# Film — Category

> Narrative cinema. Self-contained stories told as films, regardless of distribution (theatrical, streaming, festival).

## What film is

A self-contained narrative work with a clear beginning, middle, and end. Distinct from series (continuing) or advertising (commercial purpose). Distinct from documentary (real subjects).

## Universal film principles

### 1. Self-contained
A film tells one complete story. Even if part of a franchise, each film stands alone.

### 2. Visual storytelling
Cinema is fundamentally visual. The camera tells what dialogue cannot.

### 3. Time compression
A film compresses real time into runtime. Smart selection of which moments to show.

### 4. Active audience experience
Audiences watch films in focused settings (theater, attentive home viewing). Less divided attention than TV/social.

### 5. Director-as-author
Films often have strong authorial voice (auteur theory). Director's vision drives.

## 3-act structure (universal in film)

### Act 1 — Setup (25%)
- Establish protagonist, world, normal
- Inciting incident around 10-15% mark
- First-act break: protagonist commits

### Act 2 — Confrontation (50%)
- Rising obstacles
- Subplot integration
- Midpoint reversal (50% mark)
- Crisis / all-is-lost (75-80% mark)

### Act 3 — Resolution (25%)
- Final attempt
- Climax
- Resolution / new normal

## Sub-formats

### Short film (1-15 min)
- Festival circuit
- Single core idea
- Limited cast
- Visual experiment ok
- Director showcase

### Feature film (75-180 min)
- Full theatrical/streaming release
- Multiple subplots
- Character development across runtime
- Production complexity

## Genre as flavor

Genre = set of conventions audience expects:
- Drama
- Comedy
- Horror
- Thriller
- Sci-fi
- Fantasy
- Romance
- Action
- Mystery
- Crime / Noir
- Western
- War
- Biographical
- Experimental / Surreal
- Magical realism

Films can mix genres ("comedy-drama," "sci-fi thriller"). Each genre has expectations.

## Production realities

### Indie short
- Festival aim
- $1K-50K budget
- Single location often
- Crew of 5-10
- Director-driven

### Indie feature
- $100K-5M budget
- Festival + streaming aim
- 3-5 main locations
- Crew of 30-50

### Studio feature
- $5M-200M+ budget
- Wide theatrical release
- Multiple locations
- Large crew (100+)

## Universal craft principles

### Open with a question
- Set up something audience needs answered
- Pull through engagement

### Reward attention
- Setup early, payoff later
- Trust audience to remember
- Layer detail

### End with resonance
- Final image matters
- Visual + emotional close
- Echo opening (often)

### Theme through specifics
- Don't state theme
- Embody through character choices
- Subtle, not didactic

## Pitfalls

- Trying to be every genre at once
- Setup too long (audience leaves)
- Climax rushed
- Theme on-the-nose
- Ending unearned
- Generic protagonist
- Saggy middle (Act 2)
