Film Genres

1. Film Genres

2. Genre
Categories of media. Understood variously in
terms of
 Agenda of Film Industry
 Artistic Practice and Aesthetic Conventions
 Discursive or Critical Reception (Audience
Preferences and Critical Interpretation)
Studying genre is perhaps most useful in
understanding the interplay among these
arenas.

3. Genre Criticism

4. Definition
 Genre
Is known as the category that defines literary or
art work. There is Television genre where different
categories of programs have different
characteristics. Film and Radio genres are
developed with the audience expectations .
 Genre Criticism or Analysis
Since the twentieth century it has been divided in
3 phases.

5. Phases
1. Focus on the formal features of
communication.
2. Focus on recurring socio-cultural
circumstances.
3. Critics have been applying formalist and socio-
cultural concepts to new media artifacts that
tend to resist classification in traditional genre
categories.

6. Approaches
a) Aesthetic
• Focus on formal, stylistic features and innovations.
• It looks deeper into the narrative structure.
b) Inductive
• It establishes that, if a group of text conclude on
similar aspects, might constitute a new genre.
• Is used to say what’s about.

7. Aspects that Critics identify and
analyze
 Semantic (formal/stylistic)
oCharacter type
oLocation
oScene setting
oCharacteristics of types of shots and camera
work
oStyle of action
oEditing

8. …
 Syntax
oNarrative structure
oDialect
oRecurring themes
oDiscourses (themes that are ideological or other)

9.  Semantic: what the film represents (characters,
settings, themes)
 Syntactic: the structure and relationship of
formal elements in the film.
 Pragmatic: How the film is taken up by viewers
and critics.

10. Theoretical Approaches to
Genre
 Semiotics: study of how is meaning created.
 Industry: History / social and economic analysis
 Audience Reception
 Spectatorship

11. Audiences develop an understanding that certain expectations may be
fulfilled and they find pleasure in predicting what will happen next. Different
genres have a certain repertoire which is things the audience will expect to
happen.
Every genre has expected aspects which is known as iconography. For
horror films this is isolated, open spaces for locations; dark makeup and
props like weapons and blood. Film trailers need to intrigue the audience
into going to watch the film which is the enigma of the trailer.
We will need to use conventions in our trailer so that the audience knows
the narrative of the film straight away., we need to use a certain amount of
immediate communication with the audience. We need the narrative to be
easily comprehensible, using key components that are easily recognisable
are important
– these key components are know as semantic and syntactic which I will

12. Semantic - This is the particular conventions of a certain
genre that communicate to the audience such as
characters, locations, props, music, shooting style and
other signifiers.
Syntactic - This is the relationship between these
conventions and the structure of the narratives in genres.
E.g. In horror movies we expect the villain to kill the
innocent character. There are then a series of
meeting/problems which prolong or stop this from
happening
Not just semantic factors (makeup, props, costumes,
locations) signify a particular genre it also has to have
syntactic factors such as generic situations.

13. Semantic conventions in horror films
are:
•Location – open, isolated spaces.
•Costume – dark, worn out
•Weapons - weapons such as knifes
and chainsaws
•Props – blood, religious icons.
•Characters – agnostic, protagonist.
•Sounds – high pitched screeches,
eerie music, sound effects such as
screams.
Syntactic –
Story lines and plots are very similar in
every horror film. A common plot is an
innocent person or group of people in
an isolated place, like a forest or in a
derelict house then they realise they
are not alone and a murderer is
introduced into the film. Another
common plot is someone becoming
possessed. The character will be
again an innocent character then

14. Types of Genre
Literary:
• Autobiography
• Biography
• Realistic Fiction
• Historical Fiction
• Non-Fiction
• Fantasy
• Drama
• Poetry
• Short Story
• Journalism
• Folk Tales and Fairy
Tales
Film:
• Action
• Adventure
• Comedy
• Crime & Gangster
• Drama
• Epic/Historical
• Horror
• Musicals
• Science Fiction
• Westerns
• War
Television
• Non-Fiction
• Television Series
• Children’s Television
• Documentary
• Educational
• Animation
• Reality Series
• Sports
• Travel
• Pornography
• Politics

15. Elements of Genre in
Film Analysis

16. GENRE
A category used to classify a film in terms
of certain general patterns of form and
content.

17. Genres are defined in terms of
.Narrative
.Tone and Mood
.Setting
.Theme
.Iconography
.Characterization
.Filmic techniques

18. Narrative
Refers to similar or formulaic plots
and structures, predictable
situations, sequences, episodes,
obstacles, conflicts and
resolutions.
For example:
Boy and girl meet, fall in love, are separated by random
event or fight, spend miserable time while apart, reunite and
marry at the end of movie.

