Openings Research

    Good evening Cambridge, this was one of my first ideas when it came to our film project brainstorming with my project partner G. One of my favorite things in this world is motorsports and given that I work in it I knew that I could come up with an idea that had to do something with it. Our idea was to film the opening of a film that had to do with a Go Karting driver who faces the issue most motorsports athletes face constantly, funding. Driven completely and utterly by his passion for driving to the point of getting into arguments with those who care about him, the main character strives to make his career as a motorsports athlete as attainable as possible. This highly resonates with the Sports Drama genre of film, having a story that revolves around a certain sport yet embodies every aspect of a Drama film. That being said I thought I would research movies that correlate with this storyline as closely as possible.

    And so, I introduce Gran Turismo the movie, a story that revolves around teenage racer Jann Mardenborough and his journey from an aspiring Sim-Racer to a genuine race car driver. In this story Jann faces many trials and tribulations, be it crashes, lack of faith in himself, and being the underdog, this film captures many elements of the Sports Drama genre. First and foremost, the classic underdog story, a character who seems the least likely to accomplish their goal is given a chance to do so, facing many opponents that are stronger and in a better position than the main character. Another Element is personal struggle with oneself as well as relationships, Jann losing faith in himself after serious setbacks and experiencing the classic teenager struggle of having an interest in a person. Other examples of elements found within the Sports Drama genre would be, mentorship, perseverance, and high-stakes competition. Through the GT academy Jann gets a shot at being a full-fledged race car driver and proving not only himself but also that Sim-Racers can race alongside real race car drivers.

    Within Gran Turismo Jann faces many challenges that he is able to tackle, through faith in himself as well as the faith of his peers and mentors in him. This coming-of-age story could help us develop and reach the goals intended within this project, while maintaining our own identity within the film opening.