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Activity 3.6 Case Study

By: Dominic Delgrosso

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Genre

Sports thriller

Action

Adventure

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Genre Repertoire

  • Settings: Usually on Well Known international, pit lanes, garages, and high tech team headquarters.
  • Iconography: Formula 1 cars, infamous sponsor logos, crash debris, helmets, and racing suits.
  • Narrative Themes: High stake races, comeback stories, underdog, mentor relationship.
  • Character Types: Arrogant rookie driver, veteran driver, pit crew, rival drivers, engineers.

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Familiarity in Genre

  • Most Racing movies open with high-speed action or dramatic race to set up the intense world of competition and immediately set the mood/tone for the movie. In F1’s case you are immediately introduced to our main character Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt). Early in the movie we are then introduced to the main plot of redemption, Our Main Characters have one last chance to save their racing team from being bought.

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Familiarity in Genre Continued

  • Fast tracking/ High speed shots in racing movies are extremely common. , and F1 doesn’t stray far from this path, their use of 6k cameras to capture driver perspectives, shots from withing the cockpit help build tension throughout the movie. In Addition, the use of sound effects such as tire screeching, revving engines, and gear shifts, help immerse the audience and make them really feel like they are driving this highly advanced 15 million dollar vehicle.

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Difference in Genre

  • Unlike most Films in the racing genre, F1 took a different approach on filming. Most racing movies films on sound stages and are heavily relying on CGI, but F1 filmed on real tracks during real races. Actors drove real modified Formula 1 cars with cameras attached to them. This allowed for more realistic shots, and resulted in a btter shot rather than driving on a greenscreen simulation.

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Cultural Issues

  • In recent years Formula 1 has faced some criticism for their limited diversity, F1 reflects these changes with their selection of a diverse cast a black driver and a female in a male dominated position. This movie also shows real human struggles and the mental health aspect of the sport bringing awareness to mental health struggles people face.

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Marketing

  • When marketing for this movie the Producers tapped into both of their massive audiences of fans of Formula 1 and their star actor Brad Pitt and his massive catalogue of amazing movies to build hype for this film.