Task 10: What is a Genre?

• Genre is a type or a category of film, for example horror, comedy or action.
• Sub-genre is a genre within a genre, for example romantic comedy or action adventure

• Hybrid-genre are when three or more genres are present in one film, for example a romance, sci-fi and thriller film such as Avatar.

• The codes and conventions of a genre are what we expect to happen in the film concerning the storyline/narrative. For example, in a horror film we expect the innocent girl to survive.
• Genre tropes are the things that you expect to see in a film in terms of camera work and mise-en-scene. For example, in a horror film we expect to see blood.

Here is a conventional horror movie (the trailer for Scream):

What is the importance of genres?

Genres help to quickly establish differences between different media forms. They can also help the film maker as they can follow certain conventions in order to help them create a film for their desired genre. Genre also helps with marketing and advertising because different genres will attract different audiences and this is shown through the advertisement.

My three favourite genres

MUSICALS 

Conventions: Music, singing, dancing, bright lighting, comedy sidekick, upbeat, clear beginning, middle and end as dictated by songs, dramatic/theatrical acting, non-diegetic music.

Films from this genre: Mamma Mia, Grease, Hairspray, Rock of Ages, Les Miserables, Into The Woods, Mulan, Annie, Mary Poppins.

A scene from a musical: Mamma Mia! (in which we see a song performed by the cast)

I enjoy musicals because they are usually light-hearted and easy to watch. by this I mean that the stories are simple to follow. I also like the cliché aspect of musicals, the overly exaggerated acting and predictable story lines thrill me. Most importantly, I enjoy the singing, dancing and general performance in musicals. There is not really any other genre that includes performances directed at the audience.

COMEDY

Conventions: Bright, slapstick comedy, casual settings (often towns or well populated areas), relatable characters, parody, sarcasm, bloopers shown at end, embarrassing or foolish situations.

Films from this genre: Step Brothers, Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, Liar Liar, Planes Trains and Automobiles, Uncle Buck, National Lampoon's Vacation, Pitch Perfect, Johnny English.

A scene from a comedy: Johnny English (in which we see the main character in a foolish situation)

I enjoy comedies because they usually always have happy endings which is nice for audiences. More obviously, another aspect of comedies that I enjoy is the comedy its self; I enjoy laughing.

HIGH SCHOOL/TEEN COMEDY

Conventions: School setting, teenagers, drama/arguments, stereotypical characters, cliques, teen issues, romance/love interest, the underdog/unpopular person as main character, popular person who is main character's enemy.

Films from this genre: Mean Girls, The Breakfast Club, Clueless, 17 Again, A Cinderella Story, 10 Things I Hate About You, Easy A, John Tucker Must Die.

A scene from a high school/teen comedy: Mean Girls (in which we are introduced to the cliques)

I enjoy teen comedies because they are so predictable. The story line of the underdog winning over the popular person/nemesis and gets their love interest is so familiar to me that watching these films just makes me feel comfortable.