FANTASTIC FANTASIES

It was only fitting for me to write about fantasy, considering the fact that the 1939 production of "The Wizard of Oz" is my go to comfort movie. Right now you must be thinking that you'll move on to the next blog because of if that's my comfort movie, something must be wrong. Many things are wrong, but read on to learn why this genre is so important to me.

Fantasy Content

Fantasy as I said before is a whimsical genre in which the viewer can go into another dimension and get something extraordinary out of it. These films and novels always stretch out human possibility and mix it in with the supernatural to create a unique world. This fantasy aspect can be created by drawing inspiration from religion, such as the Greek culture which is often used in Hollywood, and even fear, creating some of the most incredible monsters and animals in the film world. There can be a strange phenomenon in nature or even the portrayal of advanced technology. There is no set boundary or limit to fantasy, making it such a broad genre to explore in.

Production Techniques in Fantasy

There is a wide range of techniques that come from making fantasy pieces. These are well thought out choices in a production that create the sense of where the movie is taking place and controls how the viewer perceives it. Since fantasy is such a broad genre, there are very different paths a director might take with they way they present their film, yet most all involve the following

Cinematic Lighting

Lighting is often overlooked as a part of the production that is obviously included. Yet, the positioning and color (which we will get to next) can influence the way the audience feels just from one certain shot. It sets the mood for the creation and often gives insight on what the character is like or foreshadows what is to come. Cold lighting with colors like blues and purples give a more clean cut, technological or even melancholic tone to a certain shot On the other hand, warmer hues are happier and set the stage for a positive scene or resolution. Even using lighting on half of the subject's face is a meaningful choice, often indicating that something is being hidden or concealed from the audience. Every piece of lighting in fantasy is crucial, yet the most important thing to note is how it can affect perception.

Color

This is absolutely crucial in a fantasy film. Crucial. Color creates a character. It adds depth and meaning to it's persona. It sets the characters mood and intention throughout the film. Typically in children's fantasy films, the use of color is bright and playful, to emphasize an optimistic outlook. In contrast, most action or sci-fi fantasy films like Wolverine or The Hobbit heavily rely on shadows and darker colors to tell their darker stories. Color impacts the way we remember a character and how our emotions tie into it. Directors use this to toy around with foreshadowing and the importance of characters in fantasy films.

Alice In Wonderland

The reason why I chose this film is simply because it is so easy to pick apart, and in my opinion, is everything done right in fantasy. The color schemes, the character development, the strange creatures and all the nonsense piece together a fictional explosion. The specific elements that make this piece so successful in the fantasy genre is how lawless and illogical it was made.

By losing basic human concepts like time and space, the viewer is taken to a place that lets go of concrete notions and indulges in imagination. Even in creating a captivating story that emphasizes the creativity of a child like Alice, this piece brings in people of all ages because of it's classic yet crazy nature.

Finally, the elements I want to highlight are the lack of boundaries and the expression in this unique world. The mise en scene in Alice In Wonderland creates a setting with angelic characters all the way to mystical forests. The use of color, shapes and colorful costuming (a common element of fantasy) all create this harmonious world.

The Wizard of Oz

I had to.

I absolutely love the use of color and the character dynamic in this fantasy movie. Each character from Dorothy's life foils another that she meets in Oz making it so much more dynamic. It ties in classic fantasy characters like the talking animals and trees with a good and wicked witch. This film is so enjoyable as well because of its array of bright colors and their importance. The yellow brick road is a monumental part of Dorothy's journey to the emerald city of Oz. She crosses through a sea of bright red poppies and is covered with pale, white snow. Different, contrasting color appear throughout the entire piece and just all together create such a unique tale.

Overall, the use of creative props and stylized costuming to create each character all give the viewer a remarkable experience, at least for me it is.

Media Presentation of Fantasy & Stereotypes

Fantasy is often portrayed as a childish and whimsical in the media because it's the easiest way to target a younger audience and their parents. The simple definition of fantasy is something unrealistic with creative and imaginary aspects. It may seem that kids movies are the main point of this genre, yet it would surprise you just how flexible it can be.

A major company that thrives off of fantasy stereotypes is Disney. Of course. Disney is the go-to name for children's movies and is a marketing monster when it comes to selling a fantasy world experience. I refer to their creative team as "monsters" because they work tirelessly to hit every spot in the whimsical checklist. Other companies like Pixar and Warner Bros are just a few of the other media geniuses that have molded the fantasy stereotype into what it is today. The truth about this genre is that it can be applied to a variety of different movies, that go from children to adult movies. Some of the most popular franchises like Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings, Marvel and all your favorite childhood movies fall under this genre. Consider the fantasy to be like the large trunk of a tree, and it's small sub-genres such as sci-fi and romantic fantasy, to be the branches that come out of it.

All these movies have drastically different plots yet all come together with their magical and imaginary elements that make them each so unique, which is why I think this genre is wildly successful.