Kiarmary's Portfolio: Genre Research- The thrill of Dystopia

The Thrill of Dystopia

When I started to enter my teenage years I started to feel this urge to leave all the Disney Pixar films in the past and watch something new. I wanted to watch something different and something that I could relate to. Not only was this with film but with books too. I wanted to move on from Dork Diaries and read something exiting and juicy. This is were my love for Dystopia started.

Dystopia

Dystopia is a sub-genre that falls under the umbrella of Sci-Fi. Dystopia is the opposite of utopia. The definition of the word dystopia is an imagined state or society in which there is great suffering or injustice, typically one that is totalitarian or post-apocalyptic.

Content

Dystopian films/books usually contains an oppressive government. This government establishes unjust rules towards the population in order to "aid" society.

Usually there is a tyrannical figure or group that controls the society and gives cruel punishments when rules are not obeyed.

This is where the illusion of a perfect society comes in. These figures usually try to convince others that what they are doing is for the good of the people and that their society is great just as it is.

The people in these societies grow tired and rebel against those in power. They find different ways to take back what once was theirs and the fight for what is right. Scenes like these usually contain a lot of action and drama in order to develop the story without losing the audiences attention.

Production Techniques

Dystopian films are usually fast paced and they create a sense of excitement. The type of excitement that has you sitting at the edge of your seat. Dystopian films create this feeling by using a lot of visual effects. Visual effects helps convey something that might not be able to happen nor exist in real life or at least in our time. These effects are supposed to transport us into a different world and help us understand what type of film is being watched.

For example, in the movie Planet of the Apes a specific special effect technique is used to bring the characters to life. It is called motion capture. Motion capture is a strategy used by different teams that is composed of having actors wear specific suits with specific monitors to sense their movements and facial expressions. This is later processed by a computer and is then applied to an animation system.

This technique is very intricate and detailed. All of these small things that one doesn't even think about are very important to help convey that realistic image for audiences to enjoy.

Marketing

Dystopia is marketed in many different ways. However, the most popular way that it is marketed is by connecting current events to the theme. In many dystopian films there is always a connection of current events that occur in our day-to-day lives.

One good example is the movie and book series the Hunger Games. This movie illustrates the themes of wealth vs. poverty and how the rich will always benefit over the poor. This is specifically shown in a scene where the protagonist Katniss Evergreen (Jennifer Lawrence) walks into a room for an evaluation and then sees a room surrounded by glass above her. In the room there is a bunch of wealthy people having a feast and eating delicious food, while Katniss is below them and is trying to fight to get those type of delicacies to her people.

These types of scenes respond to the audiences and because they can relate to the characters and the content. That is why most of these films have raise millions and billions of dollars in the industry's market.

Samples

The Maze Runner-Death Cure

The Maze Runner the Death Cure is the last film of the Maze Runner trilogy.

In this film the protagonist Thomas (Dylan O'Brian) is trying to find a cure to help cure his friend so that he can live. This movie is very fast paced and it keeps you on your feet. You never really know what will be the next move. In this movie you can see a lot reflections of the COVID-19 pandemic. In this movie the talk about finding a cure is constant throughout. People are fighting and battling a disease that is causing pain to their world. The citizens are in quarantine and those who have to work are constantly checked by officials. This is shown in different scenes throughout the film and it is very similar to what we were living a few years ago.

Divergent

In this movie the young protagonist Tris Prior (Shailene Woodly) is tested to see in which faction she belongs in. It turns out she belongs in most of them. She is Divergent. This means she thinks differently than others which could be dangerous. Tris is trying to cope with her special abilities throughout the film because she is afraid she will have to pay for being different. Despite this, she decides to fight back and use her abilities for good. This movie encourages young adults to use their abilities and to not allow to be put into a stereotype. People think in different ways and they have knowledge about different things. That doesn't make smart nor dumb nor tough. It makes you human and it makes you unique. Thinking outside the box and using your abilities for good will have a positive impact in the world.