1. Film Studies
Introduction to Unit 25: Film Studies
Aims of Unit 25:
• Understand how films are created for specific audiences.
• Understand how films make meaning for those audiences.
• Exploration of industry practices and the application of a
range of theoretical approaches.
• Inform and enhance your production activity.

2. Learning Outcomes
LO1: Be able to apply different analytical approaches to
films.
LO2: Understand the relationship between films and their
production contexts.
LO3: Understand the relationship between producers and
audiences.
LO4: Understand the relationship between audiences and
films.

3. Assessment Criteria
1.1: Apply approaches to analysing films with some
appropriate use of subject terminology.
1.2: Describe the relationship between films and their
production contexts with some appropriate use of subject
terminology.
1.3: describe the relationship between producers and film
audiences with some appropriate use of subject
terminology
1.4: Describe the relationship between audiences and films
with some appropriate use of subject terminology.

4. Unit Success
To succeed in this unit you need to:
• Watch a lot of films!
• Be an active viewer, not a passive film viewer.
• Understand film as a powerful medium.
• Be analytical.
• Know that several different theories can be used on one
film.

5. Genre Theory
• ‘Genre’ literally means ‘type’.
• Genre helps us catergorise films.
Task:
• Look at the following trailers and consider which genre
they belong.
• Make notes as to why you think it belongs to a specific
genre.

6. Trailer #1 Trailer #2
Notting Hill Scream

7. Trailer #3 Trailer #4
Speed Ace Ventura: Pet Detactive

8. Why is genre important?
• Good way to communicate meanings in film.
• Makes the information in films more controllable.
• Makes characters more predictable.
• Genres are used to create meaning.
• Very easy to market a ‘genre’ film.
• Audience knows what to expect – REPETATIVE.

9. The Language of Film
• How do films ‘speak’ to us?
• Codes / Conventions? The familiar and predictable forms and
techniques.
• Setting? Where is the film set, geographically, urban, rural.
• Props? Symbolic props – Crucifix, knife…
• Costume? Period costumes, well dressed, ‘cheap’ clothing.
• Lighting? Gloomy, sunny…
• Sound? Happy, atmospheric, SFX.
• Iconography? Eiffel Tower, specific props.
• MISE-EN-SCENE: What is in the scene.

10. Case study: HORROR
• ‘Horror has often been the most peculiar and the
most predictable of genres’ (Hutchings)
• What is your favourite horror genre?
• Consider the list on the previous page and
consider why your chosen film can be defined as
‘horror’

11. Horror synopsis
Task:
• Write the synopsis for a made up horror film.
• What makes it a horror?
• Again, think about, storyline, characters, setting…
• Find an image to accompany your horror film
synopsis.

12. Arguments against genre
• Clear, identifiable and sustainable boundaries?
• Sub-genres?
• Hybrid genres?
• Created by critics, not filmmakers?
• ‘Ultimately, perhaps we need to remember that the
concept of genre is a little like stereotyping. Once you
start investigating real people in all their complexity,
stereotypes tend to fall apart; similarly, once you
start analysing a complex media text, generic labels
become fairly meaningless.’ – Media Magazine