Science Fiction Research

How is it Science Fiction?

Since I grew up reading and watching science fiction stories, I thought it was only appropriate to research the Science Fiction genre.

Science fiction is typically about futuristic and imaginative concepts such as advanced technology, time travel, space exploration, extraterrestrial life, parallel universes, etc. It often illustrates the consequences of a new technological, scientific, or social invention.

Content:

Suspense is a main factor used in science fiction. This is due to the author's ability to conceal important information about the surreal world that is presented, piquing the viewer's interest in the story, as many questions start being answered and many new unresolved questions appear.

EX: The film Divergent uses suspense throughout the movie by withholding information about a Divergent's abilities, leaving the viewer wondering about them and extremely impressed when a new skill is shown.

Foreshadowing is also a very important factor that all science fiction films should have. When watching a movie, the viewer must already have an idea of what happens in the story, which is usually the main reason they decided to watch the film in the first place. Foreshadowing does not necessarily reveal major plot events, although it can.

EX: In the series Stranger Things, at the end of the third season one of the major characters in the show, Hopper, is believed to be dead. However, in the last episode there is a scene where they show a prison in Russia, and when the soldiers are electing a prisoner to feed the Demogorgon one of the guards says "No. Not the American." This lets the viewer know Hopper is not dead, and that he will most likely appear in the fourth season.

Production Techniques:

Throughout the production, sound is used to create whatever atmosphere is desired. In most science fiction films, music is everything. A good soundtrack can make the difference between a decent film and a major hit movie. Music complements whatever is happening or screen, or isn't. Sometimes intense music is played when something bad is about to happen, creating a strong sense of suspense, and making the viewer grip their seat as hard as they possibly can.

EX: In the film Jaws, since getting a real-looking shark on screen all the time was very difficult, the use of the classic soundtrack creates such an intense atmosphere that showing a shark on screen isn't even necessary since the viewer can already speculate what is about to happen.

The most common production technique used in science fiction is special effects, or CGI (Computer Generated Images). These effects are used to add to the realism of the film, for example, if a film is about advanced cyborgs living in our society, then CGI must be used to create these cyborgs and make them appear real on screen.

EX: In one of the most popular science fictions films ever made, Avatar, science fiction is used almost throughout the entire film to create the entire landscape as well as characters in the story.

Marketing:

The target audience for science fiction is very broad, ranging from young kids to elders. This is due to the variety of films that are found in this specific genre, from simple movies like Zathura to complicated plots like A Space Odyssey.

Trailers for science fiction films usually include an establishing shot of an unknown landscape of the surreal environment the movie will take place in. This is done in order to develop the unique feel of the film plot and leave the audience wondering about what the story will be like. Said trailers also usually include a very brief shot of whatever creature/monster is featured in the film, although not all movies include this.

Samples:

The series Stranger Things (2016) is an American science fiction horror drama television series created by the Duffer Brothers and streaming on Netflix. Set in the 1980s in the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana, the first season focuses on the investigation into the disappearance of a young boy (Will Byers) amid supernatural events occurring around the town, including the appearance of a girl with psychokinetic abilities (Eleven). Eleven's character is the embodiment of science fiction, since a girl with supernatural abilities is not something you get to see very day. The second season focuses on Will's side effects from being in the Upside Down with its entities crawling into the real world. Again, weird creatures appearing in our world is one of the most common plots for science fiction films. The third season focuses Eleven and Mike's relationship as the kids continue their battle against the Upside Down entities. Once again, children with supernatural abilities fighting monsters, a very common science fiction plot.

The film Divergent (2014) is an American social science fiction action film directed by Neil Burger, based on the 2011 novel of the same name by Veronica Roth. The story takes place in a post-apocalyptic Chicago where people are divided into different and unique factions based on the virtues of a person. During the film it is found out that Beatrice Prior, the main character, is a Divergent and therefore will never belong in any of the factions. This being so, she enters the Dauntless, a faction for the brave, leaving her family behind in the selfless faction, the Abnegation. Throughout the film Beatrice's Divergent abilities are explored, showing how she can manipulate a series of simulation tests that are presented to her throughout the film. Being a Divergent she is able to tell the simulation is fake, therefore being able to manipulate it at her will. This is very different from the normal person, since it takes a lot of skill to exit the simulations in the intended way. The entire plot embodies science fiction, the faction-divided society and people with special abilities known as Divergents.