A powerpoint explaining the Rick Altman theory of the Syntactic and Semantic elements to each genre of film.

1. GenreTheorists
By Art Noble

2. Different GenreTheorists
• David Duff: “Genre is a recurring type or category of text, as defined by structural and thematic
criteria.”
• John Hartley: “The same text can belong to different genres in different countries or times.”
• Robert Stern: He suggests genre is hard to define, doesn't really exist and is just a concept made
up by theorists and critics.
• Rick Altman: He says we define genre by two man things:
• 1. Semantic Elements (signs such as knives, blood, dark colours and eerie music.)
• 2. Syntactic Elements (the themes and plots within a movie.)

3. The Horror Genre
Many different aspects
are involved within a
horror movie and the
horror genre. Everything
is taken into consideration
both the Semantic and
the Syntactic elements.
The props, the setting, the
sound and music are the
semantic elements.As for
the Syntactic elements
being the plot, the type of
victims and the characters
as well.

4. The Horror Genre
• In any good horror movie they always
look to exploit one of the following
syntactic elements,
• Nightmares
• Vulnerability
• Alienation
• Fear of the Unknown
• Death
• Loss of Identity

5. PsychologicalThrillers
• A Psychological thriller is a
genre of film that emphasizes
the unstable psychological
states of its characters, it is a
subgenre to theThriller genre.
Psychological thrillers usually
incorporate elements of
mystery, drama, action and
horror.
• Some syntactic elements are
reality, perception, mind,
existence/purpose, identity
and death.
• Some semantic elements
within the genre include things
such as drugs, alcohol and also
including dark colours to fit
the theme.

6. PsychologicalThrillers
• Action and psychological aspects
both are used to add to the
suspense.
• With a psychological thriller the
conflict is through the mind, skills,
and wit of main characters,
reversing the more normal thriller
“plot over character” expectations
i.e.. a psychological thriller reader
needs to understand the character,
character can (sometimes) be
slightly more important than plot
(although I prefer both in equal
measures).

7. The Action Genre
• Action film is a genre in which
the protagonist or protagonists
end up in a series of challenges
that typically include the
following syntactic elements,
violence, extended fighting,
physical feats and frantic chases.
• Some semantic elements of
action films are Cars,
Motorcycles, Big Modern City
location,Outbreaks of windows
and doors, Massive destruction,
Sinister upbeat music, HiTech
big machinery and there is
always a good guy and a bad guy.

8. Action Films
https://www.slideshare.net/conmann2997/action-
adventure-codes-and-conventions -
conmann2997

9. The Drama Genre
• Drama Films are serious presentations or stories with settings or life situations that portray
realistic characters in conflict with either themselves, others, or forces of nature.
A dramatic film shows us human beings at their best, their worst, and everything in-
between.Within the genre there are many subgenres based around the main genre.
• Drama films are films that are able to connect to the audience, they do this by reliving real
life experiences that real people have lived. Such asTitanic, the actual ship sank on 1912
and with real life accounts and stories that have been told by the fortunate people who
survived, James Cameron was able to create an Oscar AwardWinning film calledTitanic,
reliving the night theTitanic Sank.

10. Drama Films
• Some syntactic elements
used in the drama genre
are things such as real life
situations or events that
took place in the past,
portraying a characters
journey or life, intense
social interaction, and
creating a moving
storyline that will move
and connect to the
audience emotionally.