Dystopian Movie Genre Research

The Dystopian Genre

    Growing up in the 2010s, teenagers everywhere were introduced to films such as The Hunger Games, The Maze Runner, Divergent, etc. where characters their age rebelled against their restrictive societies, despite being an average teen. 
    The dystopian genre is a type of fiction and is defined as a society in the future, in which characters are restricted by technology, the environment, or even the government and must motivate change to break free from the oppression. Usually, dystopian films are modeled off of current social issues and political climates in order to make the audience aware of the problem.

Content

    Dystopias are characterized as future societies controlled by oppressive regimes who claim to have what is best for the society in mind but really are taking away independence and freedom from their citizens to further their own agendas.  Extreme social class divides, eternal wars, extreme poverty, loss of free-thinking, and destroyed environments are typically the characteristics and settings in which these films take place. The life-and-death situations combined with the oppressive governments create higher stakes and emphasize the danger and risk the protagonist takes to fight against the tyranny. In the viewer's eyes, the protagonist fights for a better tomorrow and for their freedom. Thus, resulting in more adrenaline for the audience since protagonists face more pressure. 
    Typically, the protagonists in these pieces are teenagers to appeal to the target audience (teenagers) since they have normal, average lives and still come out as the heroines in the end. They are always questioning the society in which they are in, and the intentions of their leaders. Teenagers are able to relate to the protagonist's average life, their want for independence, and their drive to rebel, leading to more recognition of the social issues the films dramatize, which are very much present in the real world. Viewers are given the courage and inspiration to stand up to those in power who are corrupt since they see a person like them doing it in a society where the risks are higher.
    Individualism and hope are other characteristics present in dystopias since films often use hope as a driving force for what keeps the rebellion against society alive. The tyrannical figures fear hope since it motivates the society to turn against them, and the society thrives on it since it keeps people fighting for the mere chance that the tyranny will be brought down. Hope also keeps the viewers interested since they see characters fighting for their beliefs against all odds, which is inspiring to many. In addition, individualism allows the audience to relate to the need for independence since life as a teenager can often feel suffocating and powerless. All these characteristics come together to create a warning, a spark, an awareness, and action-packed films.

Production Techniques

 The beauty of dystopias is they can take place almost anywhere in the future, leading to the development of different color schemes depending on the context of the film. For instance, a more technologically futuristic dystopia may contain more whites to increase the feeling of isolation, as well as blues and greens to emphasize the impact of science on society. However, a more apocalyptic society with environmental devastation may use more neutrals and warm colors to highlight overbearing heat and the extreme weather scenarios the societies have to face. 

    Additionally, dystopian films often rely on lots of action sequences and less dialogue. This is to keep the younger audience interested since the protagonists are always close to death and are constantly risking their lives. The repeated action sequences put emphasis on how much of a risk the protagonist is taking by going against a tyrannical power that has been influencing society for such a long time. Naturally, action scenes lead to fast-paced editing which highlights the intensity of the scenes and situations in which protagonists are placed in. As a result, viewers are kept on the edge of their seats wondering what is going to happen next since everything is going so fast, and things can change in a matter of seconds.

    Sound has an important impact in the dystopian genre as well. These films often have rousing soundtracks or scores that aid in creating intense atmospheres with the use of fast tempos, loud music, and varying instruments. Scores behind action scenes will make the stakes higher since the eeriness of the music makes viewers uneasy. Also, sound can be used in an inspirational way whether it is through a Leif motif that follows the protagonist every time they show up on-screen or when the protagonist is motivating change. This will make the audience feel more empowered by the scenes they are being presented with.

    

Marketing

    The target market of dystopian films is teenagers because they are able to relate to the protagonists in the film more since they are the same age and can understand each other's struggles. Teens are the main target market because they are the future and will have a huge influence on it, thus they have the capability of addressing social issues which the writers commented on in the film. Plus, the movies serve as a spark to motivate rebellion when things seem unjust.

    Marketing campaigns of these films consist of trailers and ads published on television and social media where there is dramatic music, the emphasis placed on the protagonist (who is young), a lot of action, and conflict between the protagonist and a more powerful force. Almost always, movie posters place focus on the protagonist and they take up most of the composition as they look off into the distance. Behind them is the society in which they are trapped in which serves as more of a background that can look intimidating at times.

Example #1 - The Hunger Games

The film The Hunger Games (2012) follows the only civilization left in the world's annual tradition of hosting a game where two tributes, a male and female, from each of their 12 districts are put into an arena and fight to the death until there is only one person left alive. The 16-year old protagonist's sister, Primrose Everdeen, is chosen to participate in the games but instead the protagonist, Katniss Everdeen, volunteers to take her place and leaves her home's extreme poverty to the glamorous Capitol. The teenager's bold, public disagreement with the Capitol as well as her differences lead her to become a symbol of rebellion and hope where society realizes the games are horrible living conditions and must finally be stopped despite their "importance" as claimed by the government. Viewers follow Katniss's efforts to survive in the games through intense, near-death action sequences which are fast-paced and layered with dramatic music. The viewers are on the edge of their seats as they see if Katniss will be able to survive. In addition, The Hunger Games has one of the most famous Leif motifs known as the Mockingjay whistle, which is associated with Katniss and the hope to overcome the government. In the poster, Katniss is the main focus and she is looking straight ahead to reflect the sense of power she has over society and the threat she is to the Capitol.

Example #2 - The Maze Runner

The film The Maze Runner (2014) follows a young teenager by the name of Thomas who finds himself at the center of a maze with no recollection of his past life. He actively becomes part of the civilization of boys who live in the center of the maze and takes on a leadership role since his inability to conform inspires others to do the same, and fight the unknown force that is trapping them. The maze is very eerie, cold (due to the dark and unsaturated colors), and is filled with life-threatening monsters called Grievers. Thomas goes into the maze, despite being commanded not to many times, and he is trapped there for a night in which he fights the monsters and threat of closing walls. The darkness of the maze aids in making it an intimidating force which causes viewers to be scared by it and what could happen to Thomas. Every time Thomas encounters a Griever, the action matches and fast-paced editing develop the intensity of the scene since the viewer is overwhelmed by everything happening so fast. The dramatic, heavy music is another characteristic of dystopias that puts the viewers on edge since the music is creating a suspenseful atmosphere. It is eventually revealed that the teenage boys were put in the maze due to an experiment a tyrannical group known as WCKD was conducting to help find a cure to the apocalyptic diseases in the outside world. The rest of the boys put their hope in Thomas and follow his efforts to escape the group as well as take them down so they cannot hurt others. The movie poster for this film puts an emphasis on the boy in the front of the picture (Thomas) who is running away from the society he was placed in which occupies the background. Consequently, viewers expect the film to be about teenagers running away from an intimidating, threatening force.  

Other examples of Dystopian movies: 

About Me

Hello. My name is Carolina. I am creating this blog to record my progress and the process of creating a Cambridge portfolio project for my AICE Media Studies class. I look forward to documenting all my findings that could be used as a resource to create an introduction to a piece of media, and that will aid me in becoming a part of the film industry.