19. The Romantic Comedy
 Pretty Woman (1990) Gary Marshall

20. Characterization
Similar types of characters (sometimes
stereotypes), roles, personal qualities,
motivations, goals, behavior may help us
identify a film’s genre.
For example:
The nerd in high-school comedies, the femme fatale in film
noir, the outlaw in the Western.

21. The femme fatale
 Gilda (1946) Charles Vidor

22. Theme
Refers to the subject matter of the film,
the topic that is developed through the
story.
For example:
Domestic conflict in melodramas, justice in courtroom
dramas, corruption in gangster films, human hubris in
science fiction.

23. Justice (Courtroom Drama)
 Philadelphia (1993) Jonathan Demme

24. Setting
The place where the story takes place,
whether a particular geographical location
or a time in history, can give us clues
about genre.
For example:
The Western in the mythic frontier, the film noir in the
corrupt city, melodramas in domestic spaces, the future in
science fiction.

25. The Dystopian Future
 Blade Runner (1982) Ridley Scott

26. Iconography
The recurrence of familiar stock of images or
motifs such as décor, costume and objects,
certain 'typecast' performers, familiar patterns of
dialogue, characteristic music and sounds, and
appropriate physical topography usually are
indications of particular genres.
For example:
Chicago+Tommy guns+Prohibition = gangster films.
Nerd+Jock+Cheerleader+high school=comedy.

27. Nerds and Cheerleaders
 Revenge of the Nerds (1984) Jeff Kanew

28. Filmic techniques
Stylistic or formal conventions of
camerawork, lighting, sound-recording,
use of color, editing etc., are also factors
in defining genre in films.
For example:
Dark ambiances in film noir, bright lights and vivid colors in
musicals, parallel action in suspense or horror films.

29. Barely lit streets
 The Man Who Wasn’t There (2001) Joel Coen

30. Tone refers to the attitude the author
transmits to the work or the way the
theme is approached within the work.
Tone
For example:
Depending on the tone, a film about death can be a comedy
or a drama.

31. Ever thought nuclear
holocaust could be hilarious?
 Dr. Strangelove (1964) Stanley Kubrick

32. Mood
Mood pervades throughout the film and causes particular
feelings and sensations in the audience. The mood of a movie
can be constructed by means of the music, lighting, camera
movement, editing etc.
For example:
Sunshine, beach, upbeat music, people laughing set a happy,
optimistic mood for a story.

33. Songs and bright colors give
musicals a happy mood
 Grease (1978) Randal Kleiser

34. Genre and Parody
Parodies exploit viewers’ knowledge of
generic conventions and use them to
make fun of certain film genres.
For example:
Austin Powers vs. James Bond
Scary Movie vs. Ring

35. Spies were never so funny!
 Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999) Jay
Roach

36. Film Genres
Comedy Films:
■ central characters who are often defined by distinctive physical
features, such as body shape and size, costuming, or manner of
speaking
■ narratives that emphasize episodes or “gags” more than plot
continuity or progression and that usually conclude happily
■ theatrical acting styles in which characters physically and
playfully interact with the mise-en-scène that surrounds them

37. Comedy Sub-genres
Slapstick Comedies:
Slapstick comedies, marked by
their physical humor and stunts,
comprised some of the first
narrative films

38. Comedy Sub-genres
Screwball Comedies:
In the 1930s and 1940s, screwball comedies
transformed the humor of the physical into fast-talking
verbal gymnastics, arguably displacing sexual energy
with barbed verbal exchanges between men and women
when the Production Code barred more direct
expression. In effect, these films usually redirected the
comic focus from the individual clown to the confused
heterosexual couple. It Happened One Night (1934),
Bringing Up Baby (1938), His Girl Friday (1940), and
The Philadelphia Story (1940) are among the best-
known examples of screwball comedies;

39. Comedy Sub-genres
Romantic Comedies:
In romantic comedies, humor takes a second place to
happiness. Popular since the 1930s and 1940s,
romantic comedies like Small Town Girl (1936), The
Shop Around the Corner (1940), and Adam’s Rib (1949)
concentrate on the emotional attraction of a couple in a
consistently lighthearted manner. This subgenre draws
attention to a peculiar or awkward social predicament (in
Adam’s Rib, for example, the husband and wife lawyers
oppose each other in the courtroom) that romance will
eventually overcome on the way to a happy ending.

40. Film Genres
WESTERNS:
Westerns are the major
defining genre of the
American film industry - a
eulogy to the early days of
the expansive American
frontier. They are one of the
oldest, most enduring
genres with very
recognizable plots,
elements, and characters.

