I chose to explore the Sci-Fi genre in depth, as it's one genre I can focus on for hours on end. My dad and cousin are responsible for sparking my interest in this genre. My cousin is the Interstellar's number one fan. He will talk for days about wormholes and why Interstellar is the greatest movie of all time. After watching it with him on five different screens, I get it. Watching Cooper drift through space and struggle with time travel physics definitely leaves an impression. There's also my dad, who's a die-hard fan of The Matrix. He has every single Neo line memorized. When I watched it with him for the first time, I was instantly looked when I heard Neo's iconic "I know kung fu" line.
- "Hold on, could this actually happen?"
- "Is any of this even real?"
- "No, this is all impossible, but also...kind of possible?"
A good sci-fi move keeps the audience questioning everything. The target audience are people who are curious, love a good puzzle, and are ready to jump into some alternate universe where robots think for themselves, space travel is an everyday occurrence, and aliens totally exist. Sci-Fi also attracts those that have an interest in technology, like to ask deep questions, and enjoy watching sweeping visuals. Traditionally, sci-fi has been associated with a target audience of young to middle-aged men but that has been changing as it is a widely loved genre throughout.
Sci-Fi Conventions - Content
Let's start off by talking about some of the main markers that make a movie a sci-fi movie, like characters, themes, and settings.
First, sci-fi characters are never boring. Typical characters found in this genre include scientists tinkering with life in Jurassic Park, astronauts boldly going to unknown places in The Martian, everyday people suddenly facing killer robots and/or AI that are way too smart in Blade Runner, or AI and robots that feel more human than we do in Ex Machina. Sci-fi protagonists usually “save the day” but they do it by fighting with things that are unknown to the common man such as, aliens, a parallel self, or a computer/robot that’s learned too much about humans for anyone’s good.
Next, sci-fi features really bold theme and asks really big and deep questions. This genre dives into everything. A few examples include:
- The ethics of science:
- "Should we mess with AI or genetic codes?"
- How power struggles will evolve in the future (especially in dystopian worlds):
- "If this is our progress is it worth it?" (The Hunger Games)
Finally, there’s the setting. Sci-fi loves the dramatic backdrops: space explorations, future or past alien visits, and virtual realities. Earth even gets a new look; cities can be more futuristic or they can be post-apocalyptic deserts. Sci-fi also loves to throw in time travel, parallel universes, and teleportation. Since there are really no rules in sci-fi, why not go big?
Sci-Fi Conventions - Content
Sci-fi movies have a secret sauce when it comes to its commonly used production techniques. They employ many techniques that give their movies an otherworldly feel such as: sound/lighting, make-up, and special effects.
First, CGI and Special Effects. This is the expected for any big budget sci-fi movie. It’s used for creating massive space battles and alien creatures, like in Star Wars. There is also Green Screen and Motion Capture Magic that lets actors travel through digital worlds or transform into creatures, like in Avatar. We can’t talk about special effects without mentioning Bullet Time and Slow Motion, which is what took The Matrix into legendary status. This is the slow-motion effect that highlights intense action by slowing it down.
Second, we have Lighting Techniques to create a futuristic feel. Blade Runner 2049 did this really well with its edgy blue and neon coloring. Sound is also a critical component to create a futuristic world. Sounds are often electronic beats, machine generated noises and beeps, and even silence (indicating a big void of some kind). Inception is a great example of a sci-fi movie that integrates futuristic sounds into its movie.
Finally, we can’t skip mentioning Advanced Makeup and Prosthetics. The attention and care taken to create creatures that look like they might actually exist is key in building the realism needed to make sci-fi work. Star Trek is a great example of bringing to life various species of alien through the use of makeup and prosthetics.
How Sci-Fi is Marketed:
Sci-fi movie marketing consists of trailers, posters, and promos that are teasing us with a very intriguing mystery. They quickly transport us into a different word for a few seconds like barren dessert like in Mad Max: Fury Road, or dark, futuristic cities. They will also tease the central characters and have us wonder about them (aliens, robots, dinosaurs, etc). Unique special effects might also be shared quickly - just enough to showcase the film’s technical abilities. Inception shows how cities folding into themselves, for example. It’s all about inviting someone into a new world, creating suspense and giving a sense of potential danger and surprise. Sci-fi marketing is all about selling an experience.
Samples:
Interstellar: A captivating sci-fi movie, where humanity is on the brink of extinction on Earth due to enormous environmental issues. It takes current concerns we have and takes us on that “next” step. The movie revolves around Cooper, a former pilot that became a farmer. He is brought in for a secret mission to find a new planet for humanity to live on. He travels through wormholes, black holes, and outer space producing amazing visuals for the viewer. Cooper’s experience makes the viewer reflect on topics such as love, sacrifice, and what time even means. Cooper experiences time dilation and that affects his relationship with his daughter. The movie tackles the implications of exploration and what our place in the universe is.
The Matrix: A sci-fi film that takes place in a dystopian society in the future. The protagonist, Neo, is a hacker that realizes that humans are in a type of simulated reality that is being controlled by machines to keep humanity under their control. Once Neo understands this truth, he is drawn into a rebellion led by Morpheus. Morpheus is leading the resistance against the machines, and he believes that Neo is the part of the prophesy that will end the war between humans and machines. The movie’s captivating action sequences – including the iconic bullet-dodging scene which alternates between normal and slow-motion speeds - has inspired many movie makers in subsequent films. Ultimately, the Matrix’s central theme regarding free will forces the audience to question their own reality.
Other Recommended Sci-Fi Movies:
Jurassic Park:
Blade Runner:
The Martian:
Inception:
Hunger Games:
Ex Machina: