

    There are many tropes that are common for thrillers. This could be a missing person, femme fatale, unreliable narrator, intelligent villain, isolated location, and sooooo much more. These tropes create uncertainty and tension, making them popular and entertaining.

    Suspenseful trailers are crafted to create suspense and anticipation in people before the film is released. This anticipation and intrigue are also created in social media posts. Due to the abundance of thriller films, a film is generally marketed to be distinct from the other thrillers so it can stand out. Usually, that is done with engaging content and unique promotional strategies.

Famous Thrillers

Psycho (1960)

    Psycho (1960) is about a secretary who embezzled money and retreats in a secluded motel owned by a man with a dark secret. In this film, Norman Bates murders several people (the victims). Lots of suspense and anticipation is built, especially through the use of quick cuts. Symbolism is used to depict a character's inner state, like running shower water and a drain to convey life being 'sucked' out of someone. There are high stakes, in this case it is someone's life.

Jaws (1975)

    Jaws (1975) is about a police chief, marine biologist, and seafarer who hunt down a murderer shark that keeps killing fellow Long Islanders. The villain being the shark and the victims are the people near the Long Island beach. This film is full of suspense, psychological tension, and violence. To create tension, the shark is hidden from the audience for most of the film, which also builds fear and unease within the audience.

Reflection

    This research emphasized to me how the #1 element in thrillers is suspense. What felt most necessary to understand was the genre conventions (content and techniques) of this genre to convey anticipation, urgency, and uncertainty. I plan on using these techniques like fast-paced editing and symbolism. This research also gave me direction as to themes and tropes to think about when planning my film. Overall, thrillers seem to be really cool and interesting and would make producing my portfolio project a super exciting experience. I certainly have gained interest in some new movies to watch. 

    I'll catch you in the next blog where I will be doing some more genre research!

More Thrillers...

Run Lola Run (1998)

The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

Fight Club (1999)

Gone Girl (2014)

More resources...

Top 100 Thriller movies of all time

Genre Thriller: Understanding the Anatomy of Thriller Movies

What's the Difference Between Horror and Thriller? - ScreenCraft

Analyzing Thriller Movies: Suspense Techniques, Notable Plot Twists, and Key Directors - doogalmovie.com

Exploring 'Jaws': Pioneering Suspense in Thriller Cinema - CliffsNotes

Citations:

Chase, J. (2023, December 11). Genre Conventions: How to Satisfy Suspense Readers by Meeting Expectations. The Write Practice. https://thewritepractice.com/genre-conventions/

Whitaker, M. (2025, April 14). The Role of Cinematic Techniques in Creating Tension in Thrillers • imaginarycinema.com. WordPress. https://imaginarycinema.com/the-role-of-cinematic-techniques-in-creating-tension-in-thrillers/#what-types-of-camera-angles-are-most-effective-in-building-suspense

Piolo. (2025, March 17). The target audience for thriller films: Who enjoys thrillers? | AMPLIFY XL. AMPLIFY XL. https://amplifyxl.com/target-audience-for-thriller-films/

The Art of Visual Storytelling in Thrillers. (2025, June 17). Number Analytics. Retrieved January 24, 2026, from https://www.numberanalytics.com/blog/visual-storytelling-in-thrillers

Film distribution for thriller films. (2025, October 23). https://www.meegle.com/en_us/topics/film-distribution/film-distribution-for-thriller-films

Thriller Conventions: The 10 Things Every Thriller Novel needs. (2020, August 4). https://www.savannahgilbo.com/blog/thriller-conventions

Perez, T. (2025, February 8). 10 most common tropes in psychological thrillers. MovieWeb. https://movieweb.com/common-tropes-in-psychological-thrillers/

Harper, E. (2025, July 6). Jaws: A Masterclass in Suspense – Horror or thriller? Dark Skies. https://darkskiesfilm.com/is-jaws-a-horror-or-thriller/#The_Anatomy_of_Suspense_Why_Jaws_Thrills

"The Beach Will Never be the Same Again" Wallpaper. (2023, September 1). Wallpapers.com. https://wallpapers.com/wallpapers/jaws-movie-poster-lsosnuymncbfza2o.html

Run Lola Run (1998) ⭐ 7.6 | Action, crime, Thriller. (1999, June 18). IMDb. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0130827/

The Silence of the Lambs (1991) ⭐ 8.6 | Crime, drama, horror. (1991, February 14). IMDb. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0102926/

Fight Club (1999) ⭐ 8.8 | Crime, drama, Thriller. (1999, October 15). IMDb. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0137523/

Gone Girl (2014) ⭐ 8.1 | Drama, mystery, thriller. (2014, October 3). IMDb. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2267998/

Yours Truly, 

Macie 💗

Transitioning to the Portfolio Project!!

Hey there Cambridge,

It's finally that time of the year where we are starting our portfolio project! For the next eight weeks, I will be posting about all the research and planning for the production of my film opening. I am super excited, but at the same time I am unsure as to what my film opening will be about and the genre it will represent. After all we have learned this year, regarding mise-en-scene, film techniques, sound, everything, I am confident my portfolio project will turn out to be spectacular.

My class and I began the portfolio project season by learning about film openings and its different purposes in class: 

I'm eyeing a few approaches like allude to conflict and introducing main character. I feel like with the former, it is easy to come up with a story/conflict to base the film opening from. For the latter, making up a character and their story and finding an engaging way to introduce them sounds exciting to me. Developing the vibe/aura of the film opening would also be a cool approach to go with; planning the mise-en-scene and sounds that would match/follow a certain vibe sounds like fun!

I can't wait to share with you what my film opening will be about. For now, you can catch me in the next blog doing some more research! 

Yours Truly, 

Macie💗