41. Western Sub-genres
 epic Western
 the 'singing cowboy'
 the "spaghetti" Western
 contemporary Western
 revisionist Western
 comedy Western
 "post-apocalyptic"

42. Western Sub-genres
 epic Western
 the 'singing cowboy'
 the "spaghetti" Western
 contemporary Western
 revisionist Western
 comedy Western
 "post-apocalyptic"

43. Western Sub-genres
 epic Western
 the 'singing cowboy'
 the "spaghetti" Western
 contemporary Western
 revisionist Western
 comedy Western
 "post-apocalyptic"

44. Western Sub-genres
 epic Western
 the 'singing cowboy'
 the "spaghetti" Western
 contemporary Western
 revisionist Western
 comedy Western
 "post-apocalyptic"

45. Western Sub-genres
 epic Western
 the 'singing cowboy'
 the "spaghetti" Western
 contemporary Western
 revisionist Western
 comedy Western
 "post-apocalyptic"

46. Western Sub-genres
 epic Western
 the 'singing cowboy'
 the "spaghetti" Western
 contemporary Western
 revisionist Western
 comedy Western
 "post-apocalyptic"

47. Western Sub-genres
 epic Western
 the 'singing cowboy'
 the "spaghetti" Western
 contemporary Western
 revisionist Western
 comedy Western
 "post-apocalyptic"

48. Film Genres
DRAMA:
Dramas are serious, plot-
driven films, portraying
realistic characters,
settings, life situations, and
stories involving intense
character development and
interaction.

49. Drama Sub-genres
 melodramas
 romance
 biographical films
sports films
 road movies
 “guy” films

50. Drama Sub-genres
 melodramas
 romance
 biographical films
sports films
 road movies
 “guy” films

51. Drama Sub-genres
 melodramas
 romance
 biographical films
 sports films
 road movies
 “guy” films

52. Drama Sub-genres
 melodramas
 romance
 biographical films
sports films
 road movies
 “guy” films

53. Drama Sub-genres
 melodramas
 romance
 biographical films
sports films
 road movies
 “guy” films

54. Drama Sub-genres
 melodramas
 romance
 biographical films
 sports films
 road movies
 “guy” films

55. Drama Sub-genres
 melodramas
 romance
 biographical films
 sports films
 road movies
 “guy” films

56. Film Genres
MUSICALS:
Musicals/dance films are
cinematic forms that
emphasize full-scale scores
or song and dance routines
in a significant way, or they
are films that are centered
on combinations of music,
dance, song or
choreography.

57. Musicals Sub-genres
 Broadway musicals
 musical comedy
 concert films
 performance films
 music biographies

58. Musicals Sub-genres
 Broadway musicals
 musical comedy
 concert films
 performance films
 music biographies

59. Musicals Sub-genres
 Broadway musicals
 musical comedy
 concert films
 performance films
 music biographies

60. Musicals Sub-genres
 Broadway musicals
 musical comedy
 concert films
 performance films
 music biographies

61. Musicals Sub-genres
 Broadway musicals
 musical comedy
 concert films
 performance films
 music biographies

62. Film Genres
HORROR:
Horror films are designed to
frighten and to invoke our
hidden worst fears, often in
a terrifying, shocking finale,
while captivating and
entertaining us at the same
time in a cathartic
experience.

63. Horror Sub-genres
 slasher
 science fiction
 supernatural
 teen terror
 serial killers
 satanic
 monsters

64. Horror Sub-genres
 slasher
 science fiction
 supernatural
 teen terror
 serial killers
 satanic
 monsters

65. Horror Sub-genres
 slasher
 science fiction
 supernatural
 teen terror
 serial killers
 satanic
 monsters

66. Horror Sub-genres
 slasher
 science fiction
 supernatural
 teen terror
 serial killers
 satanic
 monsters

67. Horror Sub-genres
 slasher
 science fiction
 supernatural
 teen terror
 serial killers
 satanic
 monsters

68. Horror Sub-genres
 slasher
 science fiction
 supernatural
 teen terror
 serial killers
 satanic
 monsters

69. Horror Sub-genres
 slasher
 science fiction
 supernatural
 teen terror
 serial killers
 satanic
 monsters

70. Film Genres
CRIME:
Crime films feature the
sinister actions of criminals,
mobsters, bank robbers,
underworld figures, and
ruthless hoodlums who
operate outside the law,
stealing and murdering their
way through life.

