2. All about genre
• Genre is very important to both film producers and films audience because
producers need to engage their target audience to keep them interested.
• The basic genres of film can be regarded as drama, in the feature film and most
cartoons, and documentary. Most dramatic feature films, especially from
Hollywood fall fairly comfortably into one of a long list of film genres such as the
Western, war film, horror film, romantic comedy film, musical, crime film, and
many others. Many of these genres have a number of sub-genres, for example by
setting or subject, or a distinctive national style, for example in the Indian
Bollywood musical.
• The first ever movie genre was Western and was made in America.
• Films before 1930’s where silent.
• In 1940’s the films that where created where revolving war, these films where
propaganda persuading young men to go into the war.
• Genre is not just categories and subcategories, genre changes depending on the
situation the world or most of the world are in at the moment.
3. Denis Mcquail and Christine Gledhill
Denis Mcquail refers to the commercial and
industrial significance of genres. This theorist
suggested that genre helps the target audience of
producers to capitalize on the success of previous
films because the audiences may choose to see a
film based on the genre or perhaps the content of
the film, or even the actors in it. For example, the
action film James bond. The actor Daniel Craig may
interest an audience that like action films.
Christine Gledhill notes that
“differences between genres mean that
different audiences could be identified
and catered to. This makes it easier to
standardise and stabilise production. To
the mass media, genre is apart of the
process of targeting different market
sectors”
Denis McQuail (born 1935) is an
American communication theorist,
Emeritus Professor at the University of
Amsterdam, who is considered one of the
most influential scholars in the field of
mass communication studies.
Christine Gledhill is an author and a feminist.
She has a theory of rethinking genre and
gender, she is currently a professor.
4. Cross
genreCross genre is when 2 or more genres are involved
in a film, such as romantic comedy.
Red riding hood is a good example of cross genre,
this film is crossed between dark fantasy, horror
and thriller.
These posters would attract the target audience
because dark colours are used which is a code and
convention of the horror genre. The only colours
used are red white and black on both posters, the
red on her cloak contrasts against the white snow,
the red could also connote blood which is also a
code and convention of horror. All of these things
would interest the target audience and make them
want to see the film. By using a well known actress
will also entice the audience.
5. Cross
genreFriends with benefits is another cross genre film
but this time the genres which are infused
together is romance and comedy.
Both of these images are film posters. They are
both your typical romantic posters, a couple as
the main focus point but by Justin Timberlake's
expression on his face and Mila Kunis’ smile you
can tell that they are comfortable around each
other and laugh. The above film poster is difficult
to see their body language but you can just about
make out that Mila Kunis is laughing again which
would reassure the audience that they are going
to get some comedy. The quote written over the
above poster is a code and convention of
romantic films. Again by using well known actors
this films audience will widen.
6. Cross
genreAliens in the attic is another cross genre film
but the genres that have been infused this
time are comedy and sci-fi
Both of these posters are posters promoting
Aliens in the attic. The codes and conventions
of each poster are typical sci-fi and comedy. By
using aliens it hints to us that it is sci-fi but
because the main actors are teenagers or
young children we know it will be a comedy,
the back ground of the poster looks sci-fi
because it is blue and highlights the aliens to
suggest they are the main part of the film and
are from out of this world.
7. Conventions of genre
Well known actors who represent this genre:
Adam Sandler – Comedy
Jennifer Aniston – Romantic
Bruce Willis – Action
Clint Eastwood – Western
Will Smith – Science fiction
Harrison Ford – Adventure
Genre changed and evolved over time, different genres come in and out of fashion
every other day for example Western was the first ever genre for movies and now
the most watched genre is Romantic Comedies or Horror Thrillers. Thanks to
technology and our knowledge of the world we can produce amazing films.
8. Genre
changes
Just by looking at these two posters you an see the development of them over time. Both
genres are horror, looking at Dracula you can tell the lack of technology and equipment they
had but back when this poster was out this would terrify their audience because they didn’t
know of anything scarier. If you look at the Dracula poster you can see that the woman is the
target which contrasts with Jennifer’s Body because the woman is the main character who
obviously doesn’t need saving. The codes and conventions of horror are still there in the
Dracula poster for example the dark colours, the red colour around his head, but these days
blood is the main code and convention of horror which is exactly what is dripping from
Jennifer’s mouth.
9. Genre
changes
Both of these movie posters are promoting a romantic genre. Both posters contain the
typical codes and conventions of Romance and love, in the Suzy poster they have not used
actual actors it is just a painting or drawing of what the two may look like in the actual
movie which suggests they didn’t have the technology we have today. In the Suzy poster
the woman is all over the man representing men having dominance which was true in
them days. P.s. I love you is a typical Romantic poster, the woman and the man look like
they are totally in love with each other and they both look happy, the title of the film says
it all really.
10. Genre
changes
Both of these posters are posters for films in the Sci-fi genre. Astro zombies shows typical
conventions of film posters in these days, a woman who is in trouble and needs saving where
as I robot is bout unnatural creatures which are obviously robots because of the title of the
film and instead of just saving one girl he is saving the world.
