Science fiction (sometimes shortened to sci-fi) is a genre of fiction that typically deals with topics that enhance futuristic concepts such as technology, space travel, time travel, and alien life. It often explores the consequences of scientific, social, and technological advances and its impact on humanity; therefore, sci-if is often the basis of many dystopian films. One example of this would be the film WALL-E.
WALL-E (2008)
WALL-E is about a little robot who lives in a post-apocalyptic Earth in which the humans have left because of the poor conditions of the planet due to pollution. This film encompasses ideals of a dystopian society while also incorporation techniques of a science fiction film.
Now let’s get into the actual conventions of the genre of sci-fi. Most films of this genre are set in the future, an alternate dimension, or a historical past that contradicts historical records. The setting could also be outer space, other worlds, or alternate versions of Earth. The film WALL-E is set in a post-apocalyptic version of Earth, a key aspect of sci-fi. Many narrative elements of this genre include the development of new technology (ex: robots, spaceships), new scientific principles (ex: time travel), or new political systems (this is where the dystopian/utopian ideas comes in). The main conflict is normally between the good and the evil, questioning whether these advances in technology help or harm the development of society. These films mostly consist of special effects or futuristic props that aid in telling the story as realistically as possible, especially since this genre is the complete opposite of realistic.
Another example of a sci-fi film would be Arrival. This film follows linguistics professor Louise Banks as she leads a team of investigators when alien spacecrafts touch down around the world. Banks and her crew must find a way to communicate with the extraterrestrial beings and in doing so must save humanity from global war. Without spoiling the ending of this film, Arrival, follows the conventions of a sci-fi film as it is set in the future and includes alien life and new technology. Here’s a picture of the film if you want to check it out!
Arrival (2016)
But how is science fiction marketed? You might think that sci-fi only appeals to the typical nerd or geek, but this genre has actually made its way to general audiences. Marketers have been able to shift into the mainstream through their advertising techniques. The kind of content is how they mainly advertise their films. If they can appeal to younger audiences (the intended audience of this genre) and the things they are interested in then their films will be more successful. Social media is the best way to advertise these films as the majority of people watching these are high school students. The posters for these types of movies mostly contain the scientific aspects such as the advanced technology or the alien intelligence to draw in the audience. Most people come see sci-fi for the special effects included, so that’s the main focus of advertising.
Here are some more sci-fi films to consider checking out:
Interstellar (2014)
High Life (2019)
Inception (2010)
The Martian (2015)
Ready Player One (2018)
Star Wars: A New Hope (1977)