71. Crime Sub-genres
 gangster films
 detective films
 film noir
 mysteries
 serial killer films
 suspense films
 thrillers
 courtroom dramas

72. Crime Sub-genres
 gangster films
 detective films
 film noir
 mysteries
 serial killer films
 suspense films
 thrillers
 courtroom dramas

73. Crime Sub-genres
 gangster films
 detective films
 film noir
 mysteries
 serial killer films
 suspense films
 thrillers
 courtroom dramas

74. Crime Sub-genres
 gangster films
 detective films
 film noir
 mysteries
 serial killer films
 suspense films
 thrillers
 courtroom dramas

75. Crime Sub-genres
 gangster films
 detective films
 film noir
 mysteries
 serial killer films
 suspense films
 thrillers
 courtroom dramas

76. Crime Sub-genres
 gangster films
 detective films
 film noir
 mysteries
 serial killer films
 suspense films
 thrillers
 courtroom dramas

77. Crime Sub-genres
 gangster films
 detective films
 film noir
 mysteries
 serial killer films
 suspense films
 thrillers
 courtroom dramas

78. Crime Sub-genres
 gangster films
 detective films
 film noir
 mysteries
 serial killer films
 suspense films
 thrillers
 courtroom dramas

79. Film Genres
SCIENCE FICTION:
Sci-fi films are often quasi-
scientific, visionary and
imaginative - complete with
heroes, aliens, distant
planets, quests, fantastic
places, new technology, and
extraordinary monsters.
Sci-fi films often feature
multiple genres.

80. Sci-Fi Sub-genres
 futuristic films
 visionary
 horrific
 graphic novels
 medical miseries
 devil machines
 mad science
 space invaders

81. Sci-Fi Sub-genres
 futuristic films
 visionary
 horrific
 graphic novels
 medical miseries
 devil machines
 mad science
 space invaders

82. Sci-Fi Sub-genres
 futuristic films
 visionary
 horrific
 graphic novels
 medical miseries
 devil machines
 mad science
 space invaders

83. Sci-Fi Sub-genres
 futuristic films
 visionary
 horrific
 graphic novels
 medical miseries
 devil machines
 mad science
 space invaders

84. Sci-Fi Sub-genres
 futuristic films
 visionary
 horrific
 graphic novels
 medical miseries
 devil machines
 mad science
 space invaders

85. Sci-Fi Sub-genres
 futuristic films
 visionary
 horrific
 graphic novels
 medical miseries
 devil machines
 mad science
 space invaders

86. Sci-Fi Sub-genres
 futuristic films
 visionary
 horrific
 graphic novels
 medical miseries
 devil machines
 mad science
 space invaders

87. Film Genres
WAR MOVIES:
War films acknowledge the
horror and heartbreak of
war, letting the actual
combat fighting (against
nations or humankind) on
land, sea, or in the air
provide the primary plot or
background action for the
of the film.

88. War Sub-genres
 war dramas
 military operations
 anti-war films
 POW stories
 military training

89. War Sub-genres
 war dramas
 military operations
 anti-war films
 POW stories
 military training

90. War Sub-genres
 war dramas
 military operations
 anti-war films
 POW stories
 military training

91. War Sub-genres
 war dramas
 military operations
 anti-war films
 POW stories
 military training

92. War Sub-genres
 war dramas
 military operations
 anti-war films
 POW stories
 military training

93. Film Genres
EPICS:
Epics take an historical or
imagined event, mythic,
legendary, or heroic figure,
and add an extravagant
setting and lavish
costumes, accompanied by
grandeur and spectacle,
dramatic scope, high
production values, and a
sweeping musical score.

94. Epic Sub-genres
 historical dramas
 costume dramas
 war films
 medieval romps
 period pictures
 adventure films
 religious films

95. Epic Sub-genres
 historical dramas
 costume dramas
 war films
 medieval romps
 period pictures
 adventure films
 religious films

96. Epic Sub-genres
 historical dramas
 costume dramas
 war films
 medieval romps
 period pictures
 adventure films
 religious films

97. Epic Sub-genres
 historical dramas
 costume dramas
 war films
 medieval romps
 period pictures
 adventure films
 religious films

98. Epic Sub-genres
 historical dramas
 costume dramas
 war films
 medieval romps
 period pictures
 adventure films
 religious films

99. Epic Sub-genres
 historical dramas
 costume dramas
 war films
 medieval romps
 period pictures
 adventure films
 religious films

100. Epic Sub-genres
 historical dramas
 costume dramas
 war films
 medieval romps
 period pictures
 adventure films
 religious films

101. References
 www.worldlingo.com/ma/enwiki/en/Genre_criticism
 www.oswego.edu/~messere/TVCritPowerpoint/Genre.ppt
 www.crivoice.org/NTS/herm/Genre%20Analysis%20pp.ppt
 http://www.filmsite.org/genres.html
 www.kimskorner4teachertalk.com/readingliterature/genres/menu
 www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category/Television_genres
 Chandler, Daniel (1997): 'An Introduction to Genre Theory'
[WWW document] URL
http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Documents/intgenre/chandler_genr
e_theory.pdf
 Cook, David A. A History of Narrative Film. New York and
London: W.W. Norton and Company, 1996.
 Music: Colossus. Kevin MacLeod. incompetech.com