Week 7 LectureFilm Genres

What is a film genre?• A film genre is a structure of story that is repeated again and again. They often

have the same settings, character types, conflicts and values• Genres are the means by which we classify the movies that we watch; they give

order to the many titles that are created• Genres are usually derived from one of four major components to a film: Setting,

Theme, Mood and Format– Setting

• Fantasy films• War film• Westerns

– Theme • Science Fiction• Art films• Film Noir

– Mood• Drama• Comedy• Horror• Thriller• Action and Adventure

– Format• Documentary• Animation• Musical

How are film genres developed?• Genres are initially developed by a film

that is trying to tell a new, original story. – Film studios, in their efforts to repeat previous

successes, will make movies that have the same components as previously successful films

• Repeated success will lead to more films based on the conventions of the previous film; studios do so because they want to be sure that there will be an audience for a specific film

• A genre will not continue if there is not an audience for it– Zombie movies continue to be made because

there is a very specific audience who will go and see the movies

Why are film genres so popular?• Much in the same way that genre films are created because

filmmakers know that there will be an audience for the film (based off the previous film’s success), we as audiences go to see movies based on their genre because we know what to expect• For example: I like to see heist films, I like the twists that come in the

story, like in Ocean’s 11. Because I expect to like this style of film, I am likely to go see a new one when it comes out if I feel that it matches the conventions of the genre

• The Genre acts as a contract with the audience, they will expect that there will be certain elements in the movie based on its genre, if those elements are not present, the audience will be displeased with the movie

• Genres give directors a template to work with when they are creating a story.

What are your favorite Genres?

The Cycle of a Genre Movie• Gianetti (1999) argues that

Genres have 4 major cycles:• Primitive

• The conventions of the genre are established through experimentation.

• Classical• The genre at its peak. It’s conventions are

solidified.• Revisionist

• The conventions of the genre are reevaluated. The boundaries of the genre are expanded.

• Parodic• The conventions of the genre are satirized

/ made fun of.

Scary Movie -- Parodic

Saw - Revisionist

Genre Conventions• A genre can be identified by the conventions that it shows

• Conventions are character types, objects, themes, or settings that occur in the movie

• It is very common for films to straddle genres by mixing those conventions

Conventions of the Genre: Westerns• Setting: Usually takes place in the American West

between 1865 and 1900• Characters

• Main character: Loner in Society, rugged individualist; in early films they would often wear a white hat to signify their good nature

• Villains: Either outlaws who are bullying the good people in town or Crooks who are putting on the appearance of being respectable (i.e. crooked bankers)

• Typical elements (from filmsite.org• Hostile elements (often Native Americans)• Guns and gun fights• Horses, trains • Bank robberies and holdups• Runaway stagecoaches• Shoot-outs and showdowns• Outlaws and sheriffs

Conventions of the Genre: Horror• Setting: Spooky places; Places

that we are normally afraid of• Characters:

– Some kind of evil villain who tries to stalk the main character(s) and kill them

– There is less focus on the main character, they are merely a vehicle by which we are introduced to the world of the villain

• Conflict: To destroy the evil element and bring the world back into order

• Common Elements: Blood and Gore, stylized special effects

Sub-Genre• Sub-Genres are developed when films are

created to emulate the properties of one particular genre film, rather than the conventions of the genre as a whole

• Examples of Sub-Genre• Spaghetti Westerns: Italian Western films

made by Sergio Leone• Romantic Comedies: A subset of comedies

that have predictable elements that are usually aimed towards women

• Zombie Movies: Horror films that focus specifically on Zombies

• Mockumentaries: Fake documentaries created after the style first shown in This is Spinal Tap

Sequels and Remakes• Sequels and Remakes work in

much of the same way that Genre films do– The films are made based on the

success of previous efforts– Audiences will most likely go see the

film because they have certain expectations about what the film will be like

– Audiences are more often than not disappointed in the remake or sequel; this may be due to the fact that the original had authentic ideas, and people are attracted to it because of its freshness, however, that freshness is lost when the film is remade