Portfolio Project Genre #3

A Shift in Direction

    While considering the two genres I did research on, as well as potential storylines that went with those genres, I came up with one storyline that I loved and felt as if I could correctly execute. However, this storyline did not fit in with the genres I had previously done research on, therefore, I am dedicating this blog post to my research on this new genre. 

COMING-OF-AGE DRAMAS

    Coming-of-age is a term used to describe the transition from childhood into adulthood, in media, films will often follow the protagonist as they go through this transition by showing key moments in their life, such as their first love, conflicts with peer pressure, moving away from home, and graduating. These films are meant to draw out emotional reactions from their audiences by creating relatable and nostalgic dialogue and scenes. Coming-of-age dramas can also be classified as teen movies, both genres discuss similar themes and they both target audiences from the ages of 12 to 25. However, coming-of-age dramas mainly focus on that transitional period, while teen movies are more focused on the high school experience. 

    When advertising coming-of-age dramas, media industries will tend to lean onto more authentic and relatable forms of advertisements. They will create social media accounts, the two most common being TikTok and Instagram, in which they'll share behind-the-scenes content, fan art, fan letters, and other work created by users. As well as relatable or funny clips from the film itself to increase interest in the movie. Many marketing campaigns will include interactive content such as polls and Q&A's on Instagram that will allow the audience to engage with the film even before it's release. On another note, some films will take a completely different approach in order to remain new and unique. For example, an article by Three Girls Media, Inc. entitled "4 Powerful Marketing Strategies of 'Lady Bird' That Charm Every Generation," discusses how throughout Lady Bird's (2017) marketing campaign, the movie chose to steer away from the classic extravagant advertisements and instead be more honest and authentic with their audiences. This allowed the film to gain as much popularity as it has.

CONTENT & TECHNIQUES

    Coming-of-age dramas will generally address social issues and common experiences that teenagers face in real life to create a stronger connection with their audiences. To quote MasterClass's article "Coming-of-Age Movies: What Is the Coming-of-Age Genre?", films will often include themes of teen pregnancy, coming out, or even violence to build that bond with their viewers. For instance, Berry Jenkins's coming-of-age film Moonlight (2016), tells the story of Chiron, a gay man, coming to terms with himself and his identity. Other films might follow their protagonist as they work to navigate their high school life, friendships, family, and their own personal battles. 

    Another thing you'll notice in coming-of-age films is the amount of attention that they give to developing their characters, rather than establishing background information or the setting. This is to bring further emphasis to the character's transition into adulthood and how they deal with it. Films might focus on creating a stark contrast between the character at the beginning of the film, who is more youthful and juvenile, and the same character at the end of the film, who will be more mature and responsible. A way to communicate this change is through dialogue, which is why coming-of-age dramas are heavily filled with conversations. Directors will choose to do this so that they can convey stronger message to the audience, which is something that I personally want to do within my opening. Even if I can not develop the full story, throughout the 2 minutes, I'd like to at least show that the film is heading that route.

    Much like my previous point, directors could also choose to develop character through the set design. Films will create specific locations and environments that are heavily inspired by the characters personality or emotions. These environments could either be the protagonists' bedroom or usual hang out spots with their friends. Nonetheless, it's very often that the specific set will be critical to the movie and the protagonists' emotional growth development. For instance, one film that uses the set to show how the character develops and matures throughout the film is Lady Bird (2017) by Greta Gerwig, Christines bedroom throughout the movie represents her messy, cluttered life and how she works towards new beginnings.

    Similarly to how the set conveys the characters development, the lighting in coming-of-age dramas will reflect on the characters mood and emotions throughout the film. A text analysis on coming-of-age films explores the different ways lighting is used in scenes, it mentions how a character crying in a dark room symbolizes their grief and pain, while the suicide scene from Romeo + Juliet (1996) uses candles with warm yellow tones to, and I quote, "symbolize a sacrificial alter." However, in coming-of-age dramas, directors will likely use a lot of high-key lighting for positive and lively scenes, as well as soft and warm lighting to evoke nostalgia and comfort in the audience while also creating intimate and gentle scenes.

FILMS

    Award winning Dead Poets Society, a 1989 film created by Peter Weird is primarily a coming-of-age drama film. It tells the story of a group of students, and their English teacher, John Keating (Robin Williams) as they are taught to embrace individuality and challenge authority. As an article entitled, "Dead Poets Society: A Film That Changed My Perspective on Life" by Medium claims, the films main themes are passion, freedom, and learning to seize the day. This film connects to my own personal idea as I want my opening to be about a girl who hasn't been able to pursue her passions due to school work and the unspoken rules of the world. Much like the Dead Poets Society, I wish to make a point of going against authority and finding love for yourself and your passions.

Rotten Tomatoes. (n.d.). Dead Poets Society. Retrieved January 27, 2026, from https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/dead_poets_society

    The film 17 Again, released in 2009 and created by Burr Steers is a comedic coming-of-age drama that focuses on second chances. The film tells the story of Mike O'Donnell, who's older version is played by Matthew Perry and his younger version is played by Zac Efron, a renounced high-school basketball star who gave up his dreams of playing professionally to marry his girlfriend and take care of their child. As an adult working a 9-5 office job with a failing marriage, Mike regrets his previous choices and wishes to go back into the past. His wish is granted once he is magically turned younger and he is given a second chance at life, however, at the end of the movie Mike realizes his true purpose was to be a loving and present husband and father thus, he is turned back into his older self where he can personally fix all of his mistakes. 

Amazon.com. (n.d.). 17 Again [DVD]. Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/17-Again-DVD-Zac-Efron/dp/B0027UY81S