Maria Media Studies 2024-2025: Genre Research Activity

The Science Behind Science - Fiction successfulness

What is Science Fiction?

Science Fiction (Sci-Fi) is a genre that concentrates on the future and examines how science and technology could change human life. An interesting fact that differentiates science fiction from other genres is that its targeted audience's characteristics have a very wide spectrum. Still, there are some common trends among the audience, such as ages 45 to 65. Most of the audience are males and are generally wealthier than the traditional people.

Content:

A common characteristic among Sci-Fi films is the representation of common rhetorical questions among the audience. This refers to the personal or famous theories that might be very common in society but don't have a specific answer at the moment. Such topics include time travel and a voyage between physical magnifying laws such as space and time manipulation with the help of advanced technology that might be nonexistent or complex to create in reality. Ex: An interesting example is the Avengers: Endgame film when the main characters reunite to go back to the past to solve the biggest conflict of the plot with the uncertainty of the final result of their decisions. The majority of the film demonstrates how quantum time travel and science could save humanity. Causing the audience to wonder about all the infinite possible outcomes that the movie might have had.

Extraterrestrial life and the situation of getting to know or discovering the existence of another living species is another common characteristic among Science Fiction films. However, there might be different outcomes of these situations, either positive or negative. Some films have presented how a human can create a deep connection among extraterrestrial beings and the existence of a friendship with unknown living beings. Ex: A clear example of these interactions is the movie E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, which provides the audience a much more positive outcome. Between a boy and an extraterrestrial being,

The themes of being untrusted to technology and the magnifying and crescent power of artificial intelligence are also commonly reinforced throughout the films. The danger of how advanced and intelligent technology can affect human safety and become uncontrollable even for humans is shown. Enhancing the conflict of human vs technology. Ex: The Avengers: Age of Ultron film describes how even the most intelligent and calculated scientists or people around the world's creations can turn against them and become uncontrollable even for them. The main conflict of the film is when a human creation with good intentions turns against its mentor.

These films usually address societal problems such as political, economic, and scientific issues, centering on what the future would be like if society continued to coexist under these rules and the consequences of the desire to reach perfection by violating ethical universal rules, commonly presented through conflicts between humanity and their technological inventions.

Production Techniques:

In addition, the Science Fiction production techniques work together to create a futuristic ambiance and sentiment towards the audience. Due to this purpose, visual effects are usually implemented to impose the futuristic idea and environment on the audience. Science fiction films implement a formal design since the usage of a futuristic aesthetic is prioritized. The lighting technique used is mostly high-key light since it is intended to represent a clear and direct image of the situation presented during each scene. When it comes to set design, the use of robotic objects and technology around the characters and settings creates a symbolism of futuristic and a sense of innovation and causes an astonishing feeling among the audience. The use of cool, neutral, and pastel colors, such as light green and blue, emphasizes the sense of seriousness and sleekness to support the overall futuristic ambiance.

Ex: The movie Ex Machina follows some of these rules, implementing a more serious tone. The props and objects that interact with the main characters often tend to be alive or possess some degree of human consciousness (such as robots, artificial intelligence, or devices), which enhances the feeling of impression but might also make viewers uncomfortable, causing distrust towards the nonhuman characters. In various science fiction films, the locations are created using computers or a green screen since the majority of the objects, characters, places, etc., shown on screen are nonexistent and are predictions of the future. When it comes to a more realistic setting, scientific laboratories, research buildings, and hospitals are visible, and there is less need to use a green background or complete computer editing.

Some examples are spaceships, places in outer space, or other planets where the rules of these locations might be slightly different from Earth, such as gravity, temperature, and various creatures and animals, which are only successfully depicted by computer programs and advanced editing. The costume designs are specifically connected to each character and the futuristic concept, such as wearing many neutral and light colors that represent innovation and intelligence without saturating the audience with a wide variety of bright colors. Makeup also tends to be very basic and simple; however, depending on the character, for example, to show power, they might have a rare eye and hair color or lines or shapes around their face. There is usually a very light inclusion of sounds. An example of some of these concepts is the Blade Runner 2049 film. They mostly include orchestral, experimental, and electronic sounds to connect them with a specific scene and enhance the inner idea of the visual elements for the audience.

Institutional conventions

Among these films, there are similar marketing strategies, such as using internet social apps and media to share and spread upcoming projects in a much easier and faster way as time goes by. Another clever movement for marketing is the cast of the film. The directors collaborate with famous actors around the entertainment industry, as presented in the film Don't Look Up, with the collaboration of actors like Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence.

As well as mentioning or attributing past famous actors or historical people, enhancing their fanbase to be interested in these films. Finally, directors and marketing specialists have shown interest in the soundtrack and the artists, so its fanbase increases audience engagement. For instance, in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes movie, the collaboration with an artist like Olivia Rodrigo to be included in the soundtrack made the engagement and overall performance of the films successful and expanded to broader audiences.

Samples:

The film I, Robot represents a world in which robots created by humans reach a level of intelligence in which their purpose is to serve and help humans for a good cause. However, as the film goes on, the robots become evil and break their dependence on humans, and finally, the lesson of how dangerous technology can be and how it might be more intelligent than humans but would never have the sense of humanity and emotions a real human being which is why there is distrust from the main character. The film plants a seed of curiosity in the audience about how different the world might be when technology reaches this advancement point. It also critiques society on how classist it can be at some point in the sense of creating a group of conscious beings just to serve and pleasure humans, as well as how technology will never have entirely human traits like feelings and emotions. The film enhances very futuristic places and settings, focusing more on a formalism category. It enhances the idea of colors disappearing as well as human sentiment, creating a more serious and scientific ambiance. The color pallet of cool tones, greige shades, and light pastels aren't only on purpose for places but also for clothes, since most of the characters just wear black, white, grey, etc., and those are also the colors of most of the rooms they are in, especially when it comes to being more related to robots being near. It includes props that aren't real, in this case, robots, which interact with the main character, a human, and other characters. There isn't a repeated music melody. Still, there are some artificial sounds included. Overall, this film embodies what science fiction represents in terms of showing a future situation that humanity might go through and makes the audience question the consequences of these actions.

The film Interstellar embodies a science fiction film in which outer space exploration takes place. Like other films that fall into this genre, it shows what would happen if such advanced space technology was achieved to the point of going to outer space to resolve a problem regarding humanity. It regards the conflict in which one of the main characters decides to embark on a trip, which leads to ruin many aspects of his life. It reflects the societal problem of risks and giving up on humanity and terrestrial experiences such as family and the importance and value of quality time with loved ones. Creating a conflict of human vs time, one of the main characters could see the past that he missed just to learn the value of it. During the majority of the film, the colors used are cool and neutral. In Scenes in which they are in outer space, there isn't much life around, which is represented by the lack of color. Also, many of the objects around, as well as backgrounds, were created by computer or a green screen since they aren't real objects. Overall, this film embodies the strong impact that advanced technology can have, which might be negative sometimes, even if it comes from a positive purpose. It reminds the audience how valuable human traits are, and as well as many other Sci-Fi films, the theme and moral that although science might be recently more intelligent than humans and further due better and a necessity for problem-solving, this might not always be absolute and time is limited, so the most important thing is to enjoy and get the most of our human traits, emotions, and feelings.

Some Science Fiction films to consider:

Alien (1979)