Setting

Setting is defined as 'the time and place of the action of a literary, dramatic, or cinematic work'. It is everything that defines a film, apart from the characters - making up half of what makes the audience understand the plot.

The setting of a comedy film can be almost anything. Since comedies are so popular, they are often combined with other genres, such as action, romance, or sci-fi. However, normal comedies tend to take place in light, social situations, as they easily set up a relaxed atmosphere, that the audience already associate with having fun. They are never really set in different time periods unless they are combined with other genres, as making it as neutral and natural as possible makes the audience a lot more likely to relate and be comfortable with the setting. An example of setting in a comedy film is in When Harry Met Sally (1989) - it's set in the present day, with them sitting at a normal restaurant. The aim of comedy openings in terms of setting is to, firstly, make the audience familiar with the location, and secondly, to give them an idea of the type of film it will be - so usually, comedy films open in the location that is most often featured throughout, or a location that is very familiar to a specific character (e.g. their house).

Horror films use very specific settings. Since the setting is what creates the mood for the entire film, horrors tend to use dark, empty locations - like old houses, forests, or abandoned public buildings. These are great as they can very easily elevate the audience's anxiety, as they themselves wouldn't want to be in that situation. Horrors are usually shot at night time, due to the fact most people are scared of the dark, and so this plays on their fear by using a dark setting, plus a scary plot. An example of a horror movie setting is shown in The Hills Have Eyes (2006) - the scene is shot in an old, derelict house - the wallpaper is hanging off the walls, it's dusty, dirty, and incredibly messy. The opening to horror films often use juxtaposition in terms of their setting - by opening in a normal location that the audience will know very well (such as a house or a car), and then switching to a scary one later on shows the journey the character took, reminding the audience that they, too, were like the character at the start, and so it could be them in that situation.

Action films are created to make people excited, so they often use very similar settings. Common ones include cities, jungles or other exotic places - this is because they have potential for fast paced action, and a lot of excitement. Action films can take place in any time period, as they don't have to involve any futuristic equipment or specific modern locations. Examples of setting in action films include The Matrix (1999), in which the characters have a shootout on a rooftop - this is a typical example of an action film setting, because there is plenty of space for the action to happen in, and also a plain background, featuring just the tops of other buildings and the sky - the setting juxtaposes what's going on in the scene, emphasising the suspense and thrill of it. Openings of action movies tend to start off either quite normally, or with a lot of action to introduce the setting - showing something exciting happen in the same location at the start of the film will tell the audience what potential it has.

Romance films tend to always have the same settings. The general feel of romance lends itself very well to aesthetic settings, like forests at sunset, or big castles, or palaces - which a lot of romance films make very good use of. However, romance films are often mixed with other genres, most commonly comedy, and so the settings tend to be split according to what's happening in the scene - for example, when something bad happens, it's often dark, and raining, and when the characters reconcile, it's either sunny there's a sunrise in shot. Romance films are probably the most obvious examples of setting being an extension of the character's emotions, as stereotypes and cliches are played on massively. This is shown in a scene where the two characters meet in The Notebook (2004) - it's set at a fairground, at night with flashing lights everywhere. This is a very aesthetic way of two characters meeting, as fairgrounds are seen as both fun and romantic, so it gives you a hint as to what is going to happen with them in that scene.

Drama films have a very specific purpose - to make you feel emotion. The setting is a vital factor in this - they have to be realistic enough for us to feel like it could be us in the situation (something which provokes a personal, emotional response from the audience), but not overly realistic so it's boring and too normal. Common drama settings include schools, flats, workplaces, and streets of neighbourhoods. However, drama in different eras calls for different settings - period dramas could be featured in castles, or palaces, and dramas about war could easily be featured in an actual war, or in a village affected by war. Most dramas, though, tend to be gritty and raw, as whatever the focus of the film, they want to create emotion amongst the audience. The film Taxi Driver (1976) is a great example of a scene from a drama film - it's set in a realistic place, in modern times, with realistic props.

Setting is incredibly important in almost every aspect of film. It  doesn't just contribute to what the audience understands about the plot - so much potential lies in the location as an extension of the main character, showing their emotional state and inner thoughts. Setting can also be the entire basis of a film - if the plot is about a character trying to achieve something or go somewhere, the location can either explain this or the whole story can revolve around it.