Sam Thomas

Introduction to
Genre
What is Genre and Why is it
important?
Definition:
Genre is how media products like films are categorised by its themes, conventions and overall
narrative. For example, Step Brothers would be placed in the comedy genre due to its conventions
that make it amusing to the audience.
Importance to the Viewer:
Genre is important to the audience because if they like similar films that are in the same genre as one
another, it adds a sense of familiarity which the viewer may be looking for. For example if an
audience likes the film Saving Private Ryan, they may also like Dunkirk as they are in the same
genre (war) with similar conventions. Also they are important to the viewer as it is a sense of
predictability as the audience might know what to expect from a new film by using older films that
are in the same genre.
Importance to the Producer:
Genres are important to producers because it is easier for them to market to a specific audience. This
is because they can look back at previous films target audience that are in the same genre and use
their information to target the specific audience. Another reason why it is important to producers is
that it is easy to market and choose a star for certain roles. This is because they can chose actors from
similar films in the same genre as that is what they specify in. this means that the producer can easily
pick an actor for the role in the film because the actor has had previous experience in the genre.
Types of Genre
THE GREEN MILE/ SHAWSHANK
REDEMPTION
GENRE NARRATIVE CAMERAWORK EDITING M.E.S SOUND

Crime About injustice and a Often low and high Not much Batons, Soundtracks are
wrongful imprisonment angles to show the CGI, more handcuffs, normally eerie-
Shows the brutality of difference in power dramatic prisons and sounds like
prisons and the justice between prison editing. court setting. something bad is
system. guard and the Makes it seem Low key lighting- going to
inmates. more realistic sense of realism. happen.
STAR WARS AND GUARDIANS OF
THE GALAXY
GENRE NARRATIVE CAMERAWORK EDITING M.E.S SOUND

Sci-fi Linear structure A range of shots Fast paced Futuristic Lasers

set in a futuristic are used e.g. mid editing lots of weapons Engines of
place, e.g. shots, close ups, CGI- creates Spaceships spaceships
space or other establishing shots, the unrealistic High key lighting. Orchestra and
planets- low and high setting. Colours represent sometimes
unrealistic angles- shows emotion e.g. electric
setting. which characters vibrant colours = soundtrack.
are good or evil. good, peaceful.
Dark colours =
evil, war.
SAVING PRIVATE RYAN AND LONE
SURVIVOR
GENRE NARRATIVE CAMERAWORK EDITING M.E.S SOUND

Action/ Normally follows a linear Low angles to Fast paced during Guns Orchestral music-
War structure- the heroes are the show the enemy the action- build Horse played at
soldiers that are fighting for has the greater up the tension Planes/helicopters important
peace and freedom. The force. which makes the Grenades moment in the
villains are portrayed as the Establishing shots audience feel First aid/medical film e.g. an
opposing force- fighting to show the scale excited and care . ambush, friends
against freedom and of the war. For anxious to what is This empathises being killed etc.
peace. Mostly male actors example D-day going to happen the power the
but sometimes women play landings in Saving to them. Shot character have, it
the main characters when Private Ryan, this reverse shots are can also show
its a hybrid to a romantic shows that the used to show the how heavily
film. action is spread constant action unequipped
across the whole between all of the group is
bridge and there actors- shows the compared to an
is no safe zone. perspectives of opposing force-
both sides. the underdogs.
HAPPY GILMORE AND STEP
BROTHERS
GENRE NARRATIVE CAMERAWORK EDITING M.E.S SOUND

Comedy Uses humour as a driving force Lots of tracking shot Fast pace editing Normally set in urban Upbeat music
of the film. There are many that follow the action shows to capture the areas where a lot of normally popular
types of humour that express caused by the chaos of the things are happening music like chart
the theme of the film. For excitement of the characters and their at once. music. This can
example slapstick comedy is characters. actions. The Actors- there is increase the
associated with children films audience finds this always a villain and a popularity of the film
because children find slapstick humorous and hero but they dont it has a good
and toilet humour amusing. engages them to have to be indirect. soundtrack like
However there is also satire watch till the end. For example in Guardians of the
humour which take the mick Happy Gilmore, Galaxy.
out of the corruption of Shooter is trying to
government and society. Most get Gilmore kicked
of the time there is always a off the course by any
goal they reach. means necessary
and he is trying to
stop Gilmore from
completing his goal
which is to win
enough money to
buy his mothers
house back by
golfing.
Hybrid Genres and Sub Genres

Hybrid Genre:
This is when two or more genres are mixed to together. This is used to attract a larger
audience as it covers a bigger range of genres than just one. Hybrid genres have
become increasingly more popular because people are finding films that just have one
genre boring and predictable. This is because genres use convention to link them to
certain iconography. Producer have create more hybrid films to help them be a box
office hit and increase their revenue so they can make new films or sequels. An example
of a hybrid genre is a romantic comedy. This is a humorous film that tells a love story or it
involves two people coming together. This is an effective hybrid because it spices up and
ordinary romantic film which sometimes can be very predictable.
Sub Genres:
A sub genre is a genre within a genre. They are used to widen the certain genre to a
much broader target range and audience. An example of a sub genre is a disaster film
which is a genre within the action and adventure genre. This is a good example of a sub
genre because it follows the important conventions of a action adventure genre but it
slightly twists them. For example in a disaster film it has a hero and a villain but they are
indirect. This is because the hero of a disaster film are the people who are trying to
escape the natural disaster and the villain is the natural disaster such as: a tsunami or an
earthquake.
Verisimilitude

Verisimilitude is used to who how real or true something is. This is used in
media to show how realistic a media product compared to real life.
The war genre displays greater verisimilitude because they are
normally about past and present wars but slightly exaggerated to show
how chaotic and futile war is. A good example of a film that displays a
past war is Saving Private Ryan. This is because it describes the struggle
of the beach landings of D-day and how they were very similar to a
slaughterhouse. A good example of a film that best displays a current
war is American Sniper. This is because it is about a famous Navy SEAL
sniper, Chris Kyle, and his struggles of the Iraqi War and coming home.
Subverting Genres

Genre conventions are the things like characters and narratives that
are similar that help identify the differences in genres. Most genres
have a lot of conventions that can be easily picked out and used to
predict the narrative of a new film that is in a similar genre. A good
example of a media product that subverts genre techniques is
Sherlock- the TV drama BBC1. This is because it adds technical
codes such as on screen graphics that represent his thoughts when
trying to understand the mysteries of the murders.