Intro to Film Lecture Slides - Genre PDF

Genre INTRO TO FILM – FILM 1000  What is GENRE? ‘Genre' is a French word meaning 'type’ It shares its etymology with the word “Genus”, which is used in the biological sciences to classify plants and anima...

Genre INTRO TO FILM – FILM 1000  What is GENRE? ‘Genre' is a French word meaning 'type’ It shares its etymology with the word “Genus”, which is used in the biological sciences to classify plants and animals into types. Genre is used to define different types of literature music and film INTRO TO FILM – FILM 1000  GENRE Identifying the elements of a GENRE helps us to: Describing Analyze Categorize works of film art. INTRO TO FILM – FILM 1000  IDENTIFYING GENRE ELEMENTS Settings Character Types Costumes and Props Plots/Situations/Conflicts Cinematic Elements INTRO TO FILM – FILM 1000  IDENTIFYING GENRE SETTING GANGSTER FILMS center on large- scale urban environments. SCIENCE-FICTION FILMS feature technologically advanced societies WESTERNS are usually about life on some frontier INTRO TO FILM – FILM 1000  IDENTIFYING GENRE CHARACTER TYPES Police Thrillers The Informer The sidekick The Squad Captain INTRO TO FILM – FILM 1000  IDENTIFYING GENRE CHARACTER TYPES Mystery Detective Femme Fatale Foreign Spy INTRO TO FILM – FILM 1000  IDENTIFYING GENRE COSTUME Gangster Trench Coats Fedoras INTRO TO FILM – FILM 1000  IDENTIFYING GENRE COSTUME/PROPS Science Fiction hi concept fashion space suits INTRO TO FILM – FILM 1000  IDENTIFYING GENRE COSTUME/PROPS Fantasy tunics Sandals armor INTRO TO FILM – FILM 1000  IDENTIFYING GENRE CINEMATIC ELEMENTS Thrillers have Somber lighting INTRO TO FILM – FILM 1000  IDENTIFYING GENRE CINEMATIC ELEMENTS Horrors have lots of blood and gore INTRO TO FILM – FILM 1000  IDENTIFYING GENRE CINEMATIC ELEMENTS Action films have rapid cuts and slow-motion sequences INTRO TO FILM – FILM 1000  IDENTIFYING GENRE CINEMATIC ELEMENTS Romantic dramas have lots of non-diagetic music INTRO TO FILM – FILM 1000  PLOT SCENARIOS/CONFLICTS Mysteries usually involve an investigation INTRO TO FILM – FILM 1000  PLOT SCENARIOS/CONFLICTS Gangster Films usually involve the gangster’s rise and fall INTRO TO FILM – FILM 1000  PLOT SCENARIOS/CONFLICTS Hong Kong martial-arts films usually involve loyalty to one’s teacher INTRO TO FILM – FILM 1000  Genre and The Film Industry If a type of film is popular with audiences, production companies will reproduce elements of that film (the story structure, character types, lighting styles etc) and repurpose production assets (costumes, props, setting etc) in attempt to repeat the financial success of the original film. INTRO TO FILM – FILM 1000  Genre and The Film Industry This financial/organizational approach is an attempt to guarantee success with minimal risk. INTRO TO FILM – FILM 1000  Genre and The Film Industry If audiences continue to respond positively to the film type, then more films of that type are made. Critics will use the identifiable characteristics of the films as a framework for assessing the distinctiveness or conformity of a particular film as well as assessing the taste of audiences. INTRO TO FILM – FILM 1000  Genre and The Film Industry Genre in film theory brings attention to the process that occurs between Film Makers, Audiences and Critics. It invites explorations of industrial and aesthetic practice as well as social perspectives. INTRO TO FILM – FILM 1000  THE WESTERN GENRE A distinctly American genre Stories set approximately between 1860 – 1910 (Period of American western expansion) Popular characters based on actual individuals: Wyatt Earp, Jesse James, Wild Bill Hickok, Crazy Horse, Geronimo INTRO TO FILM – FILM 1000 THE WESTERN GENRE SETTING Desert Saloon Train Station Brothel Homestead INTRO TO FILM – FILM 1000 THE WESTERN GENRE CHARACTER TYPES Good Guy Bad Guy Cattle/Land Barron Saloon Keeper Sheriff Cowboy INTRO TO FILM – FILM 1000 THE WESTERN GENRE COSTUME Stetson hat Bandanna Gun belt Chaps Ruffle skirts/petticoats INTRO TO FILM – FILM 1000 THE WESTERN GENRE PLOTS/SCENARIOS/CONFLICTS Crime (bank robbery, cattle theft) Chase Scenes Retribution/Revenge Native v.s Colonial Damsel in Distress INTRO TO FILM – FILM 1000 THE WESTERN GENRE CINEMATIC ELEMENTS Wide shots of desert Cavalry trumpets South Wester American Folk music INTRO TO FILM – FILM 1000  GENRE Most scholars now agree that no genre can be defined in a single hard-and-fast way. INTRO TO FILM – FILM 1000  GENRE Some genres stand out by their subjects or themes. INTRO TO FILM – FILM 1000  GENRE But subject matter or theme is not always central to defining genres. Musicals are recognizable chiefly by their manner of presentation singing, dancing, or both. INTRO TO FILM – FILM 1000  GENRE But subject matter or theme is not always central to defining genres. The detective film is partly defined by the plot pattern of an investigation that solves a mystery. INTRO TO FILM – FILM 1000  GENRE But subject matter or theme is not always central to defining genres. Some genres are defined by the distinctive emotional effect they aim for like amusement in comedies or tension in suspense films. INTRO TO FILM – FILM 1000  GENRE The question is complicated by the fact that genres can be more or less broad, blanket categories that fit many films. We refer commonly to thrillers, yet that term may encompass horror films, detective stories or hostage films “Comedy” is a similarly broad term that includes slapstick comedies, romantic comedies, parodies and gross-out comedy such as There’s Something About Mary INTRO TO FILM – FILM 1000  GENRE Thus SUB GENRES can be devised by critics, viewers, or filmmakers to try to describe more precisely what films are like. INTRO TO FILM – FILM 1000  GENRE Audiences expect the sub genre film to offer something familiar, but also different. An interplay of convention and innovation. Action/Comedy, Sci Fi/Horror, Back Stage Musical etc INTRO TO FILM – FILM 1000 Discussion Topic What elements define Caribbean Cinema ELEMENTS Settings Character Types Costumes and Props Plots/Situations/Conflicts Cinematic Elements INTRO TO FILM – FILM 1000