Genre Research Activity

Genre: Musical

What sets the Musical genre apart is that it tells its story with songs and dances. Characters break into song as an emotional outlet to advance the plot's action. Most musicals maintain a light, casual atmosphere; many concern themes of love, dreams, and maturation. Many musicals include a romantic subplot in which a relationship involves the main character. Often, these characters are larger than life with huge personalities and emotions, which make them quite fun to watch. Musicals sometimes take on a more dreamlike or fantasy feel where singing and dancing seem completely natural in their world. 

  

On the other hand, regarding the production techniques, musicals are primarily identified with choreographed dance numbers. These routines are well-choreographed and captured to show the whole performance. The music plays an important part in the movie, where original songs composed match the emotional moments of the story or move the plot along. The musical numbers use bright lights to make scenes appear lively or magical; highly vibrant set designs and costumes usually catch much attention. The sound design is also immensely important in musicals, ensuring every lyric and note is clear to understand the story. 

  

From a marketing perspective, the soundtrack or single key songs of many musicals are marketed before the release of the movie in an attempt to generate hype. If the musical is based on a Broadway show that was popular, this fact is brought into the marketing campaign. Musicals also tend to star actors or singers famous to attract audiences, and their involvement in the film is greatly highlighted in the trailer and posters. Visual spectacle plays a great role in musicals; therefore, colorful set decorations, dramatic dance scenes, etc., are often put to the front line when creating trailers and posters. Most of the time, musicals become family-friendly entertainments since audiences of all ages seek participation. 

  

A great example of a modern musical is La La Land 2016. The movie tells the story of two dreamers- Mia and Sebastian- through music and dance, struggling in their careers and personal lives in Hollywood. The songs represent their hopes and struggles, while the bright colors and emotional dance scenes of the film give it a classic musical feel with a modern twist. Another example is The Greatest Showman, 2017, which narrates the story of P.T. Barnum and the creation of the circus through powerful songs with energetic choreography, while Barnum's ambitions and challenges are underlined; a flashy production design makes every musical number feel larger than life. 

  

Other musicals include West Side Story 1961 & 2021, Mamma Mia! 2008, Chicago 2002, Les Misérables 2012, The Sound of Music 1965, Grease 1978, and Moulin Rouge! 2001. Each of these films acts as a reflection of different aspects of the musical genre, from energetic choreography to engaging storytelling through song. 

TV Show Representation

Outer Banks is a widely popular Netflix series that follows a group of teenagers on an adventurous treasure hunt. However, at its core, the show delves into class distinctions. The two primary groups, the “Pogues,” representing the working class, and the “Kooks,” symbolizing the wealthy elite, are often depicted in exaggerated manners, which significantly influences our perception of key characters like John B and Sarah Cameron. 

  

Starting with John B, he serves as the main protagonist and embodies the Pogue identity. He is portrayed as tough, rebellious, and constantly battling against adversity. The series shapes him according to the typical working-class stereotype: determined, independent, and full of heart. These characteristics highlight his background, making his experiences seem both gritty and relatable, while also introducing a hint of romanticism. In this sense, Outer Banks presents poverty in an “exotic” light, showcasing his struggles as challenging yet admirable. By focusing on John B’s challenges, the series positions him as a more “real” character compared to his wealthier counterparts. 

  

In contrast, Sarah Cameron is initially presented as a Kook who fits the rich girl archetype. Coming from an affluent background, she appears sheltered and somewhat disconnected from reality. Her character feels like an outsider within the Pogue community. However, as she grows closer to John B, she begins to distance herself from her privileged lifestyle, leading to a more complicated way. This evolution is intriguing but still carries a romanticized angle, as the show depicts Sarah’s choice to leave her affluent life as noble and adventurous. 

  

In summary, Outer Banks effectively employs familiar stereotypes to illustrate class differences. The Pogues are depicted as rugged yet authentic, while the Kooks are shown as distant and privileged. This representation supports the notion that wealth can lead to emotional detachment, whereas being poor fosters authenticity. The series consistently romanticizes the working class while portraying the rich in a less favorable light, which is a recurring theme throughout. 

Sound Project

 During this Project, I learned how important sound is in a film and how it can shape the tone of what you’re watching. Background music, sound effects, and even silence can change the mood of a scene, making it feel suspenseful, emotional, or exciting. Sound has a huge role in guiding the audience’s emotions, and without it, even the best visuals can lose impact. This showed me how powerful sound design is in telling a story and creating atmosphere.

We were instructed, to create a 1-2 minute audio scene that tells a story using sound effects and no more than seven spoken words. The audio is partnered by a black screen or still image—no video is allowed. At least four foley sound effects must be made using everyday objects. We’ll submit three files: the edited sound file, a video showing how we made the foley sounds, and screenshots of our audio editing timeline.

During brainstorming, I thought about simple, realistic situations that could be told just through sound. I focused on scenes where the sounds were clear enough to tell a story on their own. I also thought about how to use the seven words we’re allowed to make the scene make sense. This helped me decide what sounds I needed to record and what would help the story come together.

My outline helped me organize the sounds for the scene since there couldn’t be any video. It allowed me to list all the important sound effects, like background noises , and figure out when they should happen. This made editing easier because I knew what sounds to layer and when, ensuring the scene felt more realistic.

For this project I utilized Adobe Premiere Pro to edit all my sounds together and make a story. 

In this project, I believe I successfully created realistic foley sounds that effectively matched the actions in the scene, enhancing the audio experience even without visuals. I was also pleased with how well I organized the sound effects during the editing process, which made layering them much easier. However, one thing I could improve on is syncing the spoken words with the sound effects.Next time, I would focus more on timing and how the words match up with the sounds to create a smoother story.

Project: https://browardcountyschools-my.sharepoint.com/:v:/g/personal/0620004356_my_browardschools_com/EcgctI8rD3ZFjoAV83ZJQZkB3uTT13RGdnvNi3cJ8B61yw?nav=eyJyZWZlcnJhbEluZm8iOnsicmVmZXJyYWxBcHAiOiJPbmVEcml2ZUZvckJ1c2luZXNzIiwicmVmZXJyYWxBcHBQbGF0Zm9ybSI6IldlYiIsInJlZmVycmFsTW9kZSI6InZpZXciLCJyZWZlcnJhbFZpZXciOiJNeUZpbGVzTGlua0NvcHkifX0&email=Matthew.Ramos1%40my.browardschools.com&e=gYfiUV