Genre research: Coming of age

Camera
Coming of age tends to prioritize their characters, so the camera is often close to the faces of characters to show expression and invoke emotion. There will often be close ups on certain objects or other things to show their plot relevance.
Angles
Shoulder level and eye level, angles are used often used so that the camera remains relatively close to the subjects, due to the need to convey emotion. Often the full body or most of it needs to be shown for  clear silhouette, such as when a characters emotion is very much shown through their body language.
Movement
When a subject is moving, especially in moments of intense emotion, the camera tends to follow or walk with the subject. When characters are in one place not moving, the camera doesn't move around, but often angles will be utilized instead.
Shots
Close ups and variations of the long and medium shots are used, in order to catch clear expression
Common Sound in your genre
Diegetic sound tends to be grounded in reality to fit within the films setting, which tends to be some sort of city or town, perhaps a school. This includes car noises, people talking, objects clattering, etc. Characters talking often have at least one poignant conversation. Nondiegetic sound tends to include voiceovers or internal monologs. These are both very common in coming of age films. Soundtracks vary in this genre in terms of instruments used, some sounding more computerized and others using more notable instruments, but all, for the most part, serve to either be fun, adventurous at times, if not emotionally impactful.

Costumes
Costumes in coming of age film tend to stay simple unless the plot calls for them not to be, but they are always grounded in some sort of reality. The character outfits tend to reflect the characters themselves.
Lighting
Warm colors tend to be present for a majority of these sorts of film, utilizing cooler colors when the situation or emotions are high emotional stakes
Acting
Actors in coming of age movies tend to not be well known, likely for the viewer to be able to relate and project on to them. Their acting is only ever exaggerated in moments of high emotion, if that. It is grounded in reality and normal human emotion and reaction
Makeup
Makeup is kept simple, often undetectable, and it is reflective of the character if it is anything but.
Props
Props are every day objects more often than not
Set
Common sets include the outdoors, school campuses, apartments and homes, cities and towns
Common Editing in your genre
Voiceovers are common, as are montages
Example films of your genre
- The Breakfast Club
- Love, Simon
- Juno
- Stand by me
What elements of the genre that you like?
I enjoy how not everyone dresses the same, how each character has a sense of style that correlates to their character or their character development. I tend to enjoy the more whimsical soundtracks, as they're fun to listen to by themselves.
What elements of the genre do not appeal to you?
I don't enjoy many of the plot or emotional journeys unless paired with a different genre, such as fantasy or period piece.



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