Movies in the drama genre focus on a character facing certain conflicts, whether it be with themselves, other people or with other outside forces of nature. Some common themes within drama movies are “current issues, societal ills, and problems, concerns or injustices, such as racial prejudice, religious intolerance (such as anti-Semitism), drug addiction, poverty, political unrest, the corruption of power, alcoholism, class divisions, sexual inequality, mental illness, corrupt societal institutions, violence toward women or other explosive issues of the times.”
Mise-en-scene: Generally, the lighting remains fairly low-key throughout because drama is supposed to build suspense and this amount of lighting adds that effect. The setting usually takes place at more lower class locations. This could range from ghettos to schools or other places such as houses and government buildings. The costumes usually accurately portray the character. Characters in the drama genre can be practically anything, but are most commonly younger people, criminals, or authority figures. Their costumes will correspond according to their occupation. Common props in the drama genre are weapons, phones, technology and alcohol/drugs.
Cinematography: Just like crime movies, low and high angle shots are used to emphasize the status of that character. When a character is shown in a high-angle shot, the audience can infer that they are a well-respected and higher authority character. On the other hand, when a character is shown in a low-angle shot, they are perceived as a lower status character and are generally treated as lesser than others. Many close-ups are also utilized in the drama genre because they focus more on the emotions of the character and this is what drama is driven by.
Into the Truth 