Picking a Genre

 After a few days of contemplating what genre I should pick for my project, I have finally landed on my final option: Psychological Drama. 

 Now for starters, here's what I know about the genre of Dramas:

- it tells a story of some sort

- focused on the character(s) and usually a conflict

- relies on the development of emotions/relationships within the character(s)

These are the general characteristics of a drama, but to really understand the psychological aspect of the genre I chose I did a little digging.

A psychological genre, instead of focusing on conflicts with others or the outside world, focuses on internal conflicts the most common being mental disorders, odd behaviors, denial, and dissolving or multiple realities.  It's typical to see flashbacks and narration of what's happening from the main character. Because the genre is very character-driven, the story focuses on internal thoughts and emotions to progress the plot and storyline. 

Don't get confused though. Although the psychological thriller genre exists, there is one big difference between the two: a psychological drama is much slower-paced and does not have the suspenseful aspect a thriller has. It also rarely has violence incorporated.

Some good examples for the image I'm going for are...

Sybil (1976)

"Sybil" is a movie about a young woman who suffers from dissociative identity disorder (DID) due to psychological trauma from her childhood.

David and Lisa (1962)

"David and Lisa" is a film that follows a teenager named David who has developed an extreme fear that if he comes into physical contact with another person he will die. His mother places him in a home for mentally disturbed young adults. This is where he meets a girl named Lisa who suffers from multiple personality disorder.