Genre Research- Romance

What is Romance?

The romance genre has two basic elements. The first element is about lovers who struggle for each other and their relationship. The second element is typically an emotionally satisfying ending to the story to please the audience although this isn't always the case. Sometimes the ending to the story between to lovers is tragic or sad, but it typically tends to be on the more optimistic side.

Why Romance?

We decided to go with the romance genre because a lot of films that are in this genre tend to gain a lot of popularity. These movies target the female audience and also tend to do well in the film industry. The romance genre has many different sub-genres. Two of the main sub-genres being romantic comedy and romantic drama. 

Romantic Comedy

Romantic comedies or "rom-coms' are movies that are typically happy and have a humorous story-line about two lovers. The basic elements of a romantic comedy movie is that the two main characters or lovers meet, have a conflict, find each other again, and have a happy ending. The two main characters also tend to be polar opposites and don't seem to get along at first, but they some how find a way to fall for the other. A great example of this would be the movie "To All the Boys I've Loved Before".

To All the Boys I've Loved Before (2018)

This movie gained lots of attention and got many good reviews from the female audience. This movie also followed the typical format of a romantic comedy. The two main characters are polar opposites whereas the girl, aka Lara Jean Covey, played by Lana Condor, is the more on the nerdy side whereas Peter Kavinsky, played by Noah Centineo, is the popular guy in the school. They ended up falling for each other, had conflict, found their way back to each other, and had a happy ending.

Romantic Drama

The romantic drama genre mainly focuses on lovers' who face a lot of conflict to be together. These movies tend to use a lot of symbolism, are very impactful, emotionally-moving, and are known for the raw and real aspect.

The Notebook (2004)

"The Notebook" is a great example of a romantic drama. The characters are opposites where the Allie, played by Rachel McAdams, was born into a rich and wealthy family where the Noah Calhoun, played by Ryan Gosling, wasn't. The main plot is a forbidden love story between the two because the girl's family had a hard time accepting Noah. The story, especially the ending, was very emotionally-moving for the audience. This movie has become one of the most iconic movies in Romance movie history.

Sources:

https://medium.com/@english_grammar/characteristics-of-drama-2d42c83e9a08

https://penandthepad.com/characteristics-romantic-comedy-8671414.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Notebook

https://www.rwa.org/Online/Romance_Genre/About_Romance_Genre.aspx

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romantic_comedy

Music Blog Post

Alternative Rock

What is Alternative Rock?

Alternative rock is a sub-genre of rock. Rock music is very distinct and is the classical form of its genre, whereas opposed to alternative rock, it is the only variation of rock music. Alternative artists are different and break the typical format of the music industry. They're very well known for their tendency to play with music experimentation, being bold, being independent, and taking risks. Rock music originated in the 1960s while on the other hand, alternative rock music emerged in the 1970s, but became popular in the 1980s.

What Are Some Marketing Trends in The Alternative Rock Industry?

Some marketing trends seen in the alternative rock industry include a website where the artist(s) promote their music through merchandise, links to where the songs and albums can be found, CDs, and vinyl.

A major marketing trend in the alternative rock industry is vinyl and LP distribution. Vinyl and LP distribution are actually very popular amongst the alternative industry. Although it is not the most popular form of distribution, it is mainly sold from this genre of music because it's vintage and fits the aesthetic of the artist(s). The target audience that listens to alternative music tends to have a record player because of aesthetic purposes and they get to listen to their favorite songs from their favorite artists. The target audience range is typically from ages 16-late 50s and the younger audience like the record players and vinyl because it is different from mainstream distribution. This audience likes things that challenge mainstream conventions and are intrigued by things that are unique style and personality-wise which is why this form of music distribution is very effective.

How Did You Choose to Develop The Brand of Your Artist/Band?

I chose to develop the brand of my band based on the target audience. Since the target audience tends to like things that challenge mainstream conventions and test the boundaries of the music industry we decided to go with a band that is anonymous. Our target audience loves things that are different, intriguing, and full of mystery which is why an anonymous band can draw them in. We decided to go with a band that has a space theme because due to our research, we found that astrology is a trending aesthetic in the community.  They like things related to space, zodiac signs, and more. This research helped us build the idea of an astronaut band. We also found that the theme of astronauts can help build the idea of a feeling of loneliness and isolation which could help us relate and reach the older target audience.

Marketing products that you created (with samples)

Some choices for the products that we made, such as our merchandise, were chosen for very particular reasons. Simplistic designs, designs with a brand name, and even laptop stickers are very trendy right now. We designed our merchandise to hopefully reach a large audience because the designs are unisex and can fit almost anybody's aesthetic because they are simple.

Ex:
     

The colors are neutral because they can very easily match the person's aesthetic.

What you learned about production (through creation of music video) and development of a marketing campaign

A thing I learned about production and development of a marketing campaign is how important every choice you make for developing a brand is. It's very important to find your target audience and research a lot about them because you need them in order to build your brand and help the band gain popularity. You have to know who you are trying to attract and this is determined by the choices you make. Every choice must be chosen carefully to adjust to your target audience.

Sources:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Z2FHYZ5iwPvbHHD3fGy6DES1yKukH7Wcgqm8r7dFx4E/edit

https://www.fastcompany.com/company/atlantic-records

https://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/25/technology/25iht-music.4.18148908.html

https://www.atlanticrecords.com/posts/happy-birthday-ahmet-ertegun-founder-atlantic-records-18746

https://www.instagram.com/absofacto/?hl=en

https://absofacto.lnk.to/Rewind

https://twitter.com/absofacto?lang=en

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXzV-iv6cbua5gTyv-vY3Tw

https://www.tiktok.com/@absofacto?source=h5_m

https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/chart-beat/8548007/absofacto-dissolve-no-1-alternative-songs-chart

https://www.facebook.com/absofacto/

https://www.absofacto.com/?fbclid=IwAR1cZ_Igxw2LJMCgE-Rg86l1GUCQgCoFugCWlKu-9mYeBKrCRBZIqiC4djg

https://www.tiktok.com/music/Dissolve-171552666731487232