You intend to produce a fantasy film, then? What you need know about working in the genre is provided below.
Fantasy is outdated. really old. All of our earliest stories have aspects of fantasy, and it is safe to suppose that the oral traditions that gave rise to these old tales were also rich in fantasy.
The earth used to be a magical place once upon a time. We relied on the forests, caverns, and rivers for food and shelter, but they were also home to monsters, fairies, and other erratic creatures of all types.
There was frequently only one explanation for mysterious or perplexing events—magic. There were factors at play in the world that influenced how people lived, and the only thing we could do at night was make up stories to entertain ourselves.
And it was occurring all over. Around the world, stories of magic—the essential component of the fantasy genre—have been used to explain everything from photosynthesis to meteorology to medicine and just about everything else.
Fantastic tales about good vs evil have chronicled the evolution of the human story throughout history, from the Epic of Gilgamesh through Homer's writings to the Panchatantra.
What exactly is "fantasy," then? Is a little razzle-dazzle all that's needed to make a terrific story or movie even better? The term itself is vague. Not exactly.
We may argue over what is and isn't fantasy all day long because it shares characteristics with its neighboring narrative genres, just like every other genre does. We all have work to do, so let's develop a general understanding of what we mean when we talk about "fantasy," as enjoyable as that may sound.
What Is the Fantasy Genre?
Fantasy, in its most general form, involves magic, in whatever form it takes. You can call it divine, extraterrestrial, alchemical, or any number of other things. From then, the genre divides into numerous sub-genres; we'll simply cover a handful here to assist you understand your specific project.
Fantasy as a genre coexists with its cousins science fiction and horror in the greater speculative fiction family. The struggle between good and evil is frequently a major motif in fantasy. In far larger machines that fight epically powerful forces against one another, protagonists are frequently little components.
The "Cabbage Fairy," an 1896 picture by Alice Guy, is most likely the earliest fantasy film. It features a fairy strolling around a garden, removing little children from cabbages, and displaying them to the camera.
Fantasy movies did not, however, start to appear more frequently until the 1960s.
Superior Fantasy
The fantasy of fantasy is this. The majority of people associate this genre with high fantasy. (The term "High Fantasy and Heroic Romance" originates from an essay written by novelist Lloyd Alexander in 1971.)
Having a secondary universe is what defines high fantasy. This is a world that resembles Earth in appearance but functions somewhat differently, despite being internally consistent as a separate system. Consider Westeros from Game of Thrones or Middle Earth from Tolkien.
The worlds resemble our own, but there are some things you can accomplish there—most notably magic—that you cannot do here. (You get low fantasy if you put high fantasy on our own Earth.)
High fantasy explores a potentially catastrophic issue—something that will kill or enslave everyone and fundamentally transform life. Most frequently, high fantasy takes the form of a bildungsroman—a coming-of-age tale that takes us from childhood into maturity as our protagonist fulfills their genetic destiny. Typically, the main character is descended from royalty or some other hereditary mystery.
Urban fanciful
Cyberpunk is to science fiction what urban fantasy is to fantasy. It is sophisticated, realistic, and subtle. This sub-genre often takes place in the 20th or 21st century, on Earth (though you might put it in a separate universe if you desire the added work of world-building), and has fantastical aspects. Those components could include paranormal creatures, magic, or something arcane.
If the fantastic exists in urban fantasy in secret, then the rest of the world typically operates just like we’re used to. If, on the other hand, the fantastic exists openly, then the laws of our world will operate slightly differently.
Magic and Sword
Sword and sorcery will solve problems when there is no time to reason things out. High fantasy's characteristic soaring crescendos and self-giving sacrifice are no longer present. The emotions, connections, and problems of urban imagination are no longer present.
Sword and sorcery is typically about one or two adventurers who can kick ass. It's not required to use names.
This subgenre is more focused on conflict, magic, and adventure. Who cares what's happening in the rest of the world? This badass has their own issues.
Sword and sorcery is all about adventure, grit, retaliation, and cosmic justice. In this subgenre, people typically receive what they deserve, which is a sword through the stomach or a fireball to the face.
The name derives from a letter that Fritz Leiber sent in answer to the famed fantasy author Michael Moorcock, who asked for a name for the genre of books that Robert E. Howard wrote in the fanzine Amra.
With his now-famous "yarns," Howard, the well-known trendsetter from small Cross Plains, Texas, essentially created the sub-genre in the 1920s and 1930s. Conan, well known as "The Barbarian," is his most well-known contribution to fantasy literature.
Sword and sorcery, despite Howard's ability, did not merely materialize out of thin air like all narrative sub-genres. It has mythological roots, including those of Hercules' exploits, the characters from The Iliad and The Odyssey, the Norse sagas, and the Arthurian legend (which is, itself, a hodgepodge of oral traditions and histories).
Realistic Magic
There is simply no easier way to put it. Magical realism is even tougher to categorize than dark fantasy. Even the two types of magical realism have differences. We could (and probably should) write a dissertation on this subject, but since we aren't there for college credit, let's simply focus on the highlights.
Magical realism started in Germany’s Weimar Republic thanks to Franz Roh, an art critic who described the Neue Sachlichkeit (New Objectivity) painting style as magischer realismus (magical realism). José Ortega y Gasset oversaw the translation of Roh’s book into Spanish in 1927, and from there, it made its way to Latin America. It has its roots in surrealism and the fantastic, which is how it ended up, of all places, in this blog post.Aside from providing a history lesson, magical realism does exactly that—it makes magic real. Everything you can imagine (and then some) has a place in magical realism, including telekinesis, prophecy, and flight. These fantastical phenomena are treated in the subgenre as though they were as commonplace as gravity. Nobody finds it strange or even really believes that the magic is magic.
A wonderful technique to develop symbolism or examine characters through exaggeration is through magical realism. When we normalize phantasmagoric characteristics in people and animals, we're actually focusing on what we already know about them rather than the impressive achievements they're capable of.
However, it's still entertaining to see and a creative way to infuse awe and wonder into usually routine projects.
The Superhero Novel
Superhero fiction is the last sub-genre of the post, and it's all about characters who can accomplish amazing things if they leave their primary world and enter a secondary one (Superman, anyone?).
You already know how popular superhero literature is unless you've spent the past twenty years hiding out in an underground doomsday shelter (which would be fantastic). Superhero fiction has been included in some of the largest movies of the past 20 years, in addition to the comic book, video game, television, and merchandising industries. Superhero fiction is a dynamo of capitalism.
Superhero fiction is a bit of a catch-all. It can latch itself onto high fantasy, dark fantasy, magical realism, or portal fantasy. The rules are pretty simple—some people (maybe just one) have abilities that far surpass the capabilities of a normal person. This might be the result of magic, scientific experimentation, alien lineage, or even divine intervention. The backstory about why a superhero is capable of exceptional skills is usually a critical part of the narrative experience.
Giving someone abilities greater than others creates power differentials, which opens all kinds of opportunities for conflict and exploration. Do you tolerate superheroes? What keeps them from becoming supervillains? Should magical people be able to act as judge, jury, and executioner of regular people committing regular crimes? Why is a magical being bound by a particular nation’s laws?
You and Fantasy Filmmaking.
You now have a variety of fantasy subgenres to choose from and combine to write your unique, distinctive fantasy novel. The technicalities of camera use, lighting, editing, and post-production that you require to actually make your movie won't be covered.
We have a ton of articles for you on those themes, and I'll bet our brave editor links them for you in that last sentence after following your humble author. (Let's have a look.) But while you prepare to film this movie, there are several lessons to remember.
First, the magic is not enough. It should serve your story, not suffocate it. If you just want to make a movie about sexy people doing cool stuff, get into music videos.
If you want us to wonder why you’ve given your character superpowers, why you’ve shoved them through a portal, or even why they’re willing to die in the struggle between mankind and oblivion, then the story must support these decisions. What is it about people, life itself, that you find interesting enough to capture in a film?
Just remember: The point of fantasy is the wonder. These stories are much bigger than our meager lives. Create accordingly